Letter from GEORGE PERKINS MARSH to SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD, dated August 12, 1858.
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Dear Baird
I received yours of July 17 (810) and Aug 8 (932) (932-810=122, what a multitude!) by the same mail to wit August 10'- & last night came the proofs. I have purged them of original sin, made them immaculate, save the Russian, (not that I didn't know Russian, but I don't like it), and, return them herewith. I am afraid you have no Å,s and å,s in your Latin case, in which case you might substitute the Danish equivalent Aa and aa.
As for the feathered biped who prigged my book, I loathe, yea I scorn, yea I detest
him. Let him put that in his pipe, and smoke it! When I catch him I will lam,
thwack, & bang him, till his plumage flies, but I am sorry Prof.
Henry should have had so much trouble
with the tatterdemalion I have Vol. VIII of Pac. R.R.
Rep. and do marvel greatly at your works. Truly you are a desperate
writer, & I would take you far away lest you swamp this hemisphere with your
volumes.
We have here an aquarium, It is successful, & my wife spends half her time over it only, our pets chaw one another up most catawompously --
Mrs Marsh continues pretty well. I hope Mary is better again, & I wish we could bring our two halves together, but this can't be.
Fare you wellYours trulyG. P. Marsh
Prof. Baird
References in this letter:
Baird was a prodigious letter writer and numbered each letter in the upper left hand corner.
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.
In 1853, the War Department supported a series of expeditions to determine the best of four routes for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. The Smithsonian Institution appointed naturalists to accompany the parties and organized the supplies and equipment. The final report was published in 1860.