The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-07

the Enterta1nmsnt end instruction
Of the Visiting Multitudes.
From the Washington star
1t is safe to say that when the Pan
American exposition Is opened on May
1 there will be found enough of inter-
est and beauty to captivate every visi.
tor. The government exhibits are be-
ing prepared lavishly. They will fur
nish an excellent object lesson to those
who cannot visit Washington of the
way Uncle Sam attends to his bust
ness. But as In the life Of the individ-
ual. so in the life Of the government,
there Is an aesthetic side to be graft
fled, and the exhibit OF the National
museum, perhaps more than any other,
covers this phase of the subject. It's
utility, however, must be placed fore.
most, and the suggestions Il will at
ford to the ethnologist, zoologist and
geologist are we'll worthy OF consider
alton.
This exhibit, in common with all the
others which come under the auspices
OF the Smithsonian Institute, is being
prepared under the direct supervision
pointed representative of the Smith
sonian Institution, whose long exper-
ience in this special branch of museum
work has well fitted him for the task.
Bearing in mind the comprehensive.
ness of the little prefix "Pan," It has
been his aim to prepare exhibits which
will display the resources not only of
North America, but also OF Central
and South America, the West Indies
and the new possessions also to some
extent, although this part OF the pro-
gram has been otherwise specially pro-
vided for. During the past summer
Drs. Stejneger and Richmond visited
Porto Rico ami Messrs. Palmer and
Riley went to Cuba to obtain especial
ly desirable material.
DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME.
The tyro in these matters may think
that as soon as the appropriation is
made the rest is as easy as railing
off log" but experience proves tho
reverse to be true.
But with all the drawbacks, failures
to collect. unexpectedly increased ex-
penses, etc, the National masuem has
always been ready on the day Of open
ing, and it will be repetition of the
story next May at Buffalo.
For convenience and with a View to
following the same scheme Of classi-
f1cation as Is now In vogue in the
museum, the principal exhibits will be
divided into three great classes: ~
anthropology, (2) soology and (3) geol-
ogy.
A VALUABLE EXHIBIT.
The first is being prepared under the
supervision of William II. Holmes, and
with the cooperation of the bureau
of American ethnology. The exhibit
will not be as wide in scope as on
some previous occasions, but, being
more restricted and more strictly ger
name to the purposes OF the occasion,
it is expected that each unit in its
makeup will be more complete. II
will consist essentially of twelve
groups of life-size lay figures, prop
erly clothed and surrounded by ac-
cessories representing arts and modes
Of life. Two Of the groups will include
several figures each, and the remain
ing ten three figures each, man, wo-
man and child. Each group will rep-
resent distinct American type of cul-
ture. The following peoples will be
included: Fskimos OF Smith sound,
Athapascaps of Mackenzie river, AL
gonquins of Labrador, Sioux Cor
Plains) Indians, Seminoles oe Florida,
Chilkats Of Alaska, Hoopas of Califor-
mia Pueblo Indians Of Arizona, Topeka
Indians of northern Mexico, Piro In
dams of the upper Amazon and Pata-
gonians.
The selection of these widely diverse
peoples was not an easy task, and the
work incidental to obtaining suf-
ficient and at the same time accurate
| costume for each individual to pass
| the inspection of the buffalo police
| has been phenomenal. But it has been
done and the groups are clothed.
IN THE ANIMAL. KINGDOM.
In the animal kingdom the exhibits
are to be represented by the largest,
most characteristic and most striking
| forms from the highest to the lowest
| family Of vertebrates de. animals
| having a backbone). 1t has CHANGED
| that several opportunities have occur
| red to obtain some quite rare forms
| of large game. such as the glacier
| bear the kodiak bear, the northwest
| caribou, the white sheep and giant
| moose of Alaska. The remainder OF
| this part of the exhibit of animals will
| include some forty or more species,
embracing various kinds of American
seals. deer. bears. wolves. foxes, rats,
| rabbits. etc. A specimen of the Flor
! ida seacoW, now nearly extinct, will
| accompany the collection. although not
| of it's own volltion, being stuffed too
| full to walk. Then come the South
American mammals. representing
some thirty kinds and including such
| characteristic forms as the Patagon-
ian cavy, giant armadillo, guanaco,
cincuena spider monkey, etc,
AMERICAN BIRDS.
The display of North American
birds, though not the largest, will, in
many respects, be the finest the mus
cum has ever brought together. The
specimens have been selected by Mr..
Rideway, the well-known ornitholo-
gist and are being mounted by the
ski!lful taXidermists OF the museum.
Some eighty species Will be shown,
representing the most characteristic
and striking forms. The South Amer
lean birds will include the gigantic
condor OF the Andes, the American
ostrich, and other large birds, and the
gaudy parrots and macaws, the beau
tiful little humming birds, and 8 host
of other striking forms that go 10
make up the brilliant bird fauna OF
the tropics.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS.
The cases devoted TO reptiles and
amphibians will illustrate the poison
Gus and harmless snakes, the croco-