July 24, iSqi. 



SCIENCE. 



45 



stated, however, when the second phase of museum-growth has 

 been attained, viz., the idea of instruction, the last term of the 

 series necessarily follows, and the museum takes on the last phase 

 of its development — it becomes a place for research. It is by no 

 means necessary that this last stage should exclude the functions 

 of education and enlightenment. It is better that they co-exist. 

 They aid each other. The instiucted visitor may become an in- 

 vestigator, and the greater the number of enlightened visitors 

 leaving its rooms, the greater the number of truth-seekers will be 

 who frequent its laboratories and libraries. 



As a museum takes on this highest function, however, it retires 

 more and more from public gaze. Its cases and its drawers may 

 be well filled with well-arranged and labelled specimens, and the 

 casual visitor may imagine he has sufficiently seen the museum 

 when he has passed through its public halls. But he has not seen 

 the working of the museum in its highest departments. In the 

 numerous laboratories are more specimens than those that are on 

 exhibition. These are for the eye only of the true seeker after 

 truth. The student-patron enters all the recesses, and has access 

 to all the specimens. He alone invokes the muse in the spirit of 

 the early Greek poet. Unobtrusively he solves his great problems. 

 Unselfishly he proclaims the new truths to the world. His service 

 is as sincere, and as necessary to the development of modern civi- 

 lization, and to the apprehension of the laws of nature, whether 

 they be the laws of gravitation or of brotherly kindness, as that 

 of any truth-seeker or man-lover. The laboratories and recesses 

 of these great museums, which are unseen by the public, are 

 crowded with such devout truth-seekers. 



We come now to consider in what manner this review can be 

 made to apply to the people of Minnesota, and especially to the 

 city of St. Paul. 



On another occasion (Bulletin Minn Acad. Sci., Vol. I., p. 389) 

 I have attempted to set forth the superior advantages and induce- 

 ments which Minnesota possesses for the cultivation of modern 

 science. They need not be repeated here. I will simply refer to 

 them. The lapse of eleven years since that time has served to 

 confirm my statements, and to emphasize the reasons enumerated 

 then for maintaining in the State a prosperous and active academy 

 of science. I am still convinced that there will arise, either in 

 St. Paul or in Minneapolis, an eflScient scientific organization; 

 and that its work, when duly established, will be of great benefit 

 to the State along the line which is above indicated. It makes 

 but little difference whether it be in St. Paul or in Minneapolis, 

 nor under what auspices, or whether in both cities by a union of 

 efi'ort ; its effect will be upon the whole State, and upon the 

 North-west, and it will be the quickening and guiding power for 

 the advancement of all practical and theoretical science, drawing 

 about itself the enterprising and educated artisans of all classes, 

 as well as the patient and studious investigators. 



Such an institution would be a museum in the highest sense. I 

 will try to sketch some of the prime essentials of such an institu- 

 tion, after the money is available for its establishment and sup- 

 port. It will not be necessary, were it possible, to state what 

 amount of money should be placed at the back of such an institu- 

 tion, but I will permit you to estimate that as I proceed, and also 

 to devise possible ways and means for raising it. To found any- 

 thing, money must be had. Presuming, however, that the means 

 for such a museum were at hand, I will simply outline a plan, 

 and the equipment which should characterize it. We will assume 

 that the institution will include within its scope only the natural 

 sciences, so-called, although all sciences are natural. 



The ideal museum should have, first, suitable permanent quar- 

 ters for its local habitation. These quarters should be adapted to 

 the uses to which they are to be put, and should be planned and 

 erected with constant refei-ence to economy of labor and time for 

 the workmen who are to occupy it. This is so obviously necessary 

 that it seems, at first, that it need not be stated Yet its neglect 

 is a common mistake. How often are the planning and construc- 

 tion of such a building put into the hands of some professional 

 architect, with instructions simply to erect a building of good 

 architectural proportions and fine appearance. In the main such 

 a building should contain rooms for laboratories, for storage, for 

 exhibition, classification, and, perhaps, for lectures. 



