Publication InformationWashington June 19 48

Carlisle

Page 1

Dear Baird

Before I sent George to Newton I wrote to the principal of one of the Moravian schools in Penn, but have forgotten which. I thought from the reply, that it was not of a high grade enough, & German appeared to be quite neglected. The principal [...] name, was Jacobson, by which you may identify it. I have a sort of prejudice in favour of the Moravian schools, (perhaps it is only a prejudice) & hope that I may find a satisfactory one among them. If you can get me some ac

count of the others, I shall be much obliged to you. Mr Schaf'', seems to me not German enough in the preparatory department, where G. would have to be placed for the present, & besides I rather think he needs a school, where he can't learning, if there be any such.

I believe I did Dr Siedhof injustice in my first letter on this subject, & think now that George was wholly in the wrong, & Dr S. entirely justifiable.

I should be glad to help Mr McClintock's review, but fear I shall find no time to prepare anything at present.

I should like to look over Master [...]'s tractate, of a rainy day. It seems to be just in the vein of the quaint writers of the 17 cent. who are my favorite authors. I have a book which

would make a pendant, namely Pellicer's History of the Phoenix.

Prof. Henry must be handled gingerly. He will do any thing that D Morton & Haldiman advise, but the better way is for me to play second fiddle to those gentleman & can do you more good thus than in any other way. I believe he thinks me strong in punctuation, and not wholly ignorant of low Dutch, but in "science" a dummy.

But touching this matter of illustrations, let me most earnestly advise you to fall to and practice drawing & etching yourself. The only thing that I know about natural history is, that nobody but a naturalist can draw such objects as you want to represent. Therefore, let all your illustrations have at the bottom. .

Yours trulyG P Marsh

References in this letter:

John McClintock and George Richard Crooks, A first book in Latin containing grammar, exercises & vocabulary. New York, Harper, 1846.

José Pellicer de Salas y Tobar, El fenix y su historia natural escrita en veinte y dos exercitations, diatribes o capitulos. Madrid, 1730.

Trained as a physicist, Joseph Henry (1797-1878) was professor of natural philosophy at Princeton University where he conducted original research on electricity and magnetism. When the Smithsonian Institution was created, he was chosen as its first Secretary. From 1846 to 1878 Henry established basic policies and defined the scope of the Smithsonian's activities.

A native of Shoreham, Vermont, Levi Parsons Morton (1824-1920) was Vice-President of the United States from 1889 to 1893 under Benjamin Harrison. As part of his official duties he served on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

The entomologist Samuel Stehman Haldemann (1812-1880) was professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. Marsh sent him specimens from Constantinople.

Latin: "designed and executed by S. F. Baird"