Today, I am thankful for those wonderful gifts that keep on giving.
In the Wild West of the 19th Century, saloons were common greeting places where a cowboy (or cowgirl) could grab a drink after a long day. The first saloon, founded in 1822 in Brown’s Hole, Wyoming, became a frequent place of respite for weary fur trappers. As Americans ventured across the Great Plains and across the Rockies, the saloon became a common feature of the Western landscape. By the 1880s, these saloons became quintessential ‘watering holes’ for cowboys, fur trappers, soldiers, lawmen, miners, and lumberjacks. As a customary practice to attract clientele, the owners of these cantinas began a conventional practice of offering a ‘free lunch’ to anyone willing to buy a drink during the midday. As one might guess, the afternoon meals were naturally high in salt content in an effort to entice the customers to purchase further drinks to quench their thirst. The saloon customers soon came to the frank realization that the temptation of the ‘free lunch’ was nothing more than a façade. This lure of the bartenders and saloon owners drew the ire of more than one fellow gunslinger, even lending some to cry afoul that ‘there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.’
But, is this statement really true?
I would argue it is not. Free lunches, or any philanthropic endeavors, come in many flavors.
Take for instance the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Launched in 2000, the BMGF is the largest private foundation in the US, with assets totaling over $50B. Operating under the mantra that “All Lives Have Equal Value”, the BMGF focuses on ensuring that all of the world’s citizens have access to quality healthcare and education. Since its inception, the foundation has endowed support to a wide range of health, socioeconomic, and education developments.The BMGF supports these and a cadre of other projects with an annual budget of ~$5B. It provides support to the GAVI Alliance, the WHO, UNICEF, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Moreover, the foundation supports the Gates Cambridge Scholarships, which allow students and scholars from around the world to attend Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. Since that time, the foundation has received a massive boost through the various contributions provided by the entrepreneur, Warren Buffet, who donated to BMFG first in 2006 and more recently in July of 2018.
But, it is worth noting that a person does not have to be alive to offer a ‘freebie’. At the same time saloons first arrived on the scene in the United States, an English chemist named John Smithson, who never married or bore any children, inherited significant wealth from his mother upon her death. In fact, Smithson never visited the United States in his lifetime but he was enamored by the allure of the new nation that he saw come into existence during his lifetime. When Smithson died at the age of 64 in Genoa, Italy, in 1829, his will naturally went to his only surviving heir, a nephew living in Paris. However, the will also contained an unusual footnote. If his nephew were to expire without any living heirs, then his estate would be bequeathed to “the United States of America to found in Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." Well, Smithson’s sole nephew expired in 1835 without any heirs, so the estate – which contained over 100,000 gold sovereigns, worth more than half a million dollars – was the legal property of the US government. After a trip across the ocean, those gold sovereigns were melted down and the monetary proceeds placed into the US Treasury, while Congress debated on the fate of this prodigious offering.
Well, as you might imagine (considering the current ineptitude in Washington), Congress debated for nearly a decade as to what to do with this amassed fortune. After considering the establishment of a public library, a national university, and even an observatory, Congress settled on the creation of a museum for the preservation of American knowledge. On this day (Aug 10) in 1846, President James Polk signed into law an act enabling the formation of the Smithsonian Institute. What started as a initial museum designed in the shape of a ‘castle’ on the southern side of the National Mall has grown into a large constellation of 20 museums, galleries, and the National Zoological Park. Among this list are the National Museums for American History, Natural History, American Indian, and African Art. In addition to this fine collection of higher knowledge is my favorite and the most visited museum in the entire world, the National Air and Space Museum.
Now, the best part of all these Smithsonian museums is that every one of them is free to the public. Any one can go visit these awe-inspiring institutions at any time. However, I must caution you on one particular point. The cafeterias located within the museum, as delectable and diverse as they are, do cost money. So although the entrance into these venerable halls will not cost you, your lunch will. I guess those saloon patrons were right: There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch after all.
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