The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-11-09
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THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
washington, D. c., Nov. 9.-In 1888
there arrived at Philadelphia the
clipper Mediator" bringing to the
mint 100000 English gold sovereigns.
They were coined into American
money, $508,3l8l6. The fortune
came from the estate Of James Smith
son, an English chemist and mineral
ogist, who had died In Genoa, Italy,
in 1929, requesting his estate to his
nephew, Henry James Hungerford.
with the proviso that II Hungerford
died without issue the entire estate
was to go Ito the United States OF
America to found at washington, un.
der the name Of Smithsonian Institu-
ton, an establishment for the in
crease and diffusion Of knowledge
among men," Hungerford died with
out issue in 1885, and so the estate
came into the possession Of the Unit
ed States.
The Smithsonian now has under
its operating direction eight govern
ment bureaus, 10 wit: The 1nterna-
tional Exchange Service as the agency
for the exchange Of scientific, liter
airy, and governmental publications
with foreign governments, institu-
lions, and investigators; the Bureau
of Ethnology, which collects and pub
fishes information concerning the
American Indians and the natives Of
Hawaii; the National geological Park;
the United States National Museum:
the National Gallery Of Art; the As
|trophysical Observatory: the Freer
Gallery Of Art; and the Division Of
Radiation and Organisms.
The Smithsonian Is located In four
great structures in the Mall. The
grounds comprise about nine city
squares. about the same In area as
the capitol grounds. It owns the area
in fee simple, acquiring 1t when the
region was largely swamp land. It Is
therefore an independent land owner
and not subject to the park authori-
ties except by its own consent. Here
is the original Smithsonian museum, q
great structure Of Seneca brownstone
in mingled Gothic and RomanesQue
styles, looking for all the world like
a Norman cathedral with castle ad-
juncts, forming one Of the most pic
turesque buildings in washington. It
charms from any point from which
1t may be viewed. The interior also
looks like q cathedral with lofty pill
lars and ceiling. In the apse Of q
chapel one may see the Greenough
marble statue Of George Washington,
which for many years stood In the
east plaza Of the capitol. The statue
represents Washington as q Roman
father, naked from the waist up. So
many people pitied the statue as the
hot rays of the sun beat down on It in
summer. and the cold chilled It in
winter, that congress provided . place
for 1t In the museum where it reposes
in q chapel like saint. incidentally
it Is being preserved, for elements Of
the weather were beginning to dis
integrate the marble.
Dream Of . National Art Gallery
The museum OF industrial arts.
east Of the Smithsonian, was erected
in 1881. It Is brick structure one
story high, covering an acre Of
ground. It IS filled with countless
items Of extraordinary interest. There
are the swords of Washington and
Grant, and the plane In which Lind
bergh flew from America to France
in 1927, the spirit OF st. Louis" This
greets one at the very entrance to the
museum. Here also are the plane
Langley tried to fly and the historic
planes Of the Wrights and Curtiss. In
a neighboring building are other his
toric planes which tell the story Of
the development Of aviation.
In the National Museum one meets
many wonders. The edifice was COM
pleted In 1911, and is opposite the
main buildings. The collections
found here are in the field of history
and comprise art, antiquarian, mill
tary, naval, numismatic. and philate-
lie materials, many historic objects
relating to the World War. and ex-
hibits on engineering, and textiles,
inclusive Of raw materials. Here one
may see Indians and other savages
Of the world represented In life-like
effigies.
The Smithsonian has had plans
drawn for the construction Of q Mus
cum Of Fine Arts to cost about 3lO,-
600 900, and some day it is hoped this
dream will come true. It Is known
that many great collectors Of art are
ready to give their treasures to the
National Art Gallery as soon as 1t
shall have building worthy to re-
ceive them. The first substantial
collection Of art given to the Smith
sonian was that Of Hrs. Harriet Lane
Johnston. who presided over the
White House for her uncle, President
Buchanan. The supreme court Of the
District Of Columbia decided that