New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-07
home and put hats on before you allow thenh W

home and put hats on before you aho" '"e"' W
come in here?" .,, oh
The man was told that there was nothing op-
jectonable I'm the women who wore no o.he.
head covering than a shawl scarf, ana that
they probably thought themselves as pnoP'eay
dressed the American women WHO Woie D'"
nets. . , ,,
Tho bovs and girls who go to the Museum I'M
accompanied by elders often give the attendants
slight trouble, because the temptation 70 ~
through the long halls is almost IRE 90 thc
They come in droves from the lower part oi INC
| city. and, once in the building, oftcn indhs ~
dash for some distant point, only To be chech1I
after they have gone short distance Inc In
| speaking of these uneducated children General
| hi Cesnoa said
After they have been spoken to once there Is
| rarely any further trouble. The SURROUNDINGS
seem to impress them, and they go about III
groups and look with awe upon the pictures, anu
although they know that they must be quiet ana
| that the Museum Is no place 10 romp anu pay
in they come again soon as they have an
opportunity, and they are certainly benefited py
the visits.
The outcry against restrictions In the Museum
on the part of people who say that the trustees
discriminate against the poor people was raised
some years ago, when number OF men WIN
dirty boots refused to use the mats before enter
, Ing the galleries 1t was explained then that IT
the object OF the trustees to make the place
attractive and to keep 1t in good condition. anu
that they had a right 10 exclude people VINO
would not comply with the regulations which
were formulated for that purpose.
THE DIRECTORS VIEWS.
1T might please one man." said General D
Cesnola, ito bring dirt into the place but we
have no right to give man privilege which
would displease hundreds Of others. The coliec-
tons in the Museum are valued at about SS,Vo.-
600 They are a sacred trust in the keeping OF
the trustees of the institution, and laXity on
their part would be to endanger them"
Probably nothing has been said or writ
ten which could demonstrate 50 clearly the pop
ular and democratic character OF the visitors ID
the Metropolitan Museum Of Art as an incident
which occurred there only short time ago. II
was on a Saturday, and the weather being fair,
the crowd was large. In the lower part Of the
building, opposite a case containing an early
Egyptian specimen. stood Well-dressed man
who was explaining the exhibit to "A manly,
sturdy little fellow who just old enough 10
appreciate the story of the times Of long ago. and
whose eager look showed that he would remem-
Der the story. The spoke in a low tone, but
those near to him must have heard him. and
presently he had audience which listened as
attentivey the little man at his side There
were children, some well dressed and others In
shabby clothes: Italian women whose gay silk
headscarfs and long, dropping earrings gave color
to the picture: typical Russian, with long coat
and unshOrn hair and beard. and several boys
who Interrupted the discourse several times by
saying Hire a hail. and "WatchergiYenus?'
until they also became interested and listened to
the story Of the Egyptians and how they pre-
served their dead. Il was all a matter Of a few
minutes, but no one could have seen the group
and doubted the popularity OF the Museum.
CRITICISM OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES
The same people who find fault with the man
agement of the Museums are also among those
who crlticlse the public libraries. and the foun-
dations for complaint more substantial
on that score than In the case Of the museums
In the libraries certain rules must also be COM
piled with. which looked upon as just by
| by the man with a chip on his shoulder. At the
Aston Library there are no regulations as 10
| dress, but people have been turned away and the
privileges Of the place refused them because they
wer, unclean and would be offensive to the other
readers. one Of the regulations provides that
| the reading and exhibit rooms free 20 all
persons but children under the age Of fifteen
must be accompanied by an adult. NO person
| however. who is intoxicated or otherwise Objec
! tiOnable 10 readers shall be admitted to the
| building The posted regulations also inform
| the visitor that no person shall abuse the priv
! ileges Of the library by immoral or unbecomng
conduct. or by acting in such manner as to
I cause annoyance to other readers"
The rooms of the library are visited daily by
hundreds Of people who come principally from
the lower part Of tho city, and the good conduct
the cheerful compliance with the regulations Of
the place and the evident benefit which those
who make use Of the rooms derive from their
visits are proof that the slight restrictive
ures are no obstacle 10 the accomplishment OF
the objects for which the Institution was founded
II is only natural that in a city with a large
idle population place where an easy chair and
a warm room cost nothing should attract some
people who have literary taste and SO II
comes that one may find in the public libraries
OF NeW-Nork on any day among the students
and readers, men who ask for book as an eX-
cuse FOR being there. and then kill the time be-
tween pretending - read ii and keeping awake
An emplOye of the Astor Library said that the
visitors to the place come from all classes Of the
community that all are treated alike, and that