The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-28
2Gmerca's Greatest Ja5cidermisi

The new school of taxidermy has one
| Of it's ablest opponents in Prof l. /.
! Dyche, teacher of zoology in the Uni
! Versity of Kansas. Prof Dyche has
! spent nineteen years in collecting and
| mounting the animals which go to make
up his present superb collection. He is
not only a taXide r,nb5t, but a naturalist,
and an intrepid explorer, who has traV-
eIed on foot over practically the whole
| of the North American continent. Where
ever there are interesting specimens of
wild animal life there he has gone,
whether it took him to the top Of snow
covered mountains in Alaska or into
the tangled forest growth of tropical
! Mexico.
Prof Dyche has obtained specimens Of
animals which are very rare, and some
or which are possessed by no other muse
UNI of the world. The adventures he
mas met and the thrilling experiences
he has passed through to gain a shot at
! these would have nisheartened a less
daring explorer. In. Alaska he went alone
| 200 miles into the interior where no
white man had ever been. Then taking
with him three native Indians, he spent
! four weeks climbing over treacherous
mountain Lodges in search Of the white
! sheep of these regions. He had heard
the Indians tell of seeing them, but
whether their existence was fact or IA.
bic ne knew not. But his search was at
length rewarded, and he succeeded in
Killing seventeen specimens of these big
horn white sheep, the first and only
specimens. ever secured for museum pur-
! POSES, These. valuable specimens had to
be carried down the mountains on the
backs Of the hunters, and in some places
the-deScent- could only be made by means
! Of ropes. This trip was made the more
hazardous on account of the drizzling
rain WPieh fell every day, and the snow
and sleet which fell every night.
But his arctic experiences have not all
| been confined to Alaska. He has been to
! within 500 miles of the north pole. and
nearly 100 miles beyond Peary's lodge
lie mas gone as far north in Greenland
as Cape Sabine, which spot was made
memorable by the starving there of most
or the members of the Greedy expedition.
he Obtained specimens of Arctic birds
seals, polar bears, reindeer, walrusses
and narwhals, and spent three hours on
one occasion fighting for his life against
an lnturiated herd of walruses. His aim
IS uherri1g, and he has shot every known
KIND OF large North American animal ex-
cept the musk OK.
Prof. Dyche's work was first brought
prominently before the country. and he
fore the naturalists Of the world. by the
Kansas exhibit at the Worlds fair. The
"1'++~'4Ai7 AOA IA4C iNdllSdS GXLlDlt was plan
ned With especial reference to Prof
Dyche's display, which proved a revela-
ton IN taXidermy especially in his man
ner Of grouping. and attracted more at
tention to the Kansas exhibit than all the
states other features combined PEOPLE
who never before had given a passing
thought to stuffed animals" now, rea lied
for the first time the possibilities of the
taXidermist's art, and began to distin-
guish between the new school Of work
and the old school "stuffing" which they
had formerly seen. Taxidermists and
naturalists from all parts of the world
gave the exhibit unstinted praise and
united in declaring that, all points Of ex
cellence considered it was the finest in
the world. AS regarded their truth to
life, these mounted animals put TO shame
some of the sculptured work Of the great
fair.
Prof. Dyche pursues what is technically
termed the Statue method" Of mounting
his large animals, and description or The
method is interesting as showing the
painstaking care that is used at every
step of the work. A framework or
core is first constructed, with body
board in the center which represents a
vertical and longitudinal section of the
animal from the back part of the pelvls
to the base Of the neck. To this is at
tached a frame work of laths. which
forms the general foundation for the
body. The legs are fastened to the "angIe
irons" of the body board, and the skull is
adjusted upon stout iron rods. The pei