The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-04
Complete Encouragement
Will Be Made.
BEST In THE SOUTH
The Reorganized Museum Contains
Animal, Bird, Fish, Rock, Mine
raj, Historical, Forestry, Me-
taIIiC Horticultural and Agri-
cultural Exhibits.

The work of again getting the
museum into it's normal state, after
it's dismantling for the st. Louis Elk
position, is progressing rapidly, al
though Curator BrimIey says that it
will most likely run into May before
the re-installihg of the exhibits can
be completed. There is so much
new material in all lines to classify
and put out that a complete rear
rangement of the whole is necessary,
and advantage is being taken of the
change in progress to give the whole
place q thorough renovating and
cleaning. So that, when the work is
finally completed, the museum will
be like a new one from one end to
the other.
AS one enters from the top of the
stairs the first room will contain ami
mails and birds only, the collection of
fishes and reptiles and marine inverte-
brates being moved to the room con-
tanning the live fish tank. The great
whale skeleton remains i'm its original
place, but below it have been installed
a pair of gigantic whales jaw bones,
and on these are displayed a COM
plete whaling outfit that was used for
many years on the coast near Beau
fort This includes harpoons, lances,
etc, with lines attached, rugged as
they would be when in use, and in
addition, whaling gun with ammuni-
ton, including the explosive bombs
that are fired from it and designed to
explode i'm the whales body. There is
beautiful collection of native furs,
both raw and dressed, and q collec-
ton of the native fur bearing animals
oh, oh q fsn
rived This collection contains several
very ine skins of the otter. fur
that when made up sells much higher
than the best grades of Alaska Seal
skin. The big bull buffalo and elk
are in this room, representing two OF
the original game animals of the
State now. unfortunately, extinct. The
fine specimen of the panther also
represents an animal now no longer
in North Carolina, and n very large
beaver is an example of an animal
rapidly becoming extinct. o case is
being prepared that will contain no
less than eight specimens of eagles
three of them being the very rare
golden eagle of the mountain region
of the State, and the other five bald
agles in the different plumages as
sumed at various ages. This group
has taken several years to collect and
will be very attractive. A complete
Encouragement of the cases in this
room has also been made adding ma
terially to the general effect.
The next room will be devoted to
the horticultural exhibit and some
miscellaneous exhibits and following
these will be the display of agricul-
tural products. This has been added
TO considerably and will contain a
number of tho specimens that received
medals at the Worlds Fair, including
the grand prize and gold medal elI-
hibits of tobacco. A supply of fresh
material will be added from this sea-
sons crops, making the agricultural
display better than ever before. This
exhibit has been transferred to it's
present quarters as affording q better
light on the specimens and more room
for its increased size. Soils and food
products will also be shown in this
room, a departure of much interest
and value.
The next room will be devoted to
the metallic ores and rocks of the
State, and some of the economic
minerals, and this collection has also
been added to extensively. The new
arrangement will remove the building
stones to the adjoining room, as they
will CT necessity, be crowded out of
their old quarters. This fifth room
will now contain the systematic col
lection of minerals. the gems and gem
stones, the economic mineral collec-
ton in general and the building and
ornamental stones. OF the latter a
large number of fine and valuable
new specimens are to be exhibited for
the first time. Most of the best of the
ornamental stones will be shown in
the form of turned and polished col
umns and polished spheres and this
feature viii add a phase to the ex
hibit that Will at least double its at
tractiveness. Besides some of the
fine Cherokee marbles will be shown
in monumental form as well as in
smaller polished specimens, and all
these will be in addition to the gen.
eral collection formerly shown.
Adjoining the mineral room is the
historical room. The latest and one
of the most interesting of the exhibits
in this department is the collection of
returned Confederate battle flags that
has just been installed, but the whole
room is so well filled with historic