The Holly chieftain., 1923-01-04

ords of the races which were living in the western
world when Columbus reached these shores. The
great problems to which it is dedicated include the
unwilling of the mystery of the origin Of the So
called Red men themselves. 1t is within the range
of possibility, In the opinion of George G.. Heye,
the founder and the director of the museum. that
this goal may be reached.
The investigation which the institution Is car
rying is based not mere theorlzing, but on a
patient analysis of all the facts and factors. For
this reason students and scholars and enthusiasts
everywhere invited to study the many thou
sands of objects, for only by careful comparisons
| and the tracing of condolences can any progress
be made The relatively small staff Of the museum
Is colatng Its stores of information In the inter-
ests Of all those Of inquiring minds. The public
Is welcomed to view the collections as means
Of recreation and education, while at the same
time the quest for the secret of origins proceeds
The building of the Museum Of the American In
dian is situated in Broadway at One Hundred
ind Fifty-fifth street, in close proximity to the
museums of the Hspanic society and of the Amer
lean Numismatic society and the quarters Of the
American Geographic society. The rearing of the
whole important group was due primarily to the
zeal of Archer NJ. Huntington who gave the site
for the Museum Of the American Indian and as
one Of its trustees gave literally to Its building
fund.-
In appearance, the structure Is like that of the
others of the group-a dignifed. and massive Ionic
is the style of architecture. The material Is In
dian limestone and the construction is absolutely
freproof The museum Is four stories high and
occupies site 65 by 125 feet. AS there is light
from three sides, and the windows are especially
large, the collections in ordinary weather can be
examined without the aid Of artificial illumination
The specimens are shown on three floors and
at the top of the building is commodious work
room given to the cleaning and preparation of the
collections for display. The office of the director
Is to the right on the first floor, are also the
scientific fTO fha aft
| administrative offices of various kinds
Although this museum is devoted to delvIng into
the past, 1t Is In every way conducted in accord
nnce with the principles of modern business effi-
cheney. The installations are In the latest types
of cases, and many of the old time theories of
museum arrangement have been abandoned 1t is
manifestly impossible to show any great. number
of the objects at once. for already the storage
vaults in the basement are filed, and many of the
bulky specimens which cannot be shown at pres
ent, housed In another building In ST. Nicholas
nvenue. which Is almost as large as the museum
Itself.
Some exponents Of visual education have sug
gested that all specimens should be SO placed that
they may be actually handled by the visitors This
Is manifesty impossible in dealing with specimens
which are all valuable evidences of the origins of
races, but in the Museum of the American Indian
here is novel system of installation, introduced
for the first time in the United States through
which the public can see what Is not In view and
that without asking for 1t.
Under many cases, there drawers which the
visitors may pull out and look through the glass
tops of these containers at objects which are ar.
ranged according to the general scheme followed
In the visible installations The students and the
research Investigators also have to the col.
lections in storage, all Of which have been syste-
matically cataogued by the director himself There
Is not bit of bone a potsherd In the whole In
stitution which cannot be instantly found for pur-
poses of comparison and research, so efficiently
has the museum been arranged, for the purpose Of
making Its treasures available for the use of the
seekers after truth.
If, for example, some one should come in with
fanciful theory that the Australian bushmen and
the American Indians had some relationships be.
cause both used boomerangs he would see that