New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-26
Il GENEROUS GIFT TO THE CITY.
PIT. BARNUM GIVES AWAY JUMBO.
THE GREAT SKELETON GOES TO THE MUSEUM
OF NATURAL HISTORY.

THE GREAT SKELETON GOES TO THE MUSEUM
OF NATURAL HISTORY.
p 7. Barnum's unostcnatOus generosity has led
him to make valuable and interesting gift to the
Museum Of Natural History, and visitors TO that
rapidly Increasing collection hereafter will have the
pleasure Of seeing tho massive skeleton of the famous
elephant Jumbo. which is being set up there for
permanent exhibition. Mr.. Barnum has given the
hide and the immense tusks, without which the stuffed
skin would lack its lfelike appearance to Tufts
College. Boston Jumbo was valuable beast In his
lifetime when thousands and thousands of people de-
lightedly paid their money to see him as one beast
but now. divided In death, his skin VIII awe aud In
struce young college boys IN New-EnGland while his
skeleton will give generations of NewYorkcrs cor
rect idea Of elephantinc anatomy Already the nut
scum people at work cleaning the big bones which
somewhat duststaincd by travel over the country
and In week or two they will be erected In proper
shape in an advantageous position
That the gift is a valuable one In several ways IS
apparent Jumbo was undoubtedly the largest ele
plant ever brought to Europe or America In modern
times. His skeleton is well worth, from showman'S
point of view, $500 week for exhibition purposes.
and several good cash offers in high figures were made
to Mr. Barnum for the skin skeleton or both from
people anxious to exhibit them at the coming Paris
Exposition. and in London Jumbo's home for many
years before he was brought to America. The stir
made In England, when 1t became known that Mr.
Barnum had bought Jumbo and intended TO take MN
TO America, " ell the killing of the great beast
by freight train In Canada, are too well known 10
need repetition. The museum is the richer for MI
Barnums good-hearedncss in several other lines OF
| exhibits, having received from him at different times
the bodies Of lions and anelopes. which VIII be
displayed to full advantage when tho new wing now
being pushed rapidly on TO completion, Is ready.
Indeed, the cellars and antiscpiic tanks OF inc
museum are now crowded with valuable exhibits for
| which there is now no room, and when the new Wing
| ala
play of proportions in IL from the very 1rst
day In order to do this efTectually some eaD-
orate work is now being done in the way OF setnng
off the stuffed animals with correct limitations OF hcr
natural surroundings. For this purpose mud-0anks.
moss-covercd rocks. artificial plants and even uces
OF respectable size will be artisticaly pressed mo
service. nv the side of Jumbos bones Will stand the
propoltionaly smaller but nevertheless massive skoe-
| ton of Sampson, the wiclGd Asiatc man-Nllns
elephant who had 10 be shot some time ago out IN
the West and whose body IS now being prepared IN
| Rochester by Professor WaId, the wcll-h0wn nat,
| uralist Mr.. ard also set UP Jumbo's bones ana
| skin. This Immensely tedious piece of work,
as may be judged from the fact that when the great
hide was stretched out in drying 1t warped so pow
crfully that the very planks were torn up from inc
| floor, on which It was securely nailed