The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-31
A BOY NATURAL1sTs' CLUB.


 eral of the young visitors 10 the eNhibi- tion rooms showed an exceptional in- terest in the collections, asking ques- tlons, taking notes and sometimes bringing specimens for comparison. If MT. Atkins had never done anything else for the museum what he did then would deserve our lasting gratitude, He got two or three of the boys togeth- er encouraged and fed their enthusi- asm, and explained how easy it would be for them to learn to mount birds and insects, and finally he brought them to l the laboratory and introduced them to me. Now, 1 have a fellow-feeling for boys, because l was youngster myself once upon time, and I have never quite forgotten it. These little fellows, with their bright, earnest faces, at tracted me at once, and I gladly of- fered to help them. Next day one of them came to see me With a box of shells; I helped him to name them and gave him some duplicate specimens from our own set; so we had one collec- tion fairly launched.
 The result was surprising. In a week we had a dozen collections under way, and MT. Atkins was giving regular les sons in taxiderny. l may say right here that he has shown a really won defsul ability as a teacher, seizing and holding the attention of his young pu- pills and gaining their affection as few men can; he has been the life and soul of our work. For my part did what I could. The boys, having the run of the laboratory, came over by twos and l simply bUbbling over with enthusiasm
 Now, I have an idea that we underes- l innate boys; when they are in earnest they are capable of accomplishing al most anything that men can do, Be- sides, my sympathies were enlisted. My own Doyhood was passed in a small village. Before I was ten years old my taste for natural history had led me to attempt small collections of plants and insects; but there was no one to help ne, no one who had the slightest sym pathy with stlch pursuits. I think now of the discoura cement and even ridi- cule that met me at every step and al most drove me to despair. No wonder, then, that I have a fellow feeling for these boys; no wonder that I longed to help them. For the love of nature is a heaven given instinct, a thing to be en- | couraged as We encourage literary tastes and good morals; it enlarges and ennobles the mind, trains the powers of observation and opens the way to long hours of quiet enjoyment, the best and truest, perhaps, that man can have. Only a few of our boys can be professional naturalists, but all of them ha int a,, good, scientific work, too.
 I talked the matter over with MT. At kins, who agreed with me thoroughly; finally, we consulted with the boys themselves, and proposed the formation of a naturalists' club. The plan was taken up eagerly. So, one Saturday afternoon, near the end of December, We held our first meeting in my labora- tory. There were ten boys in all, three of them high school pupils, the others younger; picked lot, every one earn est and enthusiastic, every one fully convinced of the importance of the move they were making and it's possi- ble results.
 That meeting was a revelation to me. It is well that I should write it's hsto- ry here, for it will be read with interest a hundred years hence, when the club numbers it's organiza tions by scores and it's members by thousands. MT. Atkins and I had prepared a constitu- tion, and we stood ready to coach the inexperienced members; but, truth to tell they proved themselves quite ca pablo of carrying on their own affairs. Every face was grave with responsibil- oy,] hiorI, Tn them of the aim of the organization and its promises, impressing the inn portance of avoiding mistakes in the outset. Then the constitution was taken up and discussed, article by ar tice with a carefulnesS and good taste that would have done credit to any as- sembly. Several amendments were offered, and several of them-excellent ones, too-were adopted. After a short recess to discuss candidates the boys proceeded to elect their officers. A committee was appointed to select and report on a club badge. The discussion of the bylaws was laid over to the next session, and the meeting broke up. But the boys remained for an hour or two to talk matters over, and they went away full of high hopes and more in earnest than ever
 The organization was named in hon. or of the founder of the museum, the Andrew Carnegie Naturalists' club It's objects are to promote social inter- course and recreation combined with the study of natural history; the mem bars are to aid each other in forming collections and making special investi- cations, and during the summer We hope to organize excursions and camp ing parties. In order to extend it's in huence and benefits beyond Pittsburg the constitution provides for affiliated clubs within a radius of two hundred miles; such clubs to correspond with the central organization and to visit us when they can. The Andrew Carnegie club admits boys between the ages Of nine and eighteen years, who have a love for natural history. No restric- ton as to constitution CT age is placed on the affiliated clubs; any society having objects and organization similar to ours may be admitted to utilization by a unanimous vote of it's members and a two-thirds vote of the centra | club. It will be seen at once that these affiliated societies are likely to prove ar important part of the organization which, by means of them, may grow tC | any extent Meetings are held on al