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333a
Milwaukee Aug. 10th 1866
Dr. Sir
The next time I visit your
great city I intend to ask you to introduce
me to your brother for the following project--
chiefly, of course, for the purpose of
advancing useful knowledge, but partly
also for my own benefit!
Fifty thousand dollars would be
sufficient to establish & permanently endow
a Botanical Department of the Chicago
Academy of Sciences; a small sum, when
we consider the important benefits that
would be the result, not only for the
present, but for all future time. The
income of the fund would pay the salary
(say $2000/ of a Director of the Botanical
Department, and leave a considerable
sum ($1000 or more) to be annually
expended in the purchase of books;
securing specimens; making & encouraging
original investigations; publishing
the results etc.
Such a Department with its
library and collections would be exceeding