K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Jan. 22, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:-

I have read in the papers an account of your presentation of your collections to the Yale University. I congratulate the University upon receiving such a superb addition to their collections, and I think that you may be congratulated in having settled while yet living the question beyond all doubt, as to where the collections are to be permanently located.

I have had several inquiries as to the government collections now in your hands, and what steps have been taken to preserve to the government all of the collections which have been made for the Geological Survey under your direction. I have given what information I had upon the subject, but I think it best that you should write to me an official letter, stating how, in event of your death, the government collections could be readily distinguished and taken in charge by some one connected with the Survey.

I should also like to know the number of original types as far as the material has been described now contained in the government collections in your hands.

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Feb. 14, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:-

Your letters of February 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th, received. I did not return from New York until late in the week, which prevented my answering your telegram. When you send the information in relation to the types, I will then have all of the data that now appears to be necessary.

The letter sent to Professor Langley has been returned to the Senator, who forwarded it with a statement that the collections were in charge of the Geological Survey. I presume it will be forwarded to the Survey within a few days.

I find that the record of specimens received by you from July 1, 1882 to June 30, 1891 is up to record number 2,118, December 10, Freight, Cretaceous, Kansas. Can you send me the data that will bring it down to July 1, 1892, or to the time in which all material collected for the government was received by you?

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

Feb. 17, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:-

I have received a letter from Hon. R. R. Hitt, inclosing
a letter from Mr. Wm. H. Ballou, a copy of which is sent herewith.

I have replied to Mr. Hitt, stating that you were prepar-
ing a full statement which you proposed to publish, showing your
relations as paleontologist to the Geological Survey.

I think you had best make up your statement, and if you
so desire, put it in type in order that it may be distributed to
your friends or to any one who is interested.

Inclosure.

COPY.

K.

NEW YORK DISPATCH, 317 Broadway,

New York, January 31, 1898.

Hon. Robert R. Hitt,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, H.R.,
Washington.

Dear Sir:-

Your attention is called to the extended reports in the
newspapers of the gift to Yale College of great collections, by
Prof. O. C. Marsh. As I understand it, these collections, in
whole or part, belong to the United States, having been collected
by government expeditions, the employees of which are on govern-
ment pay rolls. It is further certain that Prof. Marsh has thous-
ands of specimens belonging to the United States and which he has
persistently refused to surrender to the authorities after identi-
fication. I say thousands on authority of Prof. Le Conte's
"Elements of Geology." These are also matters of public scandal,
having been aired to the extent of 52 columns in the New York
Herald, and in many publications. Further, all access to said
collections is denied to scientific specialists. I trust you will
bring this matter before the proper committee and have a thorough
investigation made and the collections delivered to the United
States National Museum. In doing so you will greatly oblige,

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 23, 1898.

Dear Sir:-

I have been looking over the collections of the vertebrates in the National Museum and find that it is exceedingly desirable that certain genera which are now wholly unrepresented in the collections of the Museum should be included. As Mr. Lucas is now making plans for installation it is a very good time to fill up the gaps in the collection.

In view of this I should like to have you, if it is practicable, send on illustrations of the following fossil vertebrates:

Aceratherium tridactylum.      Hyopotamus
Diceratherium.                 Protapirus.
Amynodon.                    Anthracotherium.
Hyrachyus.                   Thinohyus.
Diplacodon                   Elotherium crassum or imperator.
Metamynodon                 Homocamelus.

Also specimens of the following types which are very poorly represented, and illustrations of the earlier horses:

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.

March 2, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:-

I have received another letter containing a reference
to the question of the types in the government collections in
your charge.

There seems to be an impression that the types have been
selected from your private collections rather than from the
material belonging to the government, and material belonging to
the government that was used as types has been transferred by
some system of exchange to your collections.

I think you had best make up your report upon the types
as soon as you conveniently can do so, as the agitation is liable
to be kept up until something authoritative is available on the
subject.

I should like to have full data upon all matters pertain-
ing to the collections, in order to answer at once any questions
that may be asked.

Truly yours,

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

S. P. LANGLEY
SECRETARY

CHAS. D. WALCOTT
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY
IN CHARGE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY IN CHARGE OF
U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 14, 1898.

Dear Professor Marsh:

We are preparing an exhibit from the Department of Geology for the Omaha Exposition, and in that connection I should like to have some fossil vertebrates. I will ask you, therefore, to please send to the Museum, at an early date, a reasonable number of specimens for exhibition in Omaha. If you cannot send skeletons, I would prefer to have about half a dozen skulls, sufficiently perfect to exhibit to the public, and I shall be glad to have you include among them a skull of *Elatherium crassum*.

Acting Assistant Secretary.

Professor O. C. Marsh,
Honorary Curator,
Section of Vertebrate Paleontology.

( Personal.)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

DIVISION OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY

March 31, 1898.

Hon. Charles D. Walcott,

Director, U. S. Geological Survey.

Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir: -

I duly received your personal letter of March 22
in regard to Prof. H. S. Williams and his proposed work, and reply at
my earliest convenience. ↗

Professor Williams had already laid before me his ~~general~~ plan of
investigation, especially in regard to the Devonian, and ~~this met my
approval, and I ~~should~~ be glad to aid him as far as circumstances ~~will~~ here
permit.

Professor Williams, as you know, was for several years my assistant,
and when he left to engage in business, I offered him large inducements
to remain. When he gave up business, eight or ten years later, and receiv
ed a subordinate position at Cornell, I still wished to aid him, and as
the President of Cornell was a Yale man and an intimate friend of mine,
I spoke to him strongly in Williams's favor, and urged his promotion,
which was given, as I have since learned, largely on my recommendation.

Later still, when there was a vacant place at Yale as instructor in
geology, inconsequence of Dana's ~~proposed~~ retirement, Williams applied
to me personally, ~~through Mrs. Williams, who came to New Haven~~, for the
position. I told her the vacant place was a temporary one which her
husband would hardly care for, but I should be very glad to have them back

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C. April 27, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:-

Mr. Lucas informs me that it will be possible for him to leave here so as to be in New Haven the first week in May. In view of this, will you not have such specimens as you are about to turn over, particularly the smaller ones, placed where they can be readily taken up for packing? Will it be feasible for you to have some one of your assistants have the necessary packing material arranged for in advance of Mr. Lucas' arrival?

I was glad to see you here at the Academy meeting, and sorry to learn that you are still troubled with rheumatism. I think you must have left a little of it here, as I had a touch of it in my back Monday night.