Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1899 — GENEROUS GIFTS BY BRITONS. [ARTICLE]

GENEROUS GIFTS BY BRITONS.

• America la Greatly Indebted to Phil anthropic Englishmen. Much public Interest was aroused during August, 1895, by the announcemeat of the award by the Smithsonian Institution of the Hodgkins prize of 110,000 to Lord Raleigh and Prof. William Ramsay for their remarkable discovery of a new element—argon—ln the atmosphere. From time to time bequests have been made to the institution, but for the most part these have been comparatively small. In 1891, however, Thomas G. Hodgkins, of Betauket, N. Y„ expressed his desire to donate $200,000 to the Smithsonian fund. The regents accepted the sum, with the single condition made by the to.-or “that the Income of SIOO,OOO of gift shall be used under this general purpose for the especial use of the Increase and diffusion of knowledge concerning all the phenomena of atmospheric air?’ In accordance with this provision early In 1894 a circular was issued, offering “a prize of SIO,OOO for a treatise embodying some new and important discovery In regard to the nature or properties of atmospheric air.” The first award of this prize was made as mentioned above. Two grants of money were previously made from this fund to aid In the prosecution of special investigations on air, one of which is being carried on In Germany and the other In the United States. Meanwhile, Ln November, 1892, Mr. Hodgkins died at the advanced age of 89 years and made the Smithsonian Institution his residuary legatee. In consequence a further sum of money was added to the Smithsonian fund, and the total amount of the permanent fund now on deposit in the United States treasury is $911,000, on which sum an annual Interest of 6 per cent Is paid to the Institution for the carrying out of Its special aims. It Is curious to note that Hodgkins, like Smithson, was an Englishman, and, again like Sn’jithson, he was a student of sci-ence.—Self-Culture.