Memoir of Spencer Fullerton Baird, 1823-1887 / by John S. Billings.

  • Billings, John S. (John Shaw), 1838-1913.
Date:
[1889]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoir of Spencer Fullerton Baird, 1823-1887 / by John S. Billings. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    consuls everywhere were induced to interest themselves in receiv- ing and forwarding packages; the Treasury Department allowed its parcels to be forwarded without delay; many lines of shipping and railroads gave it free transportation ; and so it soon came to pass that scientific men in this country had better facilities for ex- change with Europe than European countries had with each other. All this was done with comparatively small expenditure, the aver- age annual cost to the Institution prior to 1867 being only about $2,000. In 1867 Congress placed the system of exchange of Gov- ernment publications under the charge of the Smithsonian, and the expense rapidly increased, so that for the years 1878-80 they aver- aged $10,000, or nearly one-third of the entire revenue of the In- stitution. In 1881, through the influence of Professor Baird, Con- gress granted $1,500 towards the cost of exchanges, and this sum was rapidly increased in succeeding years to $15,000, as was fair and just. But, while doing this routine work, and doing it so well as to lift it out of the region of routine. Professor Baird never for a day lost sight of his plan for a National Museum, never neglected a possible opportunity to acquire material for it, never ceased the studies which were his chief delight, and yet never came into un- pleasant collision with his ofiicial superiors who had other interests and views. This was not because he concealed his opinions, but because he did all that was given to him to do and more, and used his remarkable power of managing men in behalf of his official work as well as of that which he had more immediately at heart. Of his capacity for organization and administration, the National Museum and the work of the Fish Commission are sufficient evi- dence. He had the full confidence of those very distrustful bodies of men, the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Sen- ate, and while he never seemed to be urgent in his demands, he almost invariably obtained from Congress all that he desired. One reason for this was that he did not try to go too fast, and managed to educate public opinion so that the demands when made met with almost unanimous support. In fact he offered suggestions rather than demands, and preferred to have others take up the sug- gestions and deal with them as if they were their own original ideas, while he remained quietly iu the background ready to furnish information when desired, but taking no apparent part in discus- sion or controversy, and absolutely indifferent as to who should m