The morning call., 1893-05-09
HOW TO BUY COLLECTIONS.

Thomas S. Townsend of New York
made n collection of all records bearing
upon the War of the Rebellion and its
causes and issues. II is q unique library
of precious value to the historian and
litterateur, and il is most desirable that it
should not be dispersed and should not
leave the United States. Precisely where
it should find a permanent abiding place
is not very important. A university would
form The best home. The library could
have been acquired by Congress. and
added to the vast accumulation Of books at
Washington, brit the effort to carry this
arrangement into effect failed. A novel
method has now been devised to preserve
the collection intact. and bestow it upon a
worthy institution for safe custody, with
out burdening reserve funds tor the acqui-
sition. The cost is estimated at $4,000,
which represents barely the outlay of the
collector, and this amount 1t is proposed to
raise by popular subscription. Each sub
scriber will have for every dollar he gives
one vote upon the place of final safe-keep-
ing. A university will probably be fav-
ored, but which will be selected is an
interesting point.
This plan deserves imitation in disposing
y
lar from each male inhabitant in great
city would year after year endow the
municipality with picture and sculpture
galleries. museums representative of the
industrial arts and natural history cOllec-
tions OF various kinds. Even ten cents per
capita would achieve wonders. If any
are disposed to pooh pooh contributions
so humble, let them investigate what has
been done by the Wesleyan body out of
the pence collected in class meetings.
These pence have proved a financial stand
by in sustaining the denomination. 1t
often happens that a collection in one
Of score of forms. unique and valu-
able, comes into the market The
desirableness is conceded of perpetu-
ating the collection for the public
use, but there are no municipal funds
available. the people are chary OF submit
ting to fresh taxation for any purpose. and
the rich citizens decline to club together
for civic benefactions, holding, perhaps
rightly, that their wealth goes round in
some other form equally beneficial. No
one likes to give u large amount, but a
personal canvass for small subscriptions,
with a vote added, would, in many in-
stances, result successfully. 1t must be
certain, however, that the object is worth
accomplishing. Collections are numerous
of no earthly value to a community or a
university. The best use that can be made
Of them is by the collector, who alone can
adequately describe. compare, authenticate
and classify the components. A badly
arranged natural history collection is a
positive heartache to those who inherit it
and strive to evolve order out of chaos.
Bat when a good collection comes in sight,
OF choice gallery of high-class pictures.
it should be pouuced upon and treasured
for the community. When start is made
in such acquisitions it is astonishing how
they grow by voluntary gifts. Bequests
of great value are made by those who have
lived the hobby out and who desire that
their work may be preserved in perpetuity.
This is a wholesome vanity deserving of
encouragement. Perhaps in time Golden
Gate Park will have number OF museums
where the studiOus and curious may pass
some hours OF the day IN quiet investiga-