The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-10
PRbIic Museum at Memorial
Hall Is Interesting Study.
They Tell OF Early Days of
SunfIoWer State.
100, 900 RELICS ON DISPLAY
Many Thousands Have Visited
the Various Exhibits.
Splendid Collection Presented
by Late John R. MuIvan.e

/ History a la carte is the way It IS
served up to the visiting public at
/ the museum of the state Historical
society. which occupies the entire
fourth floor of the Memorial building
here.
/ ReIics-more than 10000 of them
/ not only from Kansas but from all
sections Of the globe are now on dis
/ NAV in the museum Many OF them,
according to William A Connelley, sec
retary of the State Historical society,
I hear Significantly on the early his
/ torv of the state; others are merely
4 curios and are displayed simply for
the odd bits Of knowledge they give
/ to the sightseeing public, bent on a
quest of haphazard information.
! witness these: John Browns sad
die Japanese idols, a chair that came
/ to America on the Mayflower, Indian
pottery. an eight-pound meteor thac
fell in Marshall county, 8. totem pol5
| from Alaska, the only cotton gin ever
used in Kansas, rare coins, trophies or
the World war. stuffed birds, and a
host Of others too numerous to men
ton" as a side-show barker might
Many Visitors From Kansas.
While there are thousands of Kan
sans who have never enjoyed the
privilege of browsing in the museum,
there are also many thousands who
have. ConneIley said that a very con-
servative estimate of the number of
visitors would average 500 a day. ION
some days" he said. the museum is
so crowded that people can't turn
around" Every big convention in To-
peka brings crowds to the museum
Conneuey declared, and the fact that
il is one of the most interesting spots
in Kansas, from the standpoint of Is
wealth of historic interest, ought to
make every Kausan vow TO visit it the
first thing after arriving IN the cap
itaI city he continued
New relics are being added to the
collection constantly. Among the lat
est contributions are j number or
small japanese shrines-the gifts OF
Mrs. Maud Madden. formerly a To-
Japan. One OF the tiny shrines en-
closes 81 mirror in which the spirit of
some particular idol IS supposed t.
abide. The shrine was guarded b.
two small earthenware foxes and
these were sent with the shrine The
male fox has its mouth open and the
female fox has its mouth closed. Ac-
cording to the Japanese. this is les
sen to all Orientals. The foxes, Mrs.
Madden said in an accompanying let
ter. are found in all the big business
houses and factories which are not
ChriStiauiZed.
The totem pole from Alaska is one
OF the most interesting of late con-
tributiOns to the museum. The name
Of its donor is kept secret by Mr..
ConneIIey because of the fact that the
Esquimeaux undoubtedly would Kill
the thief if they could find him.
The pole is about twenty feet high ana
is carved out of a cedar tree It has
a series of grOtesQue figures repre-
senting birds and animals carved on
fe brill col
red, white. blue. green. yellow and
gray paints. The figures are supposed
to represent the tribal ancestry. This
totem pole not only is the only one in
Kansas but is the only one between
Seattle and Chicago, according to Mr..
ConnelIey- One ot2,e r, he said is On
exhibition in New York
Big Collection OF Books.
A splendid collection of books, In
dian pottery. valuable shells. mineral
and archaeological specimens Were
presented to the Historical society by
the heirs Of the late John r. MuIvare
Of Topeka.
Over a rafter near the center of the
museum hangs the old. weather
stained, stiff leather saddle, astride
which John Brown rode during the
battle of Osawatomie back in 1856.
There is an old-fashioned sod pillow
resting on the floor near the west
wall which was used TO break sod
used in the erection OF sod houses at
Dodge City in 1874. Further historic
significance attached to this-plOw Is
the fact that the sod it cut was used
by white cettlers to hide behind dur
ing the famous battle of Adobe Walls
against hostile Indians. The pillow was
recently presentei to the museum by
Tom Stault OF Dodge City.
The only cotton gin ever operated
N Kansas was shipped out to the Sun
flower prairie from Massachusetts IN
1857 and used during the Civil war
by J. NJ. Piazze5 at Valley Falls.
The little old straight-bac ked. cor
durOy- chair that came to
this country aboard the MayflOwer
was the property of Mrs. Lucy Little
Harris Of Miltonvale. who died in
1904. It made the trip to Kansas in
d prairie schooner back in the days
when Westport Landing was the west
srn edge Of civilization and the prowl-
ing Indians formed hostile. inquisitive
circles about the new settlers camp
fires at night
There there are several bones that
once belonged to the body of Quantriil.
who raided Lawrence and committed
other depredations against the border
settlers On a wall hangs a long list
glass-covered and framed. of the
names of those who lost their lives
in the Lawrence raid.
The eve can absorb in a minute
what it would take hours to describe
on paper and ZIr. ConneHey's advice
to every citizen OF Kansas is come
and see The attendant IN charge OF
the museum is Miss Edith Smelser OF
EmpOria-
What are you doing, Freddy"
Nothing, mother"
We'll, do it more quielty!'-Judge