Year: 1869

EVERY boy and girl should commence
very early In life to collect n museum.
We do not mean something as grand as
that in London, which is called the British
Museum, or anything as extensive as the
private collection in New York known as
Barnum's Museum. We only mean that
they shall take some particular thing, if
they cannot take more than one, and col
lcct and arrange as many articles as they
can procure that pertains TO 1t or are en-,
hraccd in the class, Once began, II is
wonderful to see what II fine collection
may be made in few Years. IL there are
several children in the same family Il may
he pleasant to divide up and let each take
distinct department.. There would be u
generous rivalry, and, at the same time, no
interference in each others plans. .-.


There are very many good things that
come from making these collections 1t
always tends to develop habits of care and
order But besides this it interests one in
the subject he is working at, and in the
end causes him to become interested in
other things besides For instance, lit
tie boy of ours commenced to collect old
postage stamps, and in " little while he
wanted to know all about the postal svs.
tenn, when it went into operation, who in.
vented II, how it is managed, and how it





stamps; and with that he began
to locate on the map the countries
whose postage stamps he had put
in his strong box. The diileren, de.
vices on the stamps were objects of inter
est and their Significance were studied into.
1t the head of the sovereign was repre-
sentcd, he wanted to know something
about him, whether he was q good king or
bad one, what language he spoke and
what sort of country he ruled over.
A collection of fractional currency can
be made by any one, and in few years
will be both curious and valuable. Coins
be they of gold, silver or copper, from the
mint of this or foreign countries, are well
worth collecting. In getting together
these old specimens of currency many in.
tercsting facts will be learned. The hoy
or girl that acquires fondness for thissor
of money getting will have his curiosity
so excited by the strange coins he collects
that he will become good historian with
out knowing how he accomplished it
There are so many foreigners constantly
coming to the country and bringing with
them the various coins oftheir respective
countries, that they may easily be obtained
from them in exchange forFour money
Station agents ON railroads, and merchants
will exchange them with, boys or girls
| when they see that they are in earnes
about making collections. In fact, visitors
and others, when they see that a boy il
trying to do something in this way, vii
help him along often times by rare coins
out of their own pockets. a.ratra...


Old coins are always valuable Tho
cents that were coined in Washingtons ad
ministmtion are now in so great demand
that as high ms $400 has been paid for one
| of them. Plenty as some of our coins
seem to be, in q few years those in use
now will become very scarce, We saw II
recently stated that outside Of those in the
mint there were but two full collections OF
the coins of the United States in this ooun
try. Now, it is not every boy that read,
this article, who has the means tC
buy every kind of coin he secs, but nearly
every one of them can save the first new
cent or half dime-and there is a different
issue every year-and before he is very
old he win have collection that is OF
great value as curiosities, and when he is
compelled to sell them will bring high
price. Better put by some of their spare
change for keeps" than spend it for many
of the foolish things that boys spend theil
money for. ''' ''n 90 Cory


We have spoken of these things, not be
cause they are the best things TO collect
but to show what can be done by taking
IA little pains. More pleasure and more
profit would be derived by many from
making collections OF minerals plants oil
objects embraced in other departments OF
natural history. A girl who would care,
fully put by in band,boxes bearing their
opposite dates, the bonnets that are
brought out each season, and are thrown
away the next, would have a collection in
few years that, would be never falling
source of amusement, and something that
would prove of great value to any one
who wished to complete history Of the
| fashions. Prairie Farmer.