The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-12
OPEN MUSEUM
To THE PUBLIC
Institution in Vermont Build.
Ing Presents Collection of
Rare Specimens.
RELICS OF PREHISTORIC
TIMES PUT ON DISPLAY
Strange and Interesting En-
hibits Are Conveniently Ar
ranged for Inspection.

With rare collection OF valuable cx.
h!bits displayed and labeled with unusual
care and intelligence the Desere, muse
um. conceded 10 DC one OF the finest OF
IT'S kind 81 the country. formally opened
Its doors To the public Yesterday morning
at $3.50 o'clock occupying the entire sec
ond floor Of the Vermont building. The
Institution is In direct charge ol pr
James T., Talmsge, well known az a
c"o)oglst and bOtanIst. President Joseph
r. Smith ana other officials of the Nor
mon church We're present at thr opening.
y private office AID laboratory Is re-
served. adjoining the exhibition rooms.
for DIR. Talnfngc. who will devote the
greater portion of his time 10 receiving
visitors and furnishing then with any
particulars TINT may be desired.
Although the museum has not vet
reached The high standard set for IL by
DR., Talmage and the Mormon church. by
which II Is maintained. the splendid col
value. which are displayed to full "a.
vantage.
Noticeable among the commendable
features Is th" manner in which all dis
PLAYS have been labeled. from The tiniest
relic io the mammoth fossils and bones
OF animals and reptiles Of prehistoric
times. Or. 'ralmage has departed from
common custom by having short lnlelli-
giblc descriptions. neatl! framed and
typewrttcn. upon all exhibits. These arc
So arranged that visitors may pick them
up and read them with ease. and with
out disturbing any OF the displays
Exhibits Are classified
Most OF the exhibits are arranged In
cases with designated classification.
These are arranged on the unit order. go
that homogeneous additions may be made
at any time. The larger and older cases
are of quartcr-oak and heavy glass.
Those not encascd are sci as TO EN-
able careful study. and are protected in
different ways. Ordinarily: relies ar
either placed too far from the eye or, II
small are hidden by large hand written
labels, which I'm themselves often prove
illegibie because OF the distance from the
viewer. The catalogue and number meth
I'D, which has proved unsatisfactory in
many museums. OIL account OF promlscu-
ous changing OF numbers by plSscrs-hy
and shifting OF displays, has been left
out al the Dcserct museum,
As ono enters the museum the first col
lection shown Is that consisting cf great
cases oi selenites or gypsum crystals
taken from the Geode in Wayne county
These crystals are primarily Taluaole
from a geological standpoint. because Of
their measurabv pertcc; angles re-
marliablo property In such huge spaci-
mems. Nearly fifty tons OF tho crystals
were removed. OF which thirty tons we're
personally du: out and conveyed 10 ih,s
city by Or. TalmaGe. Excavation woriI
in search % the crystals WAS first begun
I'm 1891. About thirteen tons have been
exchanged by the museum tor fossil casts
and other specimens. The museum has
been offered $1,000 for the collection now
on hand. but considers It's value To be
much more than that sum.
From Prehistoric Times.
Casts of prehistoric reptiles next occupy
the attention OF the visitor, showing that
the carly decades had their small reptiles
as we'll as the large ones. The entire
collection is rcpletc with historic inter-
est. and includes specimens of the ictnio-
saur and other great specimens OF the
half-birG and half-reptilc species.
Particularly interesting Is the collection
of cliff dwclers' relies and niummies,
dug out OF the san Juan cliffs In tho
years 1892 and lS9i. In many ways these
exhibits are said To be among the dnest
I'm the world. An entire wing OF tic
museum Is devoted 20 Il state historical
collection. which rivals ANYTHING % It's
kind In the country. The whole lnsutu-
ton Is admirable. In It's collection aud
ARA DSemcnt alike. Visiting hours are
from $50 O'Clock in the morning until
i:S0 o'clock In tho afternoon.