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

how we are to get through the crisis. In this emergency it has occurred to me that possibly if you con-\ template having a collection of this kind in the Johns Hopkins University you might wish to embrace the opportunity of securing a first class series for educational purposes. I think that an arrangement could be made for dividing the collection into a first & second series retaining the first for the National Museum & disposing of the second with a suitable share of the duplicates to some institution that has the means to secure it. If we could realize 12 or 15 thousand dollars, I think it would carry us through and the actual commercial & bullion value of the collection we could supply would be much more than this. Please think this matter over & let me know how the idea strikes you. Prompt action will be required as we do not even dare to ship our remaining collection to Phila in this uncertainty, The mineral collection is nearly all in the building in Pjiladelphia,

  This idea has not yet been presented to Prof.

Henry no do I know whether it will meet his approval although I think it will. Propositions were made to us some time ago in regard to some such arrangement but nothing definite has been arranged. Dr. D.C. Gilman [another hand-Daniel Coit Gilman]

                                                (Sgd) Spencer F. Baird

Prest Johns Hopkins University

                   Baltimore

[another hand vertically on left side- </u Baird April /76] [ybg]