Evening star., 1937-01-10
Scottish Rite Temple Burnsiono
Is Largest in Western World

Council of 33rd Degree Masons OF
the Southern Jurisdiction with the
trustees of the will Of Mr.. Smith.
With Andrew Carnegie as chairman.
this latter group included Theodore
w. Noyes. Blair Lee, James Wilson,
Champ Clark, David Hutchinson,
Thomas Nelson Page. Albert Douglas,
Oliver G. Ricketson. Charles c. Mar
bury and John Barrett.
Proper Housing Quest.
It was undoubtedly the hope Of Mr..
Smith that his fellow. Scotch born
friend. Andrew Carnegie. might see At
to house his Burns collection intact.
but this Mr.. Carnegie felt indisposed
to do. Neither did the Library of
Congress nor the Public Library feel
that either institution was in a posi-
ton to take over the collection. ex-
tremely rare and valuable as it Is,
In such q manner as would coincide
with the plainly stated intention Of
its donor that it should neither be
merged nor shelved with other groups
Of books.
Finally the members of the Supreme
Council, acting In unison with the
trustees appointed under Mr.. Smiths
will and George H. Lamar. attorney
for the estate. unanimously agreed
after many conferences and delibera-
tions that the collection should be
housed and set apart in the long
room of the south hall of its temple
in Washington.
Subsequently, the collection in its
entirety was delivered in 1918 to
John H. Cowles. grand commander OF
the Supreme Council, as custodian of
the temple. In 1919 the collection,
intact, in fulfillment of its late
owners wish was made freely avail
able to the general public.
Over the doorway to the room which
houses it is this inscription: Robert
Burns, First Poet Laureate of Free
Masonry. The Smith Collection OF
Burnsiana Collected and Donated by
William r. Smith, 80 Degree, Of Wash
ington. D. c."
In the sancity Of the mellow room
set apart by Masonry to house the
poems it is now possible under the
guidance Of William L. Boyden, who
has for 43 years been the librarian
of the Supreme Council, to leave be-
hind all thought Of the world with
out and commune with the spirit OF
Burns, most human of all the worlds
great writer's.
The books are arranged chronologi-
cally by editions In so far as possible
then by undated editions. for as is
well known, many of the rare and
wellknown editions are without date
and then by the place of their publi-
cation.
Boyden is Washington born and bred
and knew Mr.. Smith and his famous
Burnsiana collection long before it
came to be housed under his jurisdic-
tion. So. with him steering me from
one fascinating volume to another and
celebrating upon its background or
calling my attention to the various
interesting and rare engravings,
photographs and facsimilies which are
also part Of the collection, time ap-
parently ceased to function for me-
When finally left the world OF Burns
behind me it was to discover to my
embarrassment that my visit had not
only prolonged itself far beyond what
it should have in Boyden's day. but
undoubtedly absorbed his luncheon
period as we'll.
S4-Page Dated Editions.
The dated editions occupy "a pages
in the collections printed catalogue,
and the undated no less than II
These editions are of all sizes and
shapes printed upon all types OF
paper and bound in all sorts OF ways.
Evidently they were also in all
manner Of degree of preservation
when they first came into Mr.. Smiths
hands. From the pages OF some
volumes there even yet continues to
fiutter out, as there did the day Of
my visit. hitherto undiscovered re-
ceipted bill rendered Mr.. Smith for
the repair Of certain books in the COL
lection. This latest one to come to
light was from the Gibson Bros, 10