New-York tribune., 1908-06-21
4 MUSEUM INSTRUCTOR
hrs. Il. L. Roesler the Only Woman
HO]djDG Such n Place.

"I must say that visiting museums is doubtful
pleasure" said the woman who was just leaving
one. 'I kill myself rushing around trying to get
the most out of them. and away with ex-
asperated sense that I've failed simply because
didn't know how to go at it, and didn't have any
one tell me-"
No one need make that plant at the American
Museum of Natural History, now that Mrs. Agnes
L. Roeser is a member of the staff Mrs. Roeser' s
title is that of instructor the and she is
the first and, far. the only one in the world.
Next year the Metropolitan Museum of Art will
have an Instructor on it's staff and there ind-
cations that the idea will be taken up by various
museums throughout the country and in England
It is very convenient All you have to do, whether
you are a person or a party, is to write to the
Museum of Natural History, or just drop in there.
and say that you want to know about troglodytes,
beetles. the ways of the ancient Peruvians,
and Mrs. Roeser will take you to that part of the
museum in which your desire can be satisfied and
will explain things 10 you.
Were you trained for the placer" Tribune re-
porter asked Mrs. Roesler.
mo. for the place didn't exist till couple of
years ago. No had thought of it. My only
preparation was unconscious. I had read good
deal along ornithoogical and other scientific lines.
and. having a retentve memory. things stuck I've
lived in the West and a good deal Of the Ind
ian-What is left of him-n his native habitat.
Of course there are things in the museum 1 don't
know anything about. know nothing about min
eralogy The other day a school party sent word
that they coming TO study special subject,
and when they ARRIVED what should that subject be
but mineralogy 1 steered them off to pa1eontology
and they spent hour quite happily looking at
fossils, and went home satisfied apparently
DO you own up when you don't know things, or
do you bluff"
''Oh. up. I told the teacher who accom-
panied that party that she could tell the children
about mfneralogy better than 1 could"
DO you have many school classes?"
Yes, many. I've just been plotting a class from
Hoboken, n. j., around. There were nineteen of
them and they wanted TO mosquitoes and big
trees. You know have model of the malarial
mosquito, a very large model l don't know how
many thousand times life size. There one
pompous small boy in that party who looked at
that model with his eyes fairly popping out of his
head. He lived in New Jersey, but he'd never seen
a mosquito big as that. Finally he spoke:
Madame he said. would you mind informing
me in what region that mosquito is found?'
The other boys hooted Gee. they said. Did
you think that mosquito d been a live one?'
81 enjoy the Settlement classes most They're
immigrant children. rs a rule. and they're so
thirsty for knowledge, especially the little Russian
Jews. They fix their eyes me while I explain
things and then they break up into little groups
and those who know English best translate to
those who don't know it we'll
Last week had a party of East Side children
who fascinated by the big dinosaur. But
they couldn't imagine how it ate when 1t alive
They imagined it was just as it is nova skeleton
Then small girl noticed the iron pipes which
the skeleton is mounted, and she thought she had
the solution.
That's where what they ate went down. she
said proudly
II had to talk quite little while before 1 could
convince them that that huge skeleton
covered with flesh.
THE other day chanced on two little boys who
were looking at a bird group-the one of the great
aux. You know have the mounted birds and
the egg. They couldn't get the size of that
egg.
That bird laid that egg boy said
to the other, conclusvely Why you couldn't get
that egg inside that bird.'
II thought that was the psychological moment for
explaining about egg laying. | did. and then
looked the ostrich group and at some of the
birds of which the egg is very large proportion
ately. They city boys who had never been
in the country. never had chickens pigeons of
their own and egg laying mystery to them"
by paying SO year one can become member
OF the museum and go there regularly to study
the exhibits under Mrs Roesers guidance. This
carries with it the privilege of going into the labo
ra tories where, a rule visitors not allowed.
one woman Joined that her little son. aged five,
might study natural history with Mrs. Roesler.
Hes a logical little chap. Mrs, Roesler said
He told yesterday that he didn't think Sy-
sonby-the great racehorse. you know-was mount
ed right. You know have the dead Sysonby
lie Is taken in the middle OF the stride, all four
feet off the ground
That isn't right Wilbur said. gravely. He
ought to have of his feet the ground
But, Wilbur. 1 said, don't you know that