Transcribe Baird, Spencer Fullerton. Letter to Gilman, Daniel Coit (1876-04-01)

[another hand- (copy) Enclosed with letter April 1, 1876]

                     INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1876

BOARD ON BEHALF OF U.S. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS

       National Museum: Smithsonian Institution        
                             Washington, Apl. 1 1876

My Dear Prof. Gilman:

  I do not know whether you have

heard anything of the magnificent collection of economical minerals of the United States that the Smithsonian will display at the Centennial. This will be the most superb exhibition of mineral wealth of a country ever brought together embracing as it does over twenty tons of gold & silver ores from the western mines having a bullion value of thirty to forty thousand dollars representing every variety in masses in masses from one to five hundred pounds. There are also numer- ous specimens of ores of all other metals, building stones, clays, etc, also their applications in the form of crude or refined metals, pottery and the like. These are no hard or ordinary specimens, but large masses which by their magnitude will excite the utmost interest.

  We have allotted ten thousand square feet

or the size of the Smithsonian hall for the display.

  The refusal of Congress to give us an appro-

priation for completing our work at the Centennial places us in grave embarrassment & it is a question