Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 68.djvu/85

Rh. Dr. Dall told me the story of the origin of the National Museum building. The need was very great, but congress did not seem at all disposed to do anything. However, when the Centennial Exhibition was held at Philadelphia, money was loaned by the government to that city, and the congressional committee on appropriations was persuaded to agree that if the money was repaid a portion of it should go for a museum building. This was a qualified sort of promise, especially since many supposed that the money would never be seen again; but Baird was determined to make the best of it. He called together his associates, and explained the situation, adding that undoubtedly the final action of congress would depend very largely on the sort of exhibit they could make at the centennial. Under these circumstances, said he, it was for the staff to do their utmost, and he depended upon them to help him to produce an exhibit such as the people of America would be proud of. So they all worked day and night for six months or more, several of them without financial compensation, and when the exhibition was opened, every one was delighted with the result. The money was repaid by Philadelphia, the museum appropriation went through in 1879, and the building was ready for occupation in 1882. To-day it is as crowded as the old one was then, and happily another and better building is in course of erection. It is thus seen, that from first to last, it is no exaggeration to say that our National Museum owes its very existence to Baird. It is difficult to say what would be the condition of biological science in this country to-day had he not lived. It is at least probable that our credit as an enlightened and progressive nation would in this direction be very different, so greatly does a country depend upon its gifted sons!

As time went on, and the museum expanded, Baird was obliged to seek an assistant to share the administrative duties, and his choice fell upon Dr. George Brown Goode, who was already connected with the Fish Commission. In 1887 Dr. Goode was made assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in charge of the National Museum.

Baird had met Goode in 1872 on the Maine coast and had at once become greatly interested in him. Miss Baird writes:

From the time of their first meeting, a warm personal attachment sprang up between them, which deepened every year up to the time of my father's death. From the time when Mr. Goode became associated with the museum work, my father's burdens in connection therewith greatly lessened, as year by year Mr. Goode's ability in that line developed. No cloud ever obscured their harmonious relations. I can recall but one difference between them, and that was on an occasion where some idea having been carried out in connection with the museum work in which they both felt a natural pride, each was so determined that all the credit belonged to the other, and argued so strongly, that they absolutely grew a little hot in discussing the matter! My father wished Mr. Goode to take all the credit, and Mr. Goode insisted that he had only developed what my father had directed.