Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-12

The property is valued al $3S.00O, and to
this value she added an endowment OF
$50, coo worth of bonds of the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company and cash do
nation of $4,000. Since that date Mrs.
Croker has increased the endowment by
gift of $4,000, making, in all, her charity
in this direction $4,000. The Marguerite
Home will remain perpetual monument
to the generosity, broad charity and noble
heart of Margaret f. Crocker. Mrs.
Croker in the qualification of her taste
for the beautiful, has erected, on the south
ern border of the city, the
BELL CONSERVATORY,
The largest dollhouse in the interior,
and INTELLECTUALLY one OF the handsomest
in the country. 1t is a copy, on reduced
scale, of the original conservatory IN Golden
cate Park. San Francisco. Surrounding 1t
are grounds, several acres in extent, that
have been brought to q high state OF
culture. The lady has also given largely
of lands to the city for the enlargement
OF The City Cemetery.
THE MUSEUM ASSOCIATION.
In November, 1884, there assembled in
the Office of the RECoRD-UNIoE six citizens
whose purpose was to form an association
for scientic research, the culture of artistic
tastes. and study of the natural resources
of the State. They were so much of one
mind that they agreed to select each half
dozen friends, to meet at later date 10 fur
Their consider the subject. At that meeting
the California Museum Association was
formed with some twenty members. 4
week later another meeting vas held, and
the constitution and bylaws agreed upon
and officers elected. The second article of
these laws sufficiently indicates the purpose
Of the organization
Its purposes are to foster art, science ne
chanics and literature, and the development OF
the resources of the State of California. Also,
the encouragement of social intercourse among
inuuirers into science, art, mechanics, natural
history and the resources of the State Also,
the establishment OF Il repository tor the col
lection and exhibition of natural curiosities,
antiquities, works OF art, scientific objects pro
ducts OF inventive genius and skilled handl-
work. and the results of cultivation OF the soil
and the development of the resources Of the
country. Also, the announcement OF the lib
eral arts and the cultivation of literary tastes.
And to The cad that the objects aud purposes of
the association may be accomplished, this cor
poratiOn may and will purchase aud hold prop
erty to provide such repository, and an income
and revenue to support ana sustain the asS0-
citation, and 10 carry out such objects and pur-
poses.
The new society began modestly with
its meetings, limiting attendance of the
public upon its monthly lectures and de-
bates. 1t soon became apparent that it
must have a hall of its own. The plan
was agreed upon for the erection Of q build
ing On O business street with large hall,
offices chambers, etc, which could be
used by the Association for its collections
and meetings, and be useful to the public
also as a concert and lecture hall. Some
subscriptions were procured, and the idea
MET WITH SUCH FAVOR
That the society went as far as the appoint
ment of q con mittee to secure proper lot
for the structure. To popularize the scheme
still more and engage the whole people of
the city in it, il was resolved to hold a
loan exhibition. Some fifty ladies of prom
inence were selected to consider the matter,
but before they convened Mrs. Croker
heard of the Association and its purposes.
Her good Judgment found merit in the new
organization, and she promptly extended
her aid by granting the use of the spacious
rooms of the Crocker Art Gallery for the
purposes of the proposed exhibition. This
gave a new impetus to the affair. The fifty
ladies canyassed the city, by house to house
visitation. for loans of curios, and sue
ceeded so we'll that, on the 10th of March,
1855 the first Art and Curio Loan Exhibi-
ton ever held in central California was
opened. 1t was
A BRILLIANT SUCCESS.
Such a success, indeed, as has rarely been
noted in the State. AS collection it en-
hraced over y 900 exhibits, and with the
Croker Gallery embraced a million of
dollars of values Contributions came from
many parts of the State, and notably rich
and rare ones from San Francisco. The
exhibition filled four large halls in the Art
Gallery. 1t was continued for two weeks,
day and night, and was visited by over
0,000 people in that time. Mrs. Croker
was one of the largest contributors TO the
affair In the midst of it the lady, after
examining into the plans of the Museum
Association, and being satisfied of its sound
ness and the earnestnesS of its promoters,
determined to present the Art Gallery and
the collection of paintings to the Associa-
ton. She communicated this resolution
TO President Lubin. who accepted the
proffer, but attached the condition that the
society should first raise
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
To create a fund TO insure an income for
the maintenance of the gallery. Mrs.
Croker agreed 10 this, it being insisted
upon. The scene in the main exhibition
hall on the evening of the announcement
was one never to be forgotten. The good
woman was cheered 70 the echo, and the
people throughout the city found scarce
any other theme of conversation. The San
Francisco press, epvious of the gift, con-
graduated Sacramento, but thought the col
lection would have been better bestowed
on that city. The whole press of the State
was loud and sincere in praise of Mrs.
Croker The Association at once incor-
porated March o. 1851, and formally ac
cepted the gift, with the condition at
tached, which its President had pro-
posed. Soon after an enthusiastic
meeting of citizens was held
Hon. Newton Booth presiding, for
the purpose of devising ways and
means to raise the 100000. Some $4,000
were secured at once, when q change in
the plans was suggested, which met with
such popular favor that it was speedily
adopted Under the new proposition Mrs.
Crocker consented to deed the property alb
solutely to the city of Sacramento, with the
provision attached that the California Mu-
scum Association should have the priv
lege of occupying the same and carrying on
its work therein. Under this arrangement
the Association is custodian of the prop
erty, cares for it, exhibits it to the public
and conducts it in its scientific and literary
and art work.
THE GOVERNMENT
Is by a joint Board of Control, the city by
its Mayor being one party and the Asso
citation by its Directory the other party.
When this arrangement was perfected in
prospective and ready for consummation,
the public feeling regarding Mrs. Croker
had reached such pitch that it must per-
force find expression, and it was resolved
that public manifestation should be made
of the appreciation in which she was held
by the people The result was the cele-
FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS.
It was held day and evening in the great
Pavilion of the State Agricultural Society,
May 6, 1885, and on that occasion Mrs.
Crocker presented the deed to Mayor
Brown for the city, and the keys to Presi-
dent Lubin for the Museum Association,
in the presence of a vast multitude of peo-
pie. In return the people, through the
President of the Day, DR.. Simmons, and
their speaker, Judge W. H. Beatty, pre-
sented to Mrs. Croker an oaken casket,
g ~