CHAPTER IV. 



HOW TO START A MUSEUM. 



A MUSEUM may be a source of constant pleasure, or 

 the cause of perpetual annoyance. All depends upon 

 the purpose with which it is started, and the manner in 

 which it is managed. Before giving advice as to the 

 best way of making a museum permanently enjoyable, 

 I will mention some of the most common causes of 

 failure. 



1. Many fail because they start their museum "just 

 for fun." It is true that a great deal of pleasure can 

 be got from a collection, but not when amusement is 

 made the main purpose. 



2. Others fail because they think that a museum is 

 the same thing as a curiosity shop, and seek only those 

 things that are quaint or rare. They want something 

 that will make their friends open wide their eyes, and 

 they like to have people ask, in surprise, " Why, where 

 in the world did you get that ? >: 



3. A third cause of failure is the attempt to collect 

 all sorts of things at once. You shall see, crowded 

 together on the same shelf, coins, stamps, Indian rel- 

 ics, birds' eggs, autographs, sharks' teeth, sand from 

 the Mississippi, wood from the home of Walter Scott, 

 sea-beans, and pieces of the funeral decorations in 

 memory of Lincoln or Garfield. In this way, the 

 mind, confused and wearied, soon loses its interest. 



4. An equally fatal error is the neglect to learn all 

 that can ba learned about each specimen. This usu- 

 ally follows the first and second sources of failure 

 already mentioned. It sometimes results from a sel- 

 fish spirit of gain, an inordinate love of possession. 



