to require a great deal of time and patience and 
liability to be tinted with disappointment. It 
was to meet a demand for centralization of 
exchange that stimulated the writer to estab¬ 
lish a Naturalists' Supply Depot. In the year 
1867 , with a view to the enterprise, the depart¬ 
ment of taxidermy was taken up as a study. 
Night after night in the “ wee, small hours," 
familiarity with the scalpel and stuffers was 
courted, and oology flirted with. After seven 
years’ apprenticeship, in 1874 , special attention 
was given to the working materials required, 
plans promulgated, and the following year the 
Naturalists' Supply Depot was established, and 
and the business turned to Pawtucket, a rapid 
development followed and the following year it 
was deemed expedient for the writer to devote 
his entire time to it. At this time Aldrich & 
Capen, Boston taxidermists, offered the sale of 
their business, stock, trade and good will, 
which was accepted and the business continued 
in both cities under the name of Ellis & Webster. 
For over a year this continued, involving the 
daily travel of about 100 miles. At the close 
the Pawtucket business was turned once more 
to Boston, the writer buying out the inter¬ 
est of A. L. Ellis (since deceased), it soon 
became evident that more room was required? 
PRESE.I 
WEBSTER'S 
s' Supply Depot. 
> & Marine Curios 
■ FRANK BLAKE ■' 
museum&Uaturalists 
animals. Birbs. Eggs. Land 
ANIMALS.I 
ssl/O FFi c e 
As seen from the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., Providence Division, at the Hazelwood Station, Hyde Park, Mass. 
Hyde Park joins the City of Boston and is 7 miles from the Boston stations of the above-named railroad and the 
New York and New England Railroad. Over one hundred trains per day afford aceess between the two points. 
the first catalogue issued under the name of 
A. L. Ellis & Co., Pawtucket, R. I., the writer's 
business interest at the time not warranting 
the use of bis name. The business was pushed 
with energy, evenings alone being devoted to 
it. In 1883 , Wm. J. Knowlton, successor to 
Brew r ster & Knowlton, an old, well known 
Boston firm, wishing to devote his attention to 
precious stones, offered the sale of his stock 
and trade in all departments except the one 
above named. The trade was consummated 
and after much deliberation Hyde Park, seven 
miles out of Boston, was selected. A site was 
secured at the Hazelwood station (Hyde Park) 
on the Bostou & Providence Division, Old Col¬ 
ony Railroad, a twenty minutes’ ride from 
lioston, trains running at all hours. During 
the summer the first of a series of buildings 
that will follow, if the demand requires it, was 
erected. The museum building, an engraving 
of which is given, faces the railroad, and from 
the thousands of curious faces that peer from 
