New Britain Herald Newspaper, June 27, 1929, Page 8

JAMES SMITHSON DEAD 100 YEARS Founder of Smithsonian nstita- tion Unbonored During Life ‘Washington, June 27—The Smith- sonian Institution commemorates to- day the one hundredth anniversary of the death of its founder, James Smithson, Smithson was an English- man. He never set foot in this country. Yet he left his impress for good upon this nation and through it upon the world as no other citizen and resident of an- other country has ever done. For what Smithson bequeathed to the keeping of the United States wus not merely a sum of money nor an institution. It was an idea; an idea fitty to a hundred years ahead of | the times in which he secured it to America, but now the very root-idea of modern achievement. It was the idea of scientific research, of the im- portance of knowing. “No ignor- ance is probably without loss to man, no error without evil,” wrote James Smithson, and he grubstake:d this belief with his fortune. The Smithsonian Institution and all that it has meant to America and the world are the results. We moderns are much closer to James Smithson than were his con- temporaries and the honor that he | lacked in his lifetime we can anil should give him. The known de- tails of his life are few and rather tragic. The natural son of Hugh Smithson, who later became the Duke of Northumberland, and of Elizabeth Keate Macie, who herself was descended from King Henry VII. he seems to have felt bitterly all his life the bar sinister on his name. He studied at Pembroke college, Oxford, and is reputed to have been the best chemist and mineralogist of his year. Certainly his devotion to science expressed itselt at an early age, for at 22 the vear after his M. A. from Oxford, he had already achieved enough ‘o win him election to the Royal so- ciety, 8mithson missed being a great scientist as a research worker, but he was a thorough and an indetati able one. He made many chemica! analyses of minerals, wrote several hundred papers, and did much field work in geology and mineralogy. His name lives in the mineral smithon- ite, the carbonate of zinc. But two qualities did render him a great mun in science—one was the clarity of | his thought, and the other his toler- ant vision. Nothing was too small nor too great for his consideration. With equal zeal he discussed the origin of the earth and he improv- ed ofl lamps. Most important of ail he saw clearly and far ahead. He2 knew how much was to be done ani saw the manner in which it would have to be done, James 8mithson never married: in his last years his health falled, ani it must have been in the midst of un- happiness and with a sense of frus- tration that, away froom his nativ land in Genoa, Italy, on June 21, 1829, he died. However, it is pe:- haps not toq much to say that hal he been the grgatest scientist of his age he could not have served th: world better than he did in leaving his fortune of roughly $540,000 “to the United States of America fo found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knoweldge among men.” In the hands of Joseph Henry, first secretary of the Smithsonian and the foremost American man of science of his day, Smithson’s be- quest became the inspiration ef American science and even to a | measurable extent of world science. It proclaimed actively the ideal of |research, it provided funds at a time when there were no funds, i |trained men, it seized fleeting op- | portunities, it gave direction to the | most powerful single material force lin modern life. Smithson's words |and ideal have served as an inspira- ion to other men and institutions. | ‘or the increase and diffusion of | knowledge” has become the com- mon expression of purpose for re- search establishments. The good that James Smithson did lives after [him with a fruitfulness beyon: measure, BOY IS CRIPPLED BY WEIRD DISEASE 350 Persons Offer Blood to Save Kala-Azar Victim | New York, June 27.—When he | was a mischicvous, carefree little urchin, darting around delivery packages and selling papers in that | unfashionable district of New Yora | City, known as Hell's Kitchen, no |one paid any attention to George Mosher. | But George woke up the other |day to find himself famous, by virtue of perhaps the most unus- |val misfortune that has befallen anybody in these United States. As he lay on a little white bed in !'a hospital, famed physicians came | to study an affliction that |been diagnosed as kala-azar, anacmic disease that has been ut- terly unknown here and is founa but rarely in oriental countries. No Cure Is Known No remedy ever has been found {for kala-azar. Only frequent blood transfusions can forestall death. The whole city was stirred by the strange plight of the pen- niless 14-year-old boy and 350 | persons volunteered to give him | | part of their blood. George has been ill since Feh- ruary, but at the Seaside Hospital on Staten Island, where he was taken, physicians were unable to diagnose the mysterious black