Biographical Sketch of George Brown Goode 5 7 



work, and especially with his love of what may be called the 

 literary side of science, a side too often neglected by scien- 

 tific men. He detested an inaccuracy, a misspelled name, or 

 a slovenly record, as he would have despised any other vice. 

 Indeed, in all his work and relations moral purity and scien- 

 tific accuracy were one and the same thing. He had inher- 

 ited or acquired "the Puritan conscience," and applied it not 

 only to lapses of personal integrity, but to weaknesses and 

 slovenliness of all sorts. Hence he became in Washington 

 not only a power in scientific matters, but a source of moral 

 strength to the community. His influence is felt in the Mu- 

 seum not only in the wisdom of its organization, but in the 

 personal character of its body of curators. The irresponsible 

 life of Bohemia is not favorable to good work in science, and 

 the men he chose as associates belong to another order. 



As to Doctor Goode's moral influence and youthful char- 

 acteristics, the following extracts from a private letter of 

 Professor Otis T. Mason, Curator of -Ethnology in the 

 United States National Museum, will be found valuable: 



"Two characteristics of the man fixed themselves upon my 

 mind indelibly: I found him to be intensely conscientious, and 

 I could see that he was a young man who not only wished to 

 live a correct life himself, but abhorred the association of 

 evil men. 



"Another characteristic which forced itself upon me was 

 his devotion to the museum side of scientific investigation. 

 He wrote a beautiful hand, and on one occasion he told me 

 that it was just as much the duty of a scientific investigator 

 to write a good hand and spell his names correctly, so that 

 there would be no mistake in the label, as it was for him to 

 make his investigations accurately. You will find, if you will 

 look over some of the specimens which he marked at that 

 time, beautiful numerals, clear and distinct, so that there is 

 no mistaking one from the other. 



