Arizona republican., 1909-02-18

to have for state museum of which
 we could be proud and which would command the respect of scholars and students as well as interest every passing visitor? First, the place, and
 there can be no place so fitting as the
 capitol building of the territory, where
 even now rooms could be assigned for a modest beginning, and more
 suitable provision made when our
 needs as a state compel theSenlarge-
 ment of the building Such historical
 collections have been gathered and
 cared for in many state capitols else
 where and have become objects of pe-
 culiar pride for the people, as well as
 sources from which the material for
 some of the most important works on
 American history have been drawn.
 Today the student of Arizona his
 tory must go outside of Arizona to
 consult the one collection of books
 and references complete enough to
 command attention, a collection which
 might have belonged to us had we
 been able to care for it and awake
 to its importance. There is one other
 collection, which has cost the writer
 Of this article nearly twenty years
 to gather, which is more intimate and
 not less valuable than the great Munk
 collection referred to. This will be-
 long to Arizona as a free gift if she
 is ever in position to care for it prop
 erly, and if not it will go with the
 Munk collection to the Southwestern museum at Pasadena, where so many of our Arizona records and relics are crafTlcy Thic OntlthHFaSfarr, tss a great collection of which we may all be proud, but it can never take the place of state collection, which Ari- zona should own and preserve for her own people
 Within the past two years several considerable collections of historic and prehistoric objects have been of fered as the foundation of a state museum, many lesser collections could be had for the asking. and many of our pioneer families would be glad to place in a state museum relics of much value and interest, if they were sure that such things would belong to Arizona and be cared for as long as we existed as a state. In five years | we could have a museum that would | command the attention of our own | people and of visitors, that would be | of permanent educational importance | and increasing money value. If we | daily and delay five years longer | museums outside of Arizona will have | all the material with which we might | begin and we will be seeking to buy | at high prices, duplicates or copies | of records and objects which we might | have secured as a gift.
 Various attempts have been made, inspired by private enthusiasm, to safe-g guard some of our rapidly van ishing historical and ethnological wealth The university at Tucson has a very interesting collection, well con sidered, but limited necessarily by the scope of a purely educational institu- ton. The Pioneers Historical society 1as been a very interesting associa- jon through which some valuable natter has been preserved, but no ade luate and active attempt has ever been made to systematically cover the historical field and lay a broad and we'll planned foundation for continu- )us work.
 The cost of beginning state mu- scum on a reasonable basis, looking to permanence and growth, would be less than the cost of the average small office, but it should include safety for the objects that are all ready available, and some opportunity for securing other things of genuine value and desirability. Every year books, manuscripts and relics are of fered for sale. Quite recently the diaries kept by some of our earliest pioneers have been so offered. Some )f them are valuable and worth a Drice; others have only a curious in crest. Some of the relics the territory may be asked to buy are genuine and desirable; some are spurious and worthless, or merely valueless curiosi- -ies, and there should be provision made for securing the desirable rec 'rds and relics and building up thor 1ughly authentic and valuable collec- ion