San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-08
Visitors May See Speci-
mems Each Afternoon
From 1880 to 4:30;
People From City Add
Interesting Relics to COL
lection.

The first thing that strikes a visitor
TO the wonderful Atwater collection of
natural history specimens. which had
its formal opening Monday afternoon
at 80 in the Main Avenue High
School. is the lack Of room to house
the collection and the limited space in
which il must be shown. This neccs-
states that many Of the very interest
ing and remarkable specimens Of the
collection remain unpacked. or at least
unmounted, and many of the finest
animals and birds are crowded togPth-
err in th ceases like handkerchefs in a
box.
Miss Ellen Schulz. hea. of the de-
partment of natural scicace in the
public schools Of the city. VINO is large
ly responsible for the purchase Of the
collection by the citizens of San An
tonic. admits ,the, extreme crowding.
but is so delighted 10 have any dc ate
home for the collection that she has ar
ranged il to much advanta' and has
many plans to overcome that condition.
by constant changes in the exhibits.
and sending loan ELECTIONS 10 the diff
ferent high schools of tho city.
Add 10 Collection.
Considering that we have only been
six months on the whole thing. ] think
we have done wonders" Miss Schulz
says. I'VE have about $1,000 worth of
eases in the first room and this Won
derful series Of eight cas- t,:Tt reach
10 the ceiling that We are going to have
our mounted birds in as soon as We
can get them placed: the beginning of
an excellent reference library and Il
constantly increasing grOup Of individ-
ual specimens to add 10 the Atwater
Collection. People from all ov.r town
are giving US things from tim" to time
and we know that others will follow
suit as soon as they realize the wonder
ful nucleus we have for a firSt-class
museum OF national history.
Take out new library. We only
started it few days ago. when we
were offered this fairly complete file
of agricultural year books that had
been collected by Gus Shattenberg OF
Boerne. and we have already been Civ
en- this whole row Of reports from the
Smithsonian Institute.
This stone t0mahawk is the first
outside gift that was added TO the
museum collection. II was from Yer
non Cain. high school pupil. who
found it Just south of town. Notice
how very light in weight the stone is.
and how highly polished. This rude
stone axe is also recent gift that was
made by Albert ]. Kern who found it
near Somerset. Both of these weapons
are prehistoric and are complete now
as they were then: y
Some Prehistoric Teeth.
This beautiful speciI. OF aznrite
and malachite cOmmingled. was given
MS by L. W. Neeley who found it near
Tampico. Mex. This chrystallized salt
specimen which is very, rare was
formed around tiny stick by the salt
water which came into the oil wells
near Tampico and ruined them.
"Nesrly every one who comes 10 sec
the collection speaks of some specimen
he has that he would like to add to it
and we are delighted to receive dona-
lions at any time. We are keeping
these cases here in the hope that we
can start collection of interesting
| things from Mexico. There are so
many things of that sort in San An
tonic that are too fine to be in pri-
waite collection
Among the most Interesting addi-
lions TO the collection are several re-
markable teeth Of prehistoric animals
which were found in the gravel pits
south of town by b. +. Mackensen,
whose teaching and work is responsible
for so much of the interest in natural
history shown by San Antonio people.
These teeth are most remarkable. and
4 1f l,a
vast size Of tabled prehistoric animals
than hours Of lectures could do. One
| fossilized fragment of a tooth Is about
2S inches long and at least 10 inches
1 through and is hollow part of the
| way. At the first glance it looks for
| moro like a very large gas imitation
log than anything else. but on examin-
alton il is shown TO be of badly worn
ivory. Three teeth of prehistoric ele-
pbants of monster size which are in
this same case were the gift Of Tom
Newton. several years ago. One OF
them is fully nine inches long and five
wide. and has a double series of eight
prongs. A fragment OF the jaw bone
of one OF these animals is shown that
is larger than human hi joint and
must weigh at least ten pounds.
Open From 1880 TO 1870.
Knowing that the one room used for
The display of the collection is entirely
inadeQuate TO its needs. Miss Schulz
plans travelling displays for different
parts Of the collection. TO go to differ
emit schools of the city and be shown
in each one for period of two weeks
or more. for sort of every day edu-
cation in natural history that should
be part of the regular school work
Cases will be built on an average size
of u by "a inches square and 2 TO II
inches deep. in which birds and ami.
mails will be mounted against a natural
background and engaged in one OF
more Of their Characteristic pursuits
The general plan OF the Museum. OF
Natural History in New York in max
ing displays of this type will be fol