Evening star., 1945-07-01


passed away on March l8, 1907, at the
age Of II years.
George p. Merrell, curator Of geology,
came to the museum, prior to 1892,
and his department was then located
in the southwest corner OF the build
ing. He died suddenly. August is. 1929.
and was succeeded by Or. Ray S.
Bassler, who assisted him for many
years, as did w. H. Newhall and Mrs.
P. L. Jouy.
T. w. Smillie was the museum s
first photographer and occupied the
quarters of the present Photographic
laboratory. Beneath the laboratory was
the division of entomology, in the charge
of NJ. L. Linnell. Over the west en-
trance. including the towers, was for a
ling while the botanical division, under
the direction of Frederick v. Coville,
whose principal assistant was j. N.
Rose. william r. Maxon came later.
Joseph Painter, young botanist. was
working here at the time he was
drowned near Sycamore Island In the
upper Potomac in 1908. and 1t was while
he was working in this department that
the writer first met Alfred C. Cosdon,
later Of the Department of the Interior.
Museum Editor
Over the main entrance, in the 's0s
and '90s was the ofiice of A. Howard
Clark, editor of the museum, who was
succeeded by r. Edward Earl and later
by Marcus Benjamin On this balcony
was also the printing Office. in charge Of
Albert Curet from about 1882 to 1888,
when he was succeeded by the writer.
The superintendent's room was on the
ground floor west of the main entrance.
1t was occupied by Henry Koran. who.
as superintendent, was succeeded by j.
Elfreth Watkins and James 8. Gold
smith and more recently by Roy Trem-
bly,. Adjoining the superintendent's
room was the telephone office, the op-
orator being Miss Minnie Stone, who
became Mrs. Tolson.
To the east of the main entrance was
the property room, the office being filled
for many years by w. A, Knowles, who
succeeded Mr.. Goldsmith.
In the northwest pavilion Gas the four
corners of the building are called was,
in 1884, the finance clerk, H. w. Spot
ford, assisted by william H. Kimball
and Meredith Diggs.
The Printing Office
On the second floor of this pavilion,
in the large room, the printing office
was first located, and in the little room
at the top of the stairs was the ONCE
of r. I. Geare, chief of correspondence,
whose clerk and stenographer was E.
Harry Shuster. These were the days
when letters were typed or written in
copyable ink and copied in books made
for this purpose; the present method
of making carbon copies followed later
The room on the third floor was the
first office of E. H. Hawley. and Miss
L. D. Tabler also worked here Clifford
s. Wright and George w. Terfinger
we're here at later date. The assistant
secretary. Mr.. Goode, had his office in
the little room on the first floor and
later moved to the floor above. Paul
Brockett, now the assistant secretary of
the National Academy of Sciences, as
sisted Mr. Goode.
Mr.. Reed was the head carpenter in
1884. and Charles Woltz had charge of
the painting at that time, later being
succeeded by Harry G. Taylor. e. r.
Todd was connected with the property
Office and Frank Town was preparator
Smithsonian Employees
1t is difficult at this date to separate
the early museum employees from the
Smithsonian employees. and for this rea-
son the writer has confined himself
largely to those employed In the old
museum building, but he feels he ought
to add few other names, even II he
does mention some who were located in
the Smithsonian building. and some
who may not have been there as early
as 1884, such as Charley D. Walcott, who
later became secretary; w. M Ashley,
Miss 8. S. Atkinson, j. E. Benedict s..
Hazen Bond, Frank A. Birgfeld, Miss @.
Cornell, w. v. Cox, chief clerk; .. J..
Dolan, captain OF the watch; Miss M. q.
Dyer, Miss Kate Al Gallaher, j. E. Hoo
yer, Miss G. 4. Hurlbut, Miss s. E.
Latham, Miss E. NJ. Marbury, Mrs. E. G.
Months, j. H Parkhurst, chief engineer;
Miss M. J.. Rathbun. Robert Ridgway.
Miss c. Rosenbusch. Miss M. L. Stone
later Mrs. folsom. E. P. Upham, E. E.
Whiting, J. Louise Willege and ]. Frank
Wilson.
C. w. Shoemaker, who died recently.
was one Of the veteran employees. as was
j. S. Pollock. Nor must we fail to men-
tion Drs. Paul Bartsch. Ales Hrdlicka,
Austin Clark, the late w. H. Holmes,
Theodore Gil. u. w schollick, Benjamin
Z. Chambers. Frank X. Cole, Charles W,
Gilmore and quite likely number cf
others.