CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 79 
As you however appear desirous to present my thoughts of your 
capabilities as one of the assistants in that Stupendous undertaking, 
I send you inclosed what I hope most sincerely may prove beneficial 
for such purposes. 
Now as you have been kind enough to offer me your services 
at Washington, I desire you to call upon Mr. (Caleb) Cushing, M. C., 
of Mass.tts, and to ask him to have the goodness to forward me the 
Letter promised me by the President of the U. S., for, as I have not 
yet had it, I somewhat fear that it has been missent. 
Write to me at once, and believe me, 
Your friend, Joun J. AupuBoN. 
(Enclosure) 
Knowing as I do, Spencer F. Baird, Esq. as a young gentleman 
well qualified to assist in the arrangement, description, etc., of the 
specimens of natural history brought home by the Exploring Expedi- 
tion, and deposited in the National Institute at Washington City 
for the purpose of being published and thereby rendered useful to 
the world of science, I take great pleasure in recommending him as a 
most worthy, intelligent, and industrious student of nature, both 
in the field and the museum, and I would feel great satisfaction in 
hearing that our government had employed him in this national and 
important undertaking. 
Joun J. Aupuson.”6 
_ This proposition, however, came to nothing. Political 
influences prevailed, as one might expect from Congress- 
men, some of whom had been willing to finance a Symmes 
expedition. A janitor and preparator in the person of a 
kindly and well intentioned old man, one or two taxider- 
mists, with a Dr. King as Curator, and a clergyman, 
doubtless a worthy theologian, were assigned to the work 
of caring for the collections until the return of Capt. 
*6'The above recommendation is a copy of an original or auto- 
graph letter of the great naturalist and distinguished author of the 
“Birds of America,’ now in possession of Harvey Rowland, Jr., of 
this city. C. A. Kingsbury. April 23, 1883. 
