Carnegie Museum

March 6, 1908.



Monsieur Edmond Perrier,

My Dear Colleague;-

I have just received your very kind lines of the 18th of February, and I am also in receipt this morning of a letter written by Monsieur Boule under date of the 24th of February.  I am under very many obligations to you for giving me the instructions which you have conveyed to me in reference to the shipment and I am having the boxes marked and will make arrangements as soon as possible to have the thirty-six boxes forwarded to the Museum in Paris.



I must inform you that I am in receipt this morning also of a letter fromt he Director of the Royal Museum in Berlin insisting strenuously upon my coming to Berlin at the end of April.  He informs me that he will be compelled about the beginning of June to absent himself, and that their plans there made for the installation of the specimen intended for them have been based upon the expectation that I would be able to complete the installation not later than the end of May.    It seems under the circumstances that it will be absolutely necessary for me to accept this situation, more especially as you say nothing whatever in your communication to me as to the matter of the time.  I am led therefore to decide, in the light of the information that I have, that it is my duty to repair to Berlin, leaving Pittsburgh about the middle of April.  I shall reach Berlin in that event at the beginning of the last week of April, and we will push the work forward there as rapidly as possible.  We shall hardly be able, however, working with all despatch, to install the Diplodocus as it ought to be installed until the end of May.  It requires about four weeks to effect the installation of one of these skeletons in the manner in which it should be done.  I will therefore come to Paris about the beginning of June.  This will enable me probably to complete the work of installation in such a manner that everything will be in shape with you at the end of the month of June.



 I regret that is is impossible for me to be in two places at the same time.  There are intricacies in the work and there is a special knowledge that we possess which we cannot very well impart to others, and I doubt whether it would be possible to have your workmen - although they are undoubtedly very skilful - to effect  the installation  as it ought to be effected without my presence.  It may be however for the best that things should be as they are, for I know that Mr. Carnegie at present does not comtemplate going abroad until very late this year year and my delay is coming to Paris may eventuate in our having the pleasure of having him personally with us in June, which certainly would not be the case, as I now understand matters, if the inauguration were to take place in May.  I do not think he will arrive in your side of the Atlantic himself until toward the end of May and possibly not until June.  His movements are very undecided as yet.



I will not take time just now to write more, but will push the work along as rapidly as I can.  Thanking you very much for all your kindness and your attention to my requests for information, assuring you of my most perfect consideration, I am,



Yours very truly,



Director Carnegie Museum