326 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



afterwards became most fruitful and have resulted in important gov- 

 ernment work, such as the present Weather Bureau, among others. 

 The beginning of cooperation in library work was at this institution. 

 At the same time many we might almost say most of the present 

 scientific activities of the government have grown out of it or been 

 stimulated by it. Experiments in fog signaling, in the acoustics and 

 ventilation of public buildings, and in numerous other subjects, were 

 inaugurated. In fact, in these earlier days, with one or two exceptions, 



^ 



JAMES SMITHSON. 

 FOUNDER OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



the Smithsonian was the sole representative of active scientific work 

 directly or indirectly connected with the United States government. Its 

 influence upon the character of private scientific work, too, was very 

 great, since half a century or more ago the avenues for publishing were 

 few, and the funds for the purpose slender. 



Gradually, out of the collections which had been kept in the Patent 

 Office, the private collections of Smithson, and of appropriations of 



