El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-09
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

- NE Of the most remarkable insti-
tutiOns in the United States gov
- eminent is the National museum
With some 100000 specimens Of one
kind and another. covering practically
the entire range of human interest, 1t
stands in the front rank among all the
museums of the world. With the excep-
ton of the British museum and the
French National museum, no similar
organization in existence has such ex-
tensive collections of animal and plant
life Of the earth as those possessed by
this great institution in Washington.
Even the British museum collections
have not grown as rapidly in the past
20 years as those Of the United States
National museum.
Is National Show Place.
OF all show places in Washington
none equals in the wide range Of in
terest the National museum. Did some
Barnum own it, no one in the entire
United States would be so remote from
the capital city not to nave heaIu u
the magnificence and the wonderful
educa tiOnal value Of its EXHIBITS. among
these exhibits are perhaps lO,OOUi any
one of which might possess suLIlcLeI-S
drawing mower to make 1t the feature
of any dime museum in the county
Yet with all of these splendid eXhlDlIs.
thousands of American citizens nave
NOT even heard Of the splendid museum
Uncle Sam has equipped and Illled WIZ
interesting collections Ior the DeneLiI
OF the people and IN the interest OF SCI
ence. .z.z
The National museum was founded
in 1876. Congress annually apprOprl-
ates some $500, 900 for its maintenance
In recent years 1t has authorized tne
expenditure of $3,5O0.OOO for the con
struction Of q magnificent new DuIIu-
ing to house the natural history anu
anthpOpOlogy collections. This DullolIs
Is one of the finest structures Of its
kind in the world Built OF Whlle gran
lite, with a great central roIunoa. SUI
mounted by an imposing dome WIZ
makes II a Sit companion Tor the cap
ftol and the congressional library, II IS
one of the most perfectly appointed
structures in Washington.
Ten Acres Of Floor Space.
With an abundance Of windows ana
skylights. its great eXhlDlJloh 1alIs
and its storage rooms Tor the coILeC-
lions not on exhibition, are as wen
lighted as such rooms can be. This new
building has about 10 acres OF IloOr
space, of which One-half IS taken up
for exhibition purposes But TINS new
building does not represent the enllI6
plant Of the National museum Ihe Oh
museum building VIII be continued N
service and collections and EXHIBITS OF
arts. Industries and American history
will be kept there in the future In ad-
dftion to this, much OF the floor space
OF the Smithsonian institution DulIdlnB
is used for similar purposes
The relation existing between the
Smithsonian institution and the
National museum is most
interesting one. The ~ Smlt IN
tents and purposes a government es-
Z adjustment its governing Dooy, OF
7 board Of regents being appointed Dy
I congress and its secretary being CHOSEN
by this board Of regents. The funds for
! the work Of the Smithsonian institution
( are derived from the income Of the
bequests and gifts Of James Smitns son
Smith sOnian the directing agency OF
the National museum. and il deposits
( all Of its treasures in the National mu-
May Trace History OF Race.
/ The exhibits in the National museum
are remarkable for their wide range
Of subjects for the delightful way IN
( which they are shown and for their
education value. Here one may trace
the history Of the human race from the
{ time when mankind lived in caves ana
when invention had resulted only IN
] the use of fire and stone, down to the
Z time of the modern home, the automo-
/ bile. the wireless telegraph, and the
| He NAV study all forms of life from
1 the lowest marine invertebrate up to
| the human machine OF today; from the
/ microscopic insect up to the giant rep
\ tile 20 feet long which lnhablted the
/ earth in antediluvlan times. Here ne
4 may see an exhibit representing
/ home scene among the COcOpa indians
and behold an indian boy trying his
first arrow. In this group is girl with
I a baby on her back, q woman grinding
I corn and a man watching the boy and
/ guiding his hand as he bends his bow.
I a man with his water jug. and girl
/ with her basket
Indian Relics.
/ In another group he may see Navajo
! indians making silver ornaments, using
\ a primitive bellows and like equipment
/ Here i a group which gives one look
I into an indian kitchen. There another
] shows our IgorOt brethren in the
/ Philippines preparing wood with which
/ to cook the next meal Here IS re
/ mica of the largest known meteorite
/ which ever fell to earth. measuring
/ aDproximately six by seven by IL feet;