LIFE IN WASHINGTON 239 
wilder regions of the North or West or the Spanish- 
American countries, he was always ready to execute com- 
missions, some of which required considerable expenditure 
of time and care. Papers and books were forwarded, 
sometimes at the request and expense of the distant 
collector; and quite frequently superfluous magazines and 
papers, which had come to my father personally, were 
passed on to them. This mailing of pamphlets was 
largely done by my mother when in sufficiently good 
health. 
“Of course, his own opportunities of collecting were 
crowded out by this larger work of superintending and 
engineering the amassing of material by every means, 
but his summer vacations were, at any rate in the earlier 
part of his connection with the Smithsonian, made to 
aid in the matter as far as possible, although personally 
as I have said, he had but little opportunity. His large 
correspondence, even where not originating in any matter 
bearing on collections, would often be turned in that 
direction. No one ever wrote him a courteous letter 
asking for advice or aid in any way who did not receive 
a courteous and prompt response, even in the days before 
he had a stenographer, and when letters had to be written 
almost entirely by his own hand. Even where the corre- 
spondence closed with the original letter and reply to it 
this was the case; but wherever it was possible to direct 
the enquiring mind to the investigation of a locality 
promising any result in the way of Indian remains or 
natural history collections, a hint was given which, in 
many cases, brought a return. Even if the writer himself 
were not a probable auxiliary, there would be a question 
if a convenient opportunity occurred, as to whether he 
had any neighbors interested in these matters who would 
