The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-13
MANY VERY RARE CURIOS
They Are the Property Of the Institute
Of History aad Science.
COLLECTION IS EXPANDING
Rooms in the Court House Very Inter
cstine Place to Visit Some of the Re
cent Additions to the Property
Of the Institute.

Scrantonians may profit we'll by q
visit to the rooms Of the Lackowanna
Institute Of History and Science on the
third floor OF the court house, and an
investigation of the purpose and work.
ings of the organization should encour-
age in any person q spirit Of interest
and support.
Since the objects Of the society were
recently put forward in an energetic
manner the collections Of rare curios.
relics. books and the like has become
SO extensive that space IL not available
for all the articles in the present rooms.
and 1t is only a matter Of time before
the absolute necessity Of building en-
tirely devoted to the society and its
collections is realized.
The words history and science"
which appear In the society's title.
might create in the minds of many q
suggestion Of something dry. The facts
are exactly opposite. The society may
never be likened to the Metropolitan
Museum of Art anu Natural history.
but II Is working along the same lines
as does the famous New York institu-
ton, and the beginning is not small
one. An effort will be made especially
to perpetuate by a collection Of writ
inGs and objects the facts Of the early
duu pTeScHt HistoIy VI tuiS TeSioIl Out
any curiO that villa suggest or throw
light upon scientific research will be
kept and exhibited.
An Interesting Collection.
Even thus. early In the society's
career. one could very pleasantly spend
weeks among its many glass cases and
books. This comment will explain why
1t is impossible to enumerate even in
a general way the society's possessions.
II the visitor is interested In coal or coal
lands, or IL he Is a mining engineer, he
will find much that ne can study with
profit; II he Is student, merchant, q
professional man, or, in fact, If he Is
anybody whose makeup contains the
possibility of thought and study. he will
be repaid by visit to the rooms
The curator, Charles Leroy Wheeler,
has labored well In securing and ciassi-
flying the collections. In another year
he could not properly finish the work
with the material now on hand, and for
this reason he is interesting the men,
bers In the work and assigning them
duties In the performance Of which
each movement Is an education. OF
water and land shells alone there are
more than can be properly displayed
in the whole Of the present quarters,
and this statement almost applies also
to the separate collections Of ores, min
erals and birds. At no distant day a
list many be compiled Of the donors and
donations and then 1t may be more
readily comprehended how valuable are
the possessions.
Some Recent Acquisitions.
Acquisitions to the society's collec-
ton this week alone embrace a box
containing about sixty species of fos-
sils and half a dozen species Of shells,
from Henry Moons, Of Columbus, O.,
a gentleman nearly 80 years old, who
has been a collector for more than three
score and ten years, and gladly makes
the society this fine donation. Also
a box Of about forty species Of shells,
fossils and minerals from c. 8. Hodg-
son, Of Albion Hill.
Congressman ]. A. Scranton has also
remembered the society with fifty we'll
selected volumes. largely publications
Of the Smithsonian Institution and
United States Geological Survey.
Yesterdays mail alone brought an
extensive check list Of shells from DR..
]. G. Cooper. curator Of the California
Academy Of Sciences, an offer Of a do
nation Of shells from Professor C. r.
Orcutt, Of San Diego. Cal, and val
liable information In regard to the con-
struction Of show cases and other mat
ters touching the best methods Of ex-
hibiting specimens, from Professor G..
Browne Goode. assistant secretary Of
the United States National museum.
A small, but interesting, meeting was
held last night at the society's rooms.