The Holbrook news., 1911-12-15

est cities of America, with A university that, like the city Of
 Buenos Aires, has, from an in- fant, suddenly become a giant Found ed in 1882 by Dr. Dardo Rocha, the capital of the province of Buenos Aires has grown to be one of the most important centers of population of the republic, not commercially, it Is true, but scientifically. I say scientifically. for that which makes La Plata what 1t is to us foreigners, at least, is not its halls of government, but its uni. versity. There are many capitals in Argentina; but there Is only one La Plata. Its population has increased phenomenally. like that of Buenos Aires; for 1t is now not far from 1OO, 900, in spite of financial reverses which in the past befell 1t. Its sumpt- uous buildings, wide streets, splendid avenues and beautiful promenades. render this fairy city on the Rio de la Plata one of the finest products of modern renaissance architecture.
 The university is younger than the city. for La Plata had existed 23 years. WAGA tue was SSlaOAAbAC0 OA August 12, 1905, Dr. Manuel Quintana being then president of Argentina. It is incredible that within five years such a magnificent institution, with such a wonderful group of buildings should have arisen.
 One of the finest ornaments and most useful auxiliaries of the univer- sity is the museum. What it took the older nations of the world scores of years to accomplish has arisen in La Plata as if by magic. The museum be- longs to the faculty of Natural Sci ences, to which are joined the schools of chemistry, pharmacy. geography. and the Academy of Drawing.
 The old museum of Buenos Aires had been founded in 1923 by President Rivadavia. reaching a point of great importance under the direction of Dr. German Burmeister. As 1t was found impossible to transport to La Plata the paleontological collection of this mu- scum. the province ceded it to the nation. to serve as the basis of fed eral museum On the other hand, the archaeological and anthropological col lections were brought over to the new capital, as the beginning of the muse um of the province.
 In 1884 Doctor Moreno was chosen by the governor of the province, Dr. Carlos d'Amico, to establish a provin- cial museum and to be its director. In consequence of this. he at once do hated his private library of 2,OOO vol umes, mainly of American authors and on natural sciences. to the new insti- tuition. It will thus be seen that the museum antedates the university. The building was at once begun, and with in five years 1t was possible to install the first collections.
 The museum building, occuying the center of a park. is approached through a stately avenue lined on both sides with shady trees. forming a most agreeable promenade. The edifice. in classic style, terminates at both ex- tremities in a semi-circle, the whole having an elliptic figure. The central facade consists of Corinthian porti- co. witl six immense columns resting on a platform, to which a flight of steps lodQS. nC QCOOl dNAOAoB departing from the Greek lines, pos sess special features borrowed from archaic American architecture. The great votaries of science. Aris- totle, Lucretius, Descartes. Bufron. Linaeus, Cuvier, Humboldt and many more are represented by their busts. while such American savants and ex- plorers as Azara. d'Orbigny. Bompland and others are not forgotten.
 There are two floors ID the building. the first one being entirely devoted to the museum, while on the second. in the center of the edifice. are the ad- ministration offices. with the library on one side and the section of fine arts on the other, besides other de- .partments. had the pleasure of vis- iting the museum some months ago. and the Americanists spent a pleas ant day at La Plata. as the guests of the university.
 The great intrinsic value of the mu- scum of La Plata Is essentially South American, by the material 1t has col lected for the study of the fauna and flora, fossil, as well as actual, of the austral regions of the western hemis- phe-e, but especially for the oppor. tunities it offers to make a thorough study of the American man, from the