BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
OFFICE OF TILE CIIEF. 
Dante, ELMER SauwMon, Chiet of the Bureau of Animal Industry, was born 
at Mount Olive, Morris County, N. J., July 28, 1850. His early life was passed 
partly on a farm and partly as a clerk in a country store. Was educated at the 
Mount Olive district school, Chester Institute, Eastman Business College, and 
Cornell University. He entered Cornell University at its opening in 1868, being 
a member of its first freshman class. Here he became acquainted with Prof. 
James Law, who had just come to America to fill the chair of veterinary science 
in this new and progressive institution, and after consulting with him decided 
to take the scientific course for the first year and after that gradually take up 
veterinary studies, with a view of graduating from that department at the end 
of four years. This plan was substantially carried out, but as the clinical 
facilities at Ithaca at that time were not as extensive as were desirable, he was 
allowed to attend the Alfort Veterinary School, Paris, during the last six months 
of his course without prejudice to his standing at Cornell University. He was 
zraduated at Cornell in 1872 with the degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Science. 
He was married the same year to Mary Thompson Corning, of Ithaca, and began 
veterinary practice in Newark, N. J. In 1875, on account of impaired health, he 
went to Asheville, N. C., for the benefit of the southern mountain climate. In 
1876 he received from Cornell the advanced degree of Doctor of Veterinary 
Medicine. In 1877 he delivered a course of lectures on veterinary science in the 
University of Georgia. 
The appropriation of $10,000 in 1878 for the investigation of animal diseases 
led to his appointment for a period of two months to study the diseases of swine. 
He was appointed an inspector of the State of New York in 1879 to serve on the 
staff of Professor Law in the effort to stamp out the contagious pleuro-pneumo- 
nia of cattle. Here he had an opportunity by daily observation to acquire a 
thorough knowledge of the disease and of the methods of controlling it. This 
work was arrested in the autumn by the exhaustion of the appropriation, and he 
accepted an appointment from Commissioner Le Duc of the United States De- 
partment of Agricuiture to investigate animal diseases in the Southern States, 
with particular reference to Texas cattle fever. These investigations were the 
starting point of the scientific work conducted by Dr. Salmon, or under his direc- 
tion, concerning fowl cholera, the contagious diseases of swine, Texas fever, and 
the nodular disease of sheep, which have cleared up the principal points as to the 
cause, nature and control of these diseases. 
Early in 1883 he was called to Washington by Commissioner Loring to estab- 
lish a veterinary division in the Department of Agriculture. Within a year Con- 
gress passed an act establishing the Bureau of Animal Industry, and Dr. Salmon 
was appointed Chief of this Bureau, a position which he has held uninterruptedly 
until the present time. His work in the Bureau of Animal Industry is briefly told 
in the sketch of the Bureau which appears elsewhere in this volume. The most 
important things accomplished are: 1. The complete eradication of the conta- 
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