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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  made 
  to 
  tell 
  its 
  fascinating 
  story 
  to 
  the 
  uninitiated. 
  To 
  consider 
  

   for 
  a 
  moment 
  the 
  demands 
  of 
  this 
  science 
  alone, 
  and 
  its 
  place 
  

   in 
  a 
  museum: 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  have 
  a 
  right 
  to 
  know 
  what 
  

   it 
  is 
  all 
  about 
  and 
  why 
  such 
  extraordinary 
  encouragement 
  has 
  been 
  

   given 
  to 
  its 
  prosecution; 
  how 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  

   has 
  acquired 
  its 
  repute 
  as 
  the 
  exponent 
  of 
  this 
  science, 
  and, 
  if 
  it 
  

   is 
  true 
  that 
  more 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  paleontology 
  of 
  this 
  State 
  

   than 
  of 
  any 
  equal 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  (as 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  by 
  a 
  dis- 
  

   tinguished 
  French 
  geologist), 
  where 
  is 
  the 
  proof 
  of 
  this 
  outside 
  

   of 
  published 
  documents. 
  There 
  are 
  no 
  mysteries 
  in 
  science 
  and 
  

   the 
  fruits 
  of 
  this 
  knowledge 
  are 
  the 
  property 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  who 
  

   have 
  paid 
  for 
  it. 
  There 
  is 
  thus 
  laid 
  upon 
  this 
  division 
  the 
  acqui- 
  

   sition 
  of 
  materials 
  in 
  this 
  field 
  of 
  science, 
  that 
  will 
  tell 
  the 
  story 
  

   of 
  the 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  seas 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  lands 
  of 
  ancient 
  New 
  York, 
  its 
  

   beginning, 
  its 
  development 
  and 
  its 
  outcome, 
  and 
  tell 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  way 
  

   so 
  lucid 
  and 
  intelligible 
  that 
  the 
  visitor 
  to 
  the 
  Museum 
  can 
  read 
  

   it 
  and 
  learn 
  it. 
  No 
  good 
  thing, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  can 
  make 
  clearer 
  

   the 
  wonderful 
  history 
  of 
  life 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  our 
  ancient 
  earth, 
  

   and 
  so 
  help 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  broader 
  lessons 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  from 
  which 
  

   we 
  have 
  derived 
  our 
  own 
  existence, 
  can 
  be 
  sacrificed 
  or 
  neglected, 
  

   for 
  so 
  simply 
  gross 
  a 
  reason 
  as 
  that 
  appropriations 
  for 
  this 
  work 
  

   are 
  inadequate. 
  A 
  scientific 
  specimen 
  in 
  a 
  labratory 
  and 
  such 
  a 
  

   specimen 
  in 
  a 
  museum 
  are 
  of 
  two 
  vastly 
  unlike 
  qualities. 
  The 
  

   one 
  tells 
  its 
  story 
  to 
  the 
  expert, 
  the 
  other 
  must 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  tell 
  

   its 
  simple 
  and 
  clear 
  story 
  to 
  the 
  larger 
  world. 
  

  

  What 
  has 
  thus 
  been 
  intimated 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  this 
  science 
  

   of 
  paleontology 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  with 
  equal 
  appropriateness 
  of 
  all 
  

   cognate 
  sciences. 
  Each 
  has 
  its 
  meaning 
  as 
  a 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  edu- 
  

   cation 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  to 
  this 
  factor 
  that 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  must 
  now 
  address 
  

   itself. 
  In 
  so 
  doing, 
  to 
  effect 
  the 
  real 
  educational 
  purpose 
  of 
  this 
  

   Museum, 
  to 
  bring 
  into 
  sympathetic 
  play 
  with 
  the 
  scientific 
  pur- 
  

   pose 
  of 
  the 
  organization 
  the 
  natural 
  interests 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  in 
  

   the 
  works 
  of 
  nature, 
  to 
  meet- 
  this 
  enlarged 
  opportunity 
  for 
  ser- 
  

   vice, 
  substantial 
  aid 
  must 
  be 
  afforded. 
  

  

  A 
  half 
  million 
  citizens 
  of 
  this 
  State 
  visit 
  the 
  seat 
  of 
  govern- 
  

   ment 
  every 
  year, 
  some 
  on 
  business 
  and 
  some 
  on 
  pleasure, 
  and 
  

   the 
  capital, 
  among 
  its 
  other 
  attractions, 
  is 
  now 
  to 
  present 
  to 
  

   them 
  a 
  public 
  museum 
  — 
  the 
  museum 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  themselves. 
  

   It 
  is 
  needless 
  to 
  speculate 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  percentage 
  of 
  visitors 
  will 
  

   direct 
  their 
  footsteps 
  to 
  this 
  place. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  