Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-15
Curator Of Historical Depart
ment In the Eleanor Moore
Hospital at Boone
HE is NOT SERIOUSLY ILL
Discusses the Progress of the Work
In the Historical Department at
Des Moines and Tells What Has
Been AccompIished-New Building
Nearly Completed.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Curator Charles Aldrich, of the state
historical department, gave the cor
respondent for the mes-Republican
an interesting interview regarding his
work in this state. Mr.. Aldrich Is at
present confined to his room in the
Eleanor Moore hospital, where Thurs
day he had a difficult operation per-
formed on his left eye. He is resting
quite easy today. Regarding the work
of the historical department he says:
Before the recent storms the his
torical building at Des Moines was
progressing very finely. BY this time
the walls below the roof are nearly
completed. When finished this will be
one of the most commanding buildings
in the state. It's frontage on Grand
avenue, diagonally across the street
from the capitol, will be two hundred
and sixty feet When finished this
edifice will contain not only the mus
Gull anu iliStoi lCdl lloAoh1S poS tSAAS
state library as well.
'"rhe book stack room will be very
greatly enlarged, as will also the mus
cum, art gallery and newspaper room.
AT the present time the newspaper
room is very much crowded; in fact,
the collections are nearly large enough
to fill twice the space now occupied.
These newspaper are mostly modern,
or have been published during the past
twenty years, tho a few of the files
run back to the earliest days of Iowa
history.
"rhe museum space is also very
crowded, and additions are being made
to 1t constantly; the museum is grow
ing when little or nothing Is heard con-
corning 1t. Latterly, the collection of
great guns, rifles, muskets and pistols
has been growing with great rapidly.
1t is only few weeks since a large i'm.
stallment OF rapid fire guns was re-
ceived from the navy department at
Boston. AS fast as the guns of this
description become obsolete, and they
are generally obsolete as soon as new
invention is announced, they are open
to museums thru the various army
posts, until the supply is exhausted.
The case is similar, tho to not so great
an extent, comparatively, with smaller
arms.
"a great advance has been made this
summer in the direction of prehistoric
stone implements, such as axes, AIDES,
pestels, flint arrow and spear points,;
this collection is very large, in fact,'
Governor Shaw remarked one day that
he didn't know that there We're SO
many in the whole United States as
the historical department had gather
ed together in his time, but the collec-
ton has since been very greatly en-
larged. In the direction of stone i'm
plements, liberal contributions have
been made, by men of this county, es-N
pecially Messrs. Charles S. Hazlett,
William Crooks, Thomas Bowman,
West Myers and others.
Very considerable additions have
also been made to the Indian Bead
Work, which always attracts the no.
tice of the young ladies.
I'm the direction of implements used
in the houses and on the farms, Mr.
j. B. Hurlbert, of Luther, has sent the
department, among other things, a
grain cradle, a fail, an OK yoke, and
half dozen black walnut fence rails
AS strange as it may appear, our early
settlers were in the habit of destroy
ing the beautiful black walnut timber
which SO abounded up and along the
banks of the Des Moines river, for the
purpose of making rails, fence posts,
Shakes" and various primitive con-
trivances; in fact, they kept this up
until black walnut timber is pretty
much thing of the past.
1.-The museum has also received a
splendid installment of goods" from
Ambassador Conger in China. Among,
this lot were the following items: Three
large scrolls, perhaps four feet in width
and seven or eight feet. in length.
These are composed of different color
ed silks, on which is considerable en-
broidery by the hands of the Empress
painting, and that of her son, the en-
peror; such was the statement of Mr..
Conger, which, no doubt. is absolutely
correct. These scrolls came in an
deliberately carved box. some five feet
in length and foot square. The box
itself is a curiosity.
1.-The art gallery was started with
seven or eight portraits of governors
of Iowa and an United States senator:
it has now increased to something like
eighty portraits, many of which pos
sess great merit.
",rhe historical building will be open
as usual at the time of the state fair;
and it will form one Of the best at
fractions of the capital city. So much
work is going on in the capitol build
ing in the, way Of decorating that it
is extremely doubtful whether it will
be open to visitors SO as to be entirely
comfortable to get around, although
more may. be accomplished than people
are looking for at the present time.
These enterprises are forging ahead