34 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



passed by the Select and Common Councils of the City of 

 Philadelphia authorizing the Park Commission to make col- 

 lections for an Economic Museum. Later, arrangements 

 were made by Professor Wilson and one member of the 

 Park Commissioners with the ^layor, by which letters were 

 addressed to the foreign representatives at the Columbian 

 Exposition, stating the wish of the City of Philadelphia to 

 obtain the exhibits of natural products at the Fair for the 

 proposed Museum, where they might be preserved intact 

 and so remain as a lasting proof of the advancement of the 

 countries they represent. 



On October 19, 1893, Councils passed an ordinance 



making an appropriation of $10,000 to the Commissioners of 



Fairmount Park " to defray the expenses of procurement, 



transportation, packing, storing and display of raw and 



manufactured economic products now of the Columbian 



Exposition at Chicago." The sum of $3000 was advanced 



by three prominent citizens until such time as Councils 



should make the appropriation. This unexpected generosity 



saved the enterprise from what might have been a failure, 



since by that time other cities and institutions, realizing the 



benefit to their industries to be gained by such a museum, 



were making attempts to obtain the collections partially 



promised to Pennsylvania. The appropriation was finally 



made by Councils, and the money was judiciously expended, 



$20,000 provided for the project in 1894. Professor Wilson 



succeeded in securing displays of various materials from 



Mexico, from Costa Pdca, from Guatemala, from British 



Guiana, from Ecuador, from Colombia, from the Argentine 



Pvepublic, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Labrador, 



Sweden, Germany, Pvussia, Johore, Japan, Siam, New South 