Second, the ideal museum should have materials, in the form 

 of multifarious collections, and the ways and means for increas- 

 ing them, and of exchanging them with other museums. While 

 some of these will be put on exhibition, at least those which have 

 been sufficiently examined and classified, the larger portion will 

 be kept in storage for the use of its collaborators. 



Third, such a museum will be well supplied with apparatus and 

 libraries, and the apparatus will consist of the best makes and of 

 the latest improvements. I wish to emphasize the libraries. 

 There is nothing that the scientific student so much needs and 

 wbich he is most frequently without, as a library of those works 

 which pertain to his science. He wishes to know what others 

 have discovered, or what they have failed to discover, what meth- 

 ods others have followed, and what paths are still untrod. It is 

 one of the difficulties of most scientific institutions, especially of 

 new ones, to procure means for the scientific literature pertaining 

 to the sciences which they are supposed to cultivate. 



Fourth, for the efficient working of such a museum, there must 

 be a corps of scientific collaborators, sufficiently paid to relieve 

 them from anxiety for their comfortable subsistence, and that of 

 their families. 



Fifth, means for publication, either by lectures or by printing. 

 It would be better that both these methods of publication be pur- 

 sued. The former disseminates information quickly and cheaply. 

 The latter is more formal, and more permanent, furnishing means 

 for recording facts and principles with carefulness and thorough- 

 ness, and with a view to future reference. 



Sixth, such a museum should have its administration unified 

 and harmonized by being under the responsible charge of one 

 man. There should be a plan for its work, outlined by the proper 

 authority, and that plan, with the rules which it should involve 

 for the government of all the collaborators, should be enforced 

 with persistence and fidelity. 



Are we ready for such a museum in the State of Minnesota, or 

 for such an institution under any other name? Are the citizens of 

 St. Paul ready to undertake such an enterprise ? Have we the 

 elements whicb enter into such an organization at our command, 

 or any part of them ? Have we the live nucleus round which such 

 an institution can be built up ? Have we the men who will de- 

 vote themselves to its establishment and support? 



I have seen something which Ex-Governor McGill has said re- 

 cently on this subject, and it is so apropos that I will repeat it 

 here: " There should be somewhere in Minnesota a great poly- 

 technic school which would impart instruction in mineralogy, 

 mechanics, and the various arts and sciences usually taught in 

 such institutions. This should be established on a large, compre- 

 hensive scale, making it a university in its scope. Such an insti- 

 tution would attract the attention of all the country, be a lasting 

 benefit to the city of its home, and meet a pressing public demand 

 for industrial and technical education. St. Paul is the place for 

 such a school, provided always she has the intelligent enterprise 

 to establish it." These are the words of one of our ex-governors, 

 whose means for knowing the needs and the facilities for higher 

 scientific education in the State may be supposed to be the best. 



There are numerous museums, and schools of technology, and 

 so-called mining schools in the United States, which in a measure 

 subserve the purposes which I have set forthfor an ideal museum. 

 The American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Mu- 

 seum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, the New York State 

 Museum at Albany, the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences at 

 Philadelphia, the School of Technology at Boston, supplemented 

 by the museums and libraries that are adjacent, these are based 

 essentially on the central idea of a true museum, such as we ought 

 to have in Minnesota. Similar plans underlie the scientific work 

 at several of the larger universities, but in these institutions the 

 fogs of mediaeval prejudice are apt to dwarf the growth of scien- 

 tific work, and- to overburden the few and struggling preceptors 

 with the elementary instruction which ought to be required of the 

 student before he enters the freshman class. 



If we take an inventory of the elements which we have toward 

 such an institution in St. Paul, we shall find the following: First 

 of all, the St. Paul Academy of Sciences, which is apparently 

 willing to serve the public \n the cause of scientific enlightenment. 



