REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 43 



although it may be stated here, in brief, that while the mounting of the 

 specimens, or arranging them in a suitable form for exhibition, was car- 

 ried on during the whole of the period, the actual packing up and box- 

 ing of the specimens began in March, and their shipment in April. 

 Twenty-one car-loads of specimens were forwarded from the Smithsonian 

 Institution, and these were unpacked and i)ut in place with such rapidity, 

 that by the 10th of May, at the opening of the exhibition, comparatively 

 little remained to be done, the whole labor being completed within the 

 subsequent few weeks. 



On the 10th of November the work of packing the specimens for their 

 return to Washington was commenced, but was soon arrested by an order 

 of the President directing everything to remain as it was, pending the 

 action of Congress in regard to the erection of a suitable building for 

 the Government exhibit, as more fully detailed in the accompanying 

 report. The interval, however, was made use of in transferring the 

 donations made to the United States by foreign governments and Ameri- 

 can States and individuals from their previous place of exhibition to 

 the Government building. As soon as the embargo as to packing was 

 removed, these collections, with others constituting the summer's exhibit, 

 were boxed and held in readiness for the anticipated order of the Presi- 

 dent for their transfer to Washington. 



In addition to the twenty-one car-loads of objects moved to Philadel- 

 l)hia from Washington, a large portion of the exhibit of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, arriving from other directions was put in place. 

 Almost the whole of the mineral display was in this category, only one 

 load having gone from Washington. 



The collections transferred to Washington after the close of the Ex- 

 hibition were more than thrice the bulk of those that were taken thence 

 to Philadelphia in the spring, the entire shipment returned occupied 

 forty-two cars, representing approximately an aggregate of 812,000 

 pounds. 



This may be a proper occasion to acknowledge the very great liberal- 

 ity of the railroad companies in regard to the collections in charge of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, and without which the funds at its command 

 would have been inadequate to meet the expense of transportation. By 

 an agreement between the railroad companies and Captain John F. 

 Rodgers, the officer in charge of transportation to and from Phila- 

 delphia of the Government collection, full rates were to be paid 

 one way ; but all objects thus transferred were to be brought back 

 free of charge. Thanks, however, to the liberality of the Phila- 

 delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore, the Baltimore and Potomac, and 

 the Pennsylvania Eailroad Companies, no charge whatever was made on 

 the twenty-one car-loads taken to Philadelphia in the spring j and the 

 same companies agreed, without inquiring into the nature of the con- 

 tents, to bring back to Washington the same number of cars free of 

 expense — additional car-loads to be paid for at the usual rates. It was 



