Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-29

Views illustrating what articles the coun-
try in question produces, how 1t produces
them what 1t trades in, the character and
habits of its people. and many other things.
The lectures are delivered by men who have
travelled in the lands described, and In
words which the class can comprehend.
Sometimes four entire schools are thus en-
tertained In one day. For such lectures in
the coming school year the museum is al
ready booked four months ahead.
After each lecture the children are taken
to that section of the museum devoted to
the country just discussed. Like the build
ings of a great exposition in fun blast,
these are divided by elevated signs labeled
with the names of the countries of the
world The thousands of exhibits in the
great halls of the buildings have been
largely obtained from the foreign govern
Chicago Paris and st. Louis: have been
gathered by members of the museum staff
delegated to various lands, and by Its
many agents scattered abroad.
The school child here sees how rubber
grows, for example; how it Is gathered and
how it is shipped to market in the rubber
hams of commerce; views whole hides
hanging up in the forms of the animals
from which they have been stripped whole.
the tools with which they are shaped and
the articles into which they are wrought
He is shown step by step, how the Japa-
nese manufacture their beautiful bric-a-
brac. He views sections of the trunks of
great mahogany trees and huge planks of
their wood. roughly cut on one side and
DeautlIully pOlSneU on the OtDeT- lie IuT-
Their sees in lay figures or photographs,
the strange natives of heather lands, the
carved gods which they worship, the crude
tools which they WELD and the valuable
commercial products which they fashion
Herewith. The youngster whose attention
cannot be held to the textbook, in class, Is
all eyes and ears when given this elemen-
tary commercial education, and it is to the
credit of the museum authorities that they
have mastered well the psychology of juve-
nile interest A novelty being considered
for this school year is series of teachers
courses in the physical geography, eth
nology. industries and commerce of the
countries concerning which these peda
gogues will be called upon to teach the
young idea. BY no means is the CONNER
cial Museum an institution founded pri-
marily for children. The adult appreciates
1t even more than the younger generations,
and 1t is frequented by commercial men,
| especially those studying special enter
prises.
Distributing Miniature Museums.
For the benefit of those school children
who cannot afford pisrmages to Philadel-
phia. a scheme has been perfected by which
the Commercial Museum, in compact form,
can be brought to them-by which the
mountain can be moved to Mohammed
The legislature of Pennsylvania has ap-
proprated $4,000 for the preparation, by
Professor Wilson's staff, of miniature
museums" distributed among the state
public schools designated by the members
of the legislature. Thus are the public
schools given better facilities for instruction
in geography, commerce and natural sci
| enCe.
Each school museum costs about 500
and occupies four large cases of four units
each. containing in all about 200 feet of
shelving which exhibited about 300
specimens of those commercial materials
OF the animal, vegetable and mineral king
doms entering most into our home co1sump-
ton. Each article is shown in all of the
stages of production, transportation and
manufacture. In addition to it's hundreds
of specimens, each miniature museum con-
| tains l12 sXlo-inch photographs, showing
the growth. origin and preparation of the
articles, well as twenty-five maps show
ing the distribution of the products
A new departure in these miniature mu-
seums will be made this winter when four
classes of collections are prepared for
schools of different grades. Thus the special
requirements of 1.-The country schools can
be met
This interesting educational enterprise Is
| in the direct charge of Mr.. Wilfred H
Schoff, who. besides being secretary of the
Philadelphia museums is the consul of the
Peruvian government. He is a Harvard
| man, who has travelled extensively abroad
and who is frequently lecturer upon the
countries which he has visited.
| How the thousands of photographs rep
reSenting the activities of various peoples
| of the earth,are prepared for these miniature
| museums was shown to the writer by Mr.
| SchoH. In a dark room of the photogra phic
! laboratory a young man sat at a machine
! behind which glared the binding light of