Transcribe Baird, Spencer Fullerton. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-09-25)

nwh 49.994. Sept. 25, 1876 Dear Professor.

        I wish the circumstances were

more favorable than they are for paying your bill at once; but I really do not see what I can do until I hear from of the parties to whom i have offered skeletons at reasonable rates. I think, however, we might make out a bill of about $500 against Dr ^Murray^ Cory, & would be glad to have you suggest a list of what would be most serviceable to him. I think the better plan will be to let you furnish them direct & thus charge a little more than for the cleaning. We put the trans- action on the basis of paying you for your labor partly in specimens. I will, however, do all I can to have something for you out of the other ap- propriations at my command; & as you do not leave until the end of November there will be a better opportunity for doing this. Possibly I can squeeze out of the fishing appropriations enough to cover the cost of preparing the whales.