Charlevoix county herald., 1910-07-09

day, the
having been
used before the Casa de Moneda; that it should
have library, to be formed from books owned by
the university and by the converts which had just
been abolished, and that the government would
provide the expenses of installation, conserva-
tion and development
After the constitutional government triumphed
over Macmillan, it appropriated, in the budget for
1S671S6S, the sum of $4,000 for the museum; half
OF which was for expenses and the other half for
the salaries of director, two professors of natu
raj history a preparador clerk errand boy,
and n porter. Unfortunately the poverty Of the
public treasury at that time prevented the govern
ment for many years from increasing the appro.
priations for the museum, which only reached $12.-
$50 during the fiscal year 1876-1S77 for which rea-
son 1t had little opportunity to make any progress.
When Gen. Porfrio Diaz came into the supreme
magistracy of the republic, he, the indisputable re-
storer of the public peace and the first factor In
the actual progress of Mexico, gave a great i'm
pulse to all the federal educational establishments.
The museum, which in 18771S7S only had an ap-
preparation of $13,360, received increase each
year, until in the year 1901 it reached the sum
of $24T9I20. In this manner its development
enabled to keep pace with the rest of the country
The progress Of the museum has been very
rapid since Lie. Don Justo Sierra, secretary Of
public instruction, took charge of the educational
development of Mexico, and during the past three
years it has enlarged its collections until they con-
sist of nearly 10000 objects. Such abnormal de-
velopment made the space occupied by 1t too
small, and 1t divided into two departments:
National Museum of History Archaeology and
Ethnology, and National Museum of History The
former remains in the National palace and the
latter is being removed to a new building of suf
fcient size for its requirements.
striking proof of the efforts made by the
supreme government to perfect its educational es-
Establishments is the fact that the present annual
appropriation for the museum of 100000 is almost
ten times great the appropriation of
1s671S6S
The publication in which this sketch appeared
is of comparatively recent origin, in far as It's
actual Importance is concerned. 1t was founded
in 1877, its director at that time being Prof Gu
mcsindo Mendoza, his principal coaborators be-
ing Manuel Orozco Berra, and Lie. Alfredo Cha
vero. 1t was not at that time printed in the mu-
scum, it is only since 1885 that the printing
plant of the museum, which had a very humble be-
ginning, got its start, the nucleus Of which a
small Colombine press, model 2, chiefly used for
running off cards, classification slips for the
objects contained in the establishment From this
time on, however, the various directors who came
and went each recognizing the Importance of hav-
ing well equipped print shop, made important
additions until the plant attained its highest de-
gre Of efficiency, year or so ago. with the acquis
tion of an Optmus press. To celebrate its acqu
stion two special studies written and run OF
on the new press one of which, entitled "Porfirio
Daz Sus Padres Ninez Juventud" ("Poririo
Diaz his parents childhood and youth y was writ
ten by Lie. Garcia, then professor of history In
the museum, and the edition, which beautiful
ly gotten up Immediately exhausted.
Shortly after this. or about the middle Of 1907