Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1881-09-18)

It needs an individuality of its own, and a level independence which will command respect. It is going to wield a great influence if properly handled, and to do this it is necessary to make it something else than an advertising sheet filled out with state clippings. I am </u confident > the Bulletin can be made to pay for itself, and if Mr H. will let me alone I will undertake to prove it with the Novwmber issue. I consider it quite to possible to secure for that paper, during the first year, 1000 subscribers at 50 cents per year, for the bimonthly. But to do this it will need to be a different paper from No. 1. As I said before, I want you to write off at least twenty little items of </s fee > from three lines (print) up to ten, of news and gossip about the Museums, Naturalists, recent discoveries, and other scientific gossip from Australia & New Zealand. For one thing I shall record the fact of the existence of a school of Taxidermy in Australia, the first we have ever heard of.

    Mr Howell has just gone to Cincinnatti. If the

collection there is sold I shall be surprised, and if you were here I should be surprised if it were </u not > sold. Even Mr H. admits that you are </u the > man to work up a case of that kind, and he seems to have very little confidence in his own ability to bring matters to a successful issue. The few stuffed mammals (Bailey's orang, a civet cat, kangaroo? &e &e) were the best which has yet been sent to an exhibition. It is a crying shame that this estab- blishment which acknowledges no rivals in work in osteology & taxidermy (at least in </u this > country) should send to the great exhibitions its </u worst > stuffed mammals. It is injustice to the Establishment.