The Elbert County tribune., 1910-06-10

fems which have for years been the despair of
the historian. In fact. Mexico may today very
properly claim the title of THE Egypt of Amer
lea F." Why. indeed, should the archaeologist go to
Egypt when Mexico offers to him such rich and
lnexhaustible fields Militia, Monte Aban, Palen-
que, San Juan de Teotihuacan. the ruins of Tx
NAL. and of Chi Chen Itza in Yucatan, and many
others which Just being unearthed?
The museum located at the national capital is
generally the first place sought out by the thou
sands of tourists who pour into the country each
year And 1t is well worth visit, for 1t offers cer-
tain things which no other museum in the world
could offer to the eyes of the curious.
The best brief sketch of its history Is given by
its director, Lie. Genaro Garcia, himself notable
historian and archaeologist, in the Introduction
of volume 1. No l. of the annals Of the National
Museum Of Archaeology, History and Ethnology,"
a most creditable publication which is issued
monthly by the institution. under the direct super
vision of Lie. Garcia. In speaking of the founda-
ton of the museum which he has brought up to
such a creditable standard Lie. Garcia says:
Under the Spanish domination there existed
only a small collection of antiquities in Mexico.
consisting, for the greater part. of the codexes
and native manuscripts which cavalier of Milan,
Italy Don Lorenzo de Boturini Benaduc Senior
de la Tore Homo. had been able to collect, at
the cost of unheard-of sacrifices. and which were
confscated in the most unjust by the
vtceregal government in 1743. These antiquities
first kept In the office of the viceroy's secre
tary and afterward in the library of the Royal
and Pontifcal University of Mexico, where they
taken by order of His Excellency Antonio
Maria de Bucareli Ursua, viceroy of New Spain
In one and another place they greatly dam
aged by neglect humidity rats and thefts
Upon the consummation of Mexicos indepen
dence the national government not only directed
that the existing antiquities be kept at the same
university but assigned in addition, the sum of
1882. 1 real and / "grano," for the salaries of a
directing professor of botany. gardener. and the
expenses of the garden.
When this appropriation made the gov
ernment did not yet have in mind the establish
ment of a national museum which, according to
Gen. Lucas Alaman. then secretary of state and
foreign relations in memorial presented to
gress January II, 1926 to be matter for
the future. Notwithstanding all this, Don Sebas-
tan Camacho successor to General Alaman.
nounced to congress during the latter part of the
same year that the National museum had been
established under the most happy auspices, with
a keeper intrusted with its arrangement, safety,
and development" and with many projects for
scientific trips, discoveries. excavations. and
other operations" which never made The
museum therefore, had no other end than that
of the conservation OF few antiquities. unclas-
sifed. and in generally bad shape
The museum proper had its birth by virtue of
the decree of November 81 which ordered Its for
NAL creation and its division into three branches
antiquities. products of natural history and in
dustry. and botanical garden.
The chief executive of the republic proceeded
at once to the organization of the museum In ac-
cordance with the foregoing decree. and appointed
as members of the directive board Messrs. Psble
r de la Llave Isidro Ignacio Icaza. Miguel Busta-
mante. Jose Mariana Sanchez Mora Ignacio Gu