Semi-weekly herald., 1910-01-13

great skill and long experience are on
their way to Washington, and the at.
mosphere around the basement of the
Smithsonian institution will soon be
redolent OF pungent odors, such as
arise from the contact of acids and
other chemical agencies that are en-
ployed to arrest the forces of ma
ture. II will be more than a year be-
fore anything will be ready for ex-
hibition. The Roosevelt trophies will
be set up in the new museum build
Ing which is nearly completed and will
doubtless be open to the public next
fall. Some of the laboratories are
already occupied and portions of the
exhibition hall may be open in the
spring. But 1t will take at least a
year to tan and stuff the hides and
mount and install the other trophies
which have been received from Africa.
And II VIII be several years before
the work Is entirely completed be-
traordinary value of the collection.
Mr.. Roosevelt has already sent TO
the Smithsonian more than 5000 OBJ.
jects of interest, including the skins
and hides of the animals he has kill,
ed, hundreds OF rare birds, reptiles,
fishes. botanical specimens, native i'm.
plements, utensils and other ethno
logical material of great scientific
value and intense human interest. No
expedition. either private or public
that was sent out for exploration ever
produced such results. No expedition
OF the kind was ever conducted on
such large scale or enjoyed the ex.
trmaordinary advantages which Col.
onel Roosevelt has commanded. The
officials of the British. Dutch and Por.
tuguese governments the local author
tiles and foreign population of Central
Africa; the native chiefs and tribes
men, the missionaries and everybody
who has been capable of rendering
any service to the modern Nimrod
has done his best to contribute to It's
success and never before have the
jungles and wildernesses OF Africa
been beaten so thoroughly for game
or searched for all forms of animate
and inanimate objects OF interest,
The expedition is about half over
and the trophies that have been re.
ceiyed thus far included whatever was
collected up to the LIST of Octobea.
Since that day the party has been
busily engaged adding to the number
and undoubtedly the shipments that
are already on the way and those
which may be expected In the future
will more than double in number and
In value those which have already
The skins and hides were packed
and shipped in casks of brine which
have not been opened but will be turn
ed over to the tanners next week. The
skeleton OF every beast has been sent
along in another package. and already
q carload OF bones have been boiled
aud scraped and put in order for ar
ticulation by the taxidermists. They
will be exhibited separately. The skins
and hides will be stuffed and mounted
on manikins In lifelike attitudes.
The invoices already received show
lions and lionesses shot by
the ex-president himself. four giraffes
Of different species, two black rhinoc
eri, which are very rare, and dozen
others Of more common varieties; sew
eral hfppopotamI. several elephants,
seven zebras, and hyenas, leopards,
hartebeestes. waterbucks. ga
zelles. impallas, warthogs. dik-diks,
and other wild beasts galore, some
of which we're never before brought
into this country: and all these are
to be mounted for permanent exhibi.
ton In the new museum. There are
also numerous cases Of birds, includ.
Ing several hundred small animals,
such as rats, rabbits. moles, and mice,
snakes, lizards and other
of crawling and creeping
things which are not attractive to look
at but have great scientific value.
II is interesting to conjecture how
these examples of the animal kingdom.
which are being rapidly exterminated
VIII look to future generations who
will visit the national museum that
Ia now approaching completion. Hun
dreds OF thousands of people go to
see the walking stick. the account
books and the shoe buckles Of George
The field glasses and
the sword of General Grant are of in.
tense interest to everybody. while
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ROCK ISLAND STOCK