New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-25
Of Inf crest 70
50 10 Women.
A PUBLIC INSTRUCTOR
Mrs. ROesler's Position in Museum
Of Natural History.


When Saint Saens visited the American Mu-
scum OF Natural History, the first thing he
wanted 10 see was the dinosau. When Jake
and Johnnie and Mamie from Hells Kitchen
and the Bowery visit the museum, the first
thing they want 20 see is the dinosaur. too.
Al least that is what Mrs. Agnes l. Rooster
SAYS and as she mas been the official public in
structor al the museum since November, whose
business Il is answer questions and tell people
about things and personally conduct them
through the great treasure house at 18th street
and Columbus avenue. of course she knows.
The office Of public instructor was happy
thought Of Or. Hermon c. Bumpus. the director
So many hundreds of visitors come TO the nu-
scum without any knowledge. even Of the most
general description, of natural history or any
vital interest in anything in particular. They
come just 20 look around" drifting from mann
mails to fossils and from rneteorites 10 prehis-
foric implements with cheerful impartality and
a vague mind that never quite grasps what 1t IS
looking at or retains any sharply definite I'M
preston Of what it has seen
And then there are the troops Of children
some Of whom drive up with their governesses
in automobiles, while others are street urchins
out Of the heart Of the tenements. And while
many bring to the museum some special taste
or line of information which makes them intelli-
gen: observers many others just wander around
reading labels which convey no meaning or FIX
ing their attention upon some trivial detail ig-
rorant Of the significance and relations Of what
they see
THE NEED OF INSTRUCTION.
People were always saying 10 the elevator
men and attendants. How find out about
this?" Then the attendant would send up Tor
one of the secretaries. But the secretaries didn't
always know themselves.
eWhy not detail some person especially 10 tell
visitors about the exhibits and interest them in
natural history?" said DR.. Bumpus 10 himself
And the Office Of public instructor, with Mrs
Roesler as its first incumbent, was the result
IN. Saint-Saens astonlshed me by his knowl-
edge of fossils" said Mrs Rooster the other day,
aand often have a similar experience with The
children who come TO the museum. The value
Of the nature work done by the public schools
as shown in the keen interest which is often dis
plaved. as. for instance, by some boys living
near Central Park who make a practice OF
studying the birds in the park through opera
.,ona dav I ran upon a batch of youngsters
coating round i'm the insect hall. One was look
sng al the wood boring insects. He asked me a
question. and from that point we went on IN 1
found he knew far more about them than dld.
How did you come 10 know SO much ABOUT
insects2 I asked at last. You're a city boy,
aren't you? No, replied the boy. I'VE IN
The Bronx, and you ought 10 see my cleclloh
sometimes a whole kindergarten viii come.
I tell them stories At present I giving
series 81 talks on the structure Of birds 10
class Of 100 girls about fifteen years old. had
one lot Of twenty-four boys from the practice
school Of Teachers Ccllege-intelligent, charm
ing little fellows they We're. A private school Of
sixteen ear-old girls came on from Philadel-
phia and spent the whole day going ABOUT the
museum with me.
WHAT CHILDREN LIKE.
Most Of these young people have read the
4 1ora -Drc u linn
Of one or another Of the engaging animals there
IN. KoticEs rhe sEhite seal, is. prime favorite-
rosy-cheegEF4 asa3un gsters and nice little girls
with bGttsnls.aaONs tLeir heads, are forever
asking TO -gl5e stuffed grite-seal in the mu-
scum. and the walrus and sea lions that We're
his companions. Then Rikki- Tikk-Tavi. the
mongoose whose sagacity and devotion saved
whole family from the Vaccinations OF the
wicked cobra. IS always being asked FOR
PearHs SNOW BABY mas also many Houils
admirers. who make poiat Of looking up the
Greenland Esqumau out Of interest IN the ut
tie white girl who was born amid the ice Hoes
and the reindeer. Ernest ingersoll G G. d
Roberts and Ernest ThomDsOn-Seton also lead
directly 10 the museum. and once in a while
some youthful visitor viii bark back 10 the
''Swiss Family Robinson and ask TO see the
whales mentioned in that classic
The half-grown girls from The public schools
60 in for The gem collections. their interest be
ing purely aesthetic and not in the least scien-
fifc The rubies. diamonds emeralds and pearls
OF the Morgan collection faScinate them, ana
they viii spend hours hanging over the cases
looking up their birth month stones and
lecting the engagement rings which they al
feel confident VIII eventually come their way.
Two little JeU-esses VINO had been pouring
over the gems half the afternoon appealed al
last 10 Mrs. Roeser.
Il can't make up my mind which TO be born
in. July or August" complained one, in a IA
rgued tone Of voice.
AIRS. Roesler looked puzzled. But which
were you born in" she asked, as practical
way ~ the difficulty.
Well, # I 60 by the Jewish calendar 7 was
born in July. hat ii I 20 by the Christian cal
endar then was born IN August. and I don't
know which 10 choose" pursued the little girl.
We'll. Ia be born IN July. il / YOU"
said Mrs Roesler. because the stone is so mucn
more beautiful for that month"
The girl thanked her ana said she guessed il
was July for hers"
OCT-OF-TOWN VISITORS.
Sometimes the Office Of official instructor
leads Mrs. Rooster in pleasant places as when
q charming couple from the country visited the
museum in the winter. They were not a honey
moon couple. but a mother and SON she
woman OF perhaps sixty, he a shy boy IN his
early tWenties.
They were such sweet interesting people"
said Mrs. ROesler, Il quite enjoyed being with
them. They happened 10 ask attendant
downstairs some question and he for me
That's how first found them. They lived on A
farm on Lake Champlain. The mother hadn't
been away from the neighborhoOd for fifty years
and this was the first visit either had ever paid
20 New York.
she astonished me by the lively interest she
took in Peru and the Peruvians That came
from Reading Prescott, she said. II was clear
she had read thoughtfully and intelligently and
assimilated what she read
His interests lay chiefly along the line OF
economic entomOlogy-the insects that are de-
structive 10 crops and orchards and forests AS
farmer he had himself eDcO4ufored MANY