The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-12-03
THE STATE CABINET
New and Convenient Arrangement
Made by Prof. G. H.. Perkins.

Maue by fTOI. ". H. Perk1ns,
Those who, in times past, have
visited the State cabinet, cannot but
appreciate the changes that the cura-
tor, Prof G.. II. Perkins, has made
both in the position OF the cases them
selves and in the arrangement of the
specimens contained therein Several
new oak cases have been ordered to
make possible the proper exhibition
of specimens that at present cannot BE
shown to advantage. With the new
cases added, Prof. Perkins is able to
promise a worthy showing to any
specimens that may be contributed to
the cabinet and he invites such con-
tributions.
In the room containing the miner
ais the cases have been so placed as to
give the maximum of light on the
specimens. To increase the light the
wooden panels at the end of the cases
are being replaced by the clearest of
glass. Beautiful specimens of anne
thysts and others OF the more precious
stones are thus brought into view in
all their beauty and brilliancy. For
the benefit OF the large number OF
students from our public schools. that
visit the cabinet each year for pur-
poses of study, the curator has ar
ranged a "Synoptical case " Here
1xy al
specimens, the biologic ladder From
the amoeha, one of the very simplest
known forms OF animal life, up to NAM
mails, in all physiological essentials
as highly developed as man, one may
trace the steady rise and evolution of
animal lite Under the old system of
management in the cabinet one was
compelled to search through case
after case of specimens to find the
various steps of progression illustrat-
ed The modifying of typical speci-
mems will be hailed with delight by
teachers who desire to supplement-
the work of the text books by object
i've study.
Few of us realize how valuable,
from a scientific point of view. some
of the specimens are; few people real
ize that we have in our cabinet a
specimen that is the only one of its
kind in the United States, and with
the exception of few of the bones, is
, the only one of its kind on this con
| tinent. The specimen is the skeleton
of the fossil whale that occupies the
long case to the right OF the room
containing the minerals
We're it the privilege OF the readers
of this article, as it was Of the writer,
| to listen to Prof. Perkins as he talked
of the time when Vermont was par
TALLY covered by the sea, and Lake
ChamplaiD, then body of salt water,
was peopled with legions Of whales,
those old stony bones would we'll nigh
fasninate; TO further the weirdness OF
the picture, conjured by these facts, peo-
pie the forests of Vermont with huge
elephants and prehistoric monsters,
then you will have true conception
of our STAGE in comparatively late
geologic times But the land grad
ually rose, from the sea to elevations
varying from five hundred to one
thousand feet. The salt water in pro-
cess of time became sweet the hills
and the valleys formed themselves
and became clothed with vegetation.
But in the process OF change, here
and there were buried specimens of
the old order of life that they might
bring to us, through the interpreted
ton of science, visions of the begin
ming of our civilization and our
; world.