Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-30

Students as It ever has been, and in addf-
ton VIII be more interesting to the gen.
eral public. If exhibits are not attrac-
lively placed. they lose half their value
The people want to be attracted, not left
to dS out the interesting things for them
selves: do not believe that scientists
VINO have charge of public collections
have any right to bury themselves in the
scientific side Of their profession to the
absolute exclusion Of the popular view
point.
Il believe In getting the viewpoint Of
the public, and then, in so far as It is
possible. supplying what they want. I
believe that If the remarks made by visi-
tors here could be overheard they would
furnish a splendid groundwork upon
which to determine what they most wish
to see and know about. People uncon-
sciously talk about what they want to
know, ask questions of the watchmen
ana among themselves, and all this would
furnish material upon which to work in
assembling and labelling an exhibit"
MI Gidley has already gone a good
way toward bringing his exhibits up to
the level of attractiveness, despite the
fact that collection of fossil bones
usually excites no great amount of en-
,Iast. among the average group of
visitors. He has given in every in
stance possible a popular name to
specimens. This will be shown on the
card In prominent letters, while the
Latin name will appear below in small
type. And in the brief account of the
specimen. too, Mr.. Gidley has spent
much care. In gathering his facts he
mas endeavored to select those of most
interest, those which will answer the
questions naturally asked at'sieht of
the specimens. That this is by no
means an easy task Mr.. Gidley admits
as do all the others similarly employ
ed; but they also state that thew feel
nevertheless that the end iustifies IN
work and time being spent upon it.
DR. George P. Merrill, head curator OF
the department OF geology, is in sympa-
my with the movement, and is doing all
ne can to make the exhibits of his
department attractive and interesting.
Nevertheless he is not blind to the diff
cuities which confront any one under
taking the task.
When l think of doing that" said Dr
Merrill, 1T always reminds me of an IN
cident. ! made a trip to the caves in the
southwest section of the United States at
one time. securing large collection of
stalact1teS and stalagmites. These 7 ar
ranged in cases with considerable care
and placed on exhibition. I did it some
what In the way of an experiment. and in
iaDelhg the specimens used large cards
with the words "stalactites and staIap-
mites In inch-high type and the re.
mainder of the label in type at least !.
quarter of an inch In height These cards
were placed prominently in each case
one day L happened to be in the exhiI,;-
ton hall IN which these cases were placed
and noticed man and party of ladies'
enter. They soon came abreast of tho
cases in which these specimens were ex-
hibited, and the gentleman informed them
that they were coral formations which
had grown up from the floor of the ocean.
Since then l confess that the possibility
of making an exhibit attractive and in
structive had appeared a most difficult
task indeed
But whatever may be the pitfalls
which await those who endeayor to
make an exhibit snowy and Ineligible,
DR.. Merrill is confident they are no
greater than those which await any
one who becomes careless In regard to
the work ''Visitors NAV apparently
insist upon being misled in regard to
EXHIBITS and all that but IL a label is
by any chance incorrect they are quick
enough to discover it. I have known
cases in which letters have come from
distant states from persons having
visited here who state that they no.
t1ced that such and such label was
wrong and that the correct facts are
SO and so. These persons are themselves