General W. W. Atterbury



My dear General W.W. Atterbury:

President, The Pennsylvania Railroad,

Philadelphia, Pa.



At the request of Edward VII of England, Mr. Andrew Carnegie authorized me to mae and forward to the British Museum a replica of the skeleton of the colossal dinosaur, the Diplodocus, of which you no doubt have read and which perhaps you have seen.  The gift was made in the spring of 1905.  Subsequently similar replicas were made and presented to the National Museums of Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Russia, Spain, and Argentina.



About two years ago I received from the Meixcan Ambassador a request to supply a replica of the Diplodocus to the National Museum in Mexico.  I took up the matter with Mrs. Andrew  Carnegie, and the Carnegie Corporation and the funds for making the reproduction were generously provided.  The work has been completed.  The subject is carefully packed in thirty-six boxes of varying sizes, cubic contents 934.57 ft., weight 10,929 lbs.



I now wish to forward the specimen to Mexico.  I have decided after careful investigation that the best means of so doing is to ship in a car by through freight from Pittsburgh.  I am informed by the Mexican authorities that formal orders have been issued to accept such a car at Laredo, the contents to be exempt from custom dues, and free carriage to be granted from Laredo to destination.



A study of the matter made with the kind assistance of Mr. E.T. Whiter and the local representatives of the Southern