fever that was destroying his blood cells. It was a visiting mis- | sionary who gave them the ip; |after a glance at the boy she said: “You'd better .start giving him |antimony for kala-azar. My own nephew died of it in soutnera | China, and I know it when I see | it.” Infected by Insect® There are many theories as to where George contractea the | disease, but no one knows. Doc- |tors Eelieve he may have been bit- NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1929. ten by & fly from one of the ori- ental ships that dock in his neigh- borhood. Others say there may have been germs in the sailors’ laundry that he used to carry. George doesn't know that his battle for life probably will ve a losing one. He expects to be well, and the envy of all Hell's Kitcnen in a few weeks, And he may be, too, for if he can have enougn of other men's blood, doctors say there is @ chance that the myster- ious germs will be conquered. Sam Saw It in Paper But Didn’t Say What Lieutenant Bamforth cleared his throat, rustled his paper and looked at Officer Hellburg over his glasses. 1 see here by the paper—" he start- ed to say when the telephone rang. With a sigh he put the paper down. He reached for the telephone, not knowing what the message was. “Hello,” he said and listened for a long while, +“Oh, those Austrians fighting about whether theyll park their cars 1—“Canads Dry” is made from high-qual- ity Jamaica gin, end through our exel extraction process retains sll the flavor and aroms of the ginger root. 2—“Canada Dry” is made from absolutely tionenables it to retain its sparkle long sfter the bottle is opened. 3—“Cansada Dry” is tested daily under Inhont'ymetho s sure its pu, Leading hospitals serve it. Leading physicians prescribe it. Here is 8 better, purer ginger ale. in front of your house or not. N really, Bill, I do not believe that thia is a case for police action. No. I'd refer you to the prosecuting attorney if you want to make trouble. Dut not for the police.” Lieutenant Bamforth returned to his paper. He cleared his throat and looked at Officer Hellburg over his glasses. “I see here by the paper . . ." he began. Then the telephone rang again, |U. S. W. V. and Auxiliary State Encampments Members of A. G. Hammond Camp, U. S. W. V. and the auxiliary, | of this city, will attend the state en- | campments in New Haven tomorrow land Saturday. Among the local dele- | gation will be Past Department Commander Theodore Johnson | Captain Alfred H. Griswold, Tke T. Hills, William McGibbins, William | Hall. Col. W. W. Bullen, Harry Nor- | ton, Gustaf Carlson, William Masae)y and James Cotter, | The sessions of the encampmest j\\ill be held in Elks’ hall. When you know the facts, you know what a wonderful ginger ale it is SucH basic excellence means marvelous flavor. Cooling as the breeze which blows off a snow-field . . . refresh. ing as the sparkle of a mountain brook , ., . delightful as resting after a hard climb. “Canada Dry” has won the approving nod of connoise seurs the wide world over. . . . Itis served in countless homes throughout this country and Canada. ‘CANADA DRY” The Champagne of Ginger Ales AN | i NS —_NE —_——— Mature Never Com!nines an @ak with a Bixchh Neither does Nature combine crude oils of different base into a finished lubricant. Different types of crude oils have their own peculiar qualities. Each contributes toward perfect lubrication. The problem of securing the best qualities of paraf- fine crude and naphthene, of blending these two into an oil having properties of both, has finally been solved. Our chemists have made a two-base cil which is idcal for the modern high-compression, high-speed motor . . . the new Gulf SUPREME MBTDR BIL s heat 2nd wear: minimizes carbon formation end in every way lubria or the best performance of your msctor. Let yeur motor convince you. CULKF REFINING COMPANY June 27, 1929. Manufacturers of the Famous Gulf Verom Insecticide At the Sign of the Orange Disc Organized 1862 Resources $20,023,853.86 178 MAIN STREET SAVINGS BANK OF NEW BRITAIN $1,636,209.04 The directors of this MUTUAL SAVINGS BANK recognize that its eamings belong to its depositors and it has been the long-established policy of its management to distribute periodically to its depositors all its net eamings except moderate reserves for building up a surplus, which is a safety fund to protect the depositors against possible loss through depreciation of the bank’s investments. Oper- ating in accordance with this policy, interest at the rate of 5% per annum has been added to every depositor’s account each six months for the past FIVE YEARS. During this period there has been added to the surplus $679,451.73. The surplus now is $1,636,299.04. July 1st all depositors will receive interest on their ac- counts at the rate of 590. Deposit in a MUTUAL SAVINGS BANK, where every depositor receives all the benefits of the earnings of his money. Deposits made on or before July 3rd will draw interest from July Ist." "