Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-10
STATE MINERAL CABINET.
improvements CompIeted-Howt the Case
Have Been Enlarged.

Improvements CompIeted-How the Cases
Have Been Enlarged.
When the Board of Trustees of the State
Mineral Cabinet, OF which Mayor Gregory
is President took charge of the property
and removed it to the Art Gallery, the
Board was dissatisfied with the form OF the
cabinet cases. They are upright instead of
flat cases. In all museums nowadays flat
cases are preferred. They do not obstruct
the light, and enable the contents to be
better examined. The State cases, while
costly, heavy and ornamental, are not by
any means the best style. They are, in
fact, miniature glass houses, with shelving
sloping two ways from common center,
and all mounted on chests of drawers. So
far as the lower and middle shelves are
concerned they answer well enough, but
articles upon the upper and central, or
apex shelves, are not seen TO advantage.
The Trustees found that there was not
room enough to display all the specimens
upon the shelves, that the locks were poor
affairs and insecure, and the scores of
drawers were without locks. The best ar
rangementpossiblew was made, however, and
| this took several months of patient labor.
| The last Legislature was appealed to and a
small grant OF money was made TO the
Trustees to put locks upon the doors and
| to cover the drawers with glass, so as to
| prevent the handling of specimens. When
the work of doing this was entered upon il
occurred to the Trustees that instead of
covering all the drawers with glass, which
would still necessltate drawing them out to
examine specimens, the upper tiers might
better be pulled out secured and glassed
over, and thus converted into flat cases, so
| much desired. 1t was accordingly resolved
to pursue that plan, and Secretary DIR. Geo.
Pyburn was appointed to carry out the new
plan. This he has done and reported
| ali the bills have been filed with the State
Board of Examiners and approved, and his
| report at the June meeting of the Trustees
was adopted, and he is now, as leisure per-
| mits, preparing some of the finer exhibits
for display according to the new plans.
| \ ale locks have been fitted to all the doors,
| with keys for each independent of all the
| Others. Each key is numbered, and these
| are locked up in place 10 which only the
| Trustees have access. A number OF lower
| drawers have been closed with glass, and
| will be used for storage recepiacles. The
| upper tiers have on two full lines of cases
on the exterior sides been drawn out, Sc
| cured in place, fitted with frames, glazed
and mounted with molding, and secured
| by tumbler locks. They have been SC
| Joined that they make two lines of fiat
cases, in all about thirty feet in length, and
will accommodate about 600 specimens
each in paper box labelled and numbered
to the catalogue. When all are in position
a new catalogue will be prepared and
printed. The improvement greatly en-.
hances the value OF the cabinet and decid.
eddy augments the interest of examining
it. The cabinet is opened TO the public
free at al times when the Art Gallery is
open. Very few people in this city are
| fully aware of the great beauty and high
value of the collection but visitors from
abroad and scientists who examine are de
lighted with it, and the Trustees are not
! little besought, to make exchanges from
the cabinet duplicates, but this, under the
law as it stands. they are not able to do
| Possibly future Legislature may coniel
the power TO permit the cabinet 10 be en-
HANGED in value by exchanging duplicates
with the custodians of Eastern and Euro
pean mineral cabinets.