St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-12-17


come will enter into the inheritance of
this gift, will do glad and thankful jus
tice to the hberality of which they will
enjoy the rich benefit. But one tribute
we may render to our benefactor-and
that the highest: we can take him at his
word when he says that the most &C
ceptable return we can make to him will
be to use this gift so as to derive from it
the highest possible advantage. 1t is fit
ting then that we should, in the first
hour of our new possession, as trust we
may in many subsequent hours, consider
somewhat carefully what a museum of
natural science is and may be; what ser
vices it may be expected to render to sci
ence, to education, to practical life, and
thus to the highest welfare of our state.
A museum of natural science aims to
collect those representative objects which
illustrate the history of creation on our
planet. AS has been well said on form
er occasion, a mere curiosity, representa-
tive of nothing, significant OF nothing,
has no place in scientific collection.
Every object should be a link in the chain
of being. Probably the first impression
made upon the casual visitor of such a
museum is this, an impression which is
deepened with every new accession OF
knowledge, comes from the amazing di
versity of forms in nature, a thought
which in the mind of the profounder stu
dent grows into conception OF the in
finite possibilities of creative energy.
And close upon this comes the conviction
that every variation has some SignIfi-
canoe, tells some story. looks to some en-
largement or variation of capacity, and
therefore offers some worthy instruction
to him who has the patient intelligence
to spell it out. And this is one reason
among many why these studies are so
fascinating. There is in them perpetual
novelty, a constant succession of sur
prises, the unwearying zest which always
attends discovery actual or anticipated
The student has the feeling that there is
always Just in advance of him, and sure
to be reached with little more effort
some delightful new continent of knowl
edge, some new island at least, which his
eyes will be the first to see, and the sight
of which will gladden. all mankind. Is it
any wonder that the students of natural
science are the most enthusiastic of all
students, that the days are not long
enough for their researches nor the days
and half the nights of the longest life,
and that to their ardor eternity seems
none too long for their favorite pursuits
Now, it seasy to foresee that one of the
great benefits of such a museum will be
that it will call out and prohtably exer-
else a great diversity of talent. 1t is sad
to think how much intellectual faculty
went to waste before men began to turn
their minds in this direction. There have
always been men whose minds were
aroused by contemplation of the heaven
ly bodies, by the problems involved in
numbers and geometrical forms, the sub
Titles of language, logic, and metaphy-
sizes, all worthy studies, but such as APP
peal only to the interest of the few, while
all around men above, below, on either
hand, were objects acceptable to all,
which held within themselves interest,
instruction, inspiration for all, but which
remained for the most part unexplored,
the faculties given on purpose for their
investigation to a great extent unexer-
cised. And this negligence was not only
an incalculable loss of possible benefits
to man in all these ages, but was source
of many of his most serious errors. A
profound writer has pointed out that a
better knowledge of the laws of nature
would have saved mankind not only
from many physical evils but from great
social and moral disasters.
And here we see the service done by
museums in stimulating and directing
these studies. Nature is full of instruc-
ton, but she hides her truths from COM
mon observation and reveals them only
to the patient student. Nature expresses
herself in details in isolated facts. Man
as interpreter of nature must group, sys-
tematize, codify these separate facts into
laws, truths and principles. A museum
means to be a visual setting forth of
these principles and laws by means of a
graded and systematic grouping of the
elementary facts. When for instance the
museum shows the scarlet ibis, the green
oh
connection with the foliage or bark
which mimics its hues and thus screens it
from it's enemy, it forces upon the mind
the whole doctrine of the differentiation
of species. A well-ordered museum is
thus collection, not merely of objects,
but of faces, thoughts, and truths. 1t
invites and almost compels thinking. 1t
evokes and exercises powers of observa-
ton and reflection. How many eyes
will brighten, how many faces will grow
thoughtful, how many problems will be
started. how many explorations resolved
upon. as young persons linger among the
alcoves of this Museum, or ply their bio
logical instruments in the laboratory, or
listen to the instructions of the lecture
room?
And YOU will readily, amid this en-
vironment, appreciate the suggestion
that such museum will stimulate inven-
ton. 1t is not so much necessity as sug-
gestion in the presence of necessity, that
begets invention, suggestion offered to a
mind prepared to appreciate the sugges-
ton. Now, it is a fact that most of the
suggestions which have led to the great
inventions have come from nature.
Most, if not all, of the mechanical princi-
pies, the lever, the inclined plane, the
$500 =.