THE MUSEUM.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9644, 17 January 1899, Page 3

THE MUSEUM.

TO TIIE EDITOIt. Sir, — At last the additions to the Museum have beau completed. We have a comfortable lecture hall that will hold about 800 chairs, as well as 3SOO feet of extra glass cases, }n all vory niuoh more than doubling the Bize of the old Museum. These new glass cases will take a long time to fill at my very slow rate of work, so the idea has occurred to me that in the meantime the Museum trustees should borrow from the people of Wanganui such articles , of interest us would be suitable for the purposes of exhibition. As in the old part of the Museum we have illustrations of the different forms of life that have appeared on our carth — the works of Nature— so in the new part I propose, at present, to exhibit the works of man, and to class man's handicrafts according to his geographical distribution. My purpose will be better ' