Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-03
THE MINERAL CsBIyET.
What is Being Done Upon Tits Condi.
tion and its Opening.

What is Being Done Upon Tits Condi-
tion and its Opening.
Secretary Pyburn, of the State Mineral
Cabinet Trustees, being asked concerning
the cabinet being unopened, yesterday re-
piled that the unanimous report of
the Board to the Governor signed by
Mayor Gregory and the other Trustees
and long since in print, fully sets forth
the condition of the cabinet. 1t is with
out drawer-locks or any suitable protec-
tlon-just as it was when the State
kept it locked up in a room for years
and the Board has not cent of money
to secure it. Much of it is in open
drawers that must be covered with glass
and sealed to prevent handling. The cabi-
net is not arranged, though the Secretary
has labored ever since DR.. Schneider as
sorted the minerals, at every moment he
could Finland but one can work at it
| in making the necessary catalogue, as re-
commended by the State Mineralogist, and
in labelling. Some thousands of labels
have TO be prepared and then all the speci-
mens-which were received in no order that
enabled them to be identified-have 10 be
| placed correspondingly. The Secretary de-
clined to speak much of the cabinet saying
he was giving every possible moment to
the labor to be deyotsd from his profes-
slonal duties and rest, because the report
sets forth ell the facts. The report which
is signed by the full Board, Mayor Gregory,
Chairman, said, after showing that the cata-
logue is completed and printed:
Nothing now remains to be done but the care
ful labelling of the specimens and their orderly
arrangement in the cabinet for exhibition. This
will be undertaken at once, and will be COM
pleted IN as short a time as the nature of the
work viii admit. As, however, this is g pro-
cedure involving careful study of the natural
relations of specimens to each other, and like
wise OF the greater or less fitness of this or that
specimen for prominent exhibition; as. more
over, the work must be performed in the inter
Vals OF the professional and business occupa-
tons OF the Trustees and Secretary, it will prob
ably be near the end of the present year before
1t is fully completed.
OF the specimens, the report says:
To leave these latter loose and uncovered in
the drawers, is to invite their disarrangement
by handling and, perhaps their abstraction by
such visitors as do not appreciate or regard the
distinction between Beanl and tuunl 1T is pro-
posed, therefore, TO place covers of thick crown
glass over such specimens in drawers This ar
rangement, while permitting their inspection,
Will ettectually prevent their being handled or
abstracted The cost of this Improvement
together with that to be incurred in the pur-
chase OF locks for the upper cases, will probably
not exceed $50.
And this amount the report of the Board
asks the Legislature TO appropriate, together
with other items making a total of $3.50.
Referring to the work of preparing the cab
met and the total cost of completing it, the
report says
If the Trustees had been required to engage
outside professional assistance for these services
the cost would have been at least two or three
times that above stated. Moreover, it is not at
all times possible to meet with those possessing
| the requisite qualifications who are willing TO
attend to such work.
Inquiry and examination develop that the
lowest bid to arrange the cabinet was over
S4O0; thatthe Board has no means, and that
to throw the cabinet open to the public now
would be to expose it to the risk of any one
opening and removing any drawer speci-
men, unless watchmen were constantly
kept on guard on all sides of the cases.
The cabinets in San Francisco IN the States
collection are all fiat cases and locked.
| When the Secretary finishes labelling and
placing the specimens here, an effort will
be made to so secure the cabinets as to
throw them open to inspection constantly.
On request to the custodian, by small
groups, the cabinet is now and has long
been shown to people, under his escort or
that of his assistants. The third member
of the Board said yesterday: Mayor
Gregory is reported as saying he'd throw
the cabinet open at once, and let the other
Trustees override him if they wanted to. He
surely couldn't have said that, for the Board
| has been harmonious and was unanimous
not to open the cabinet generally till it
Is completed and secured by proper glass
| and locks, and the report he signed shows
| that the Secretary is doing the work of ar
ranging alone and as rapidly as possible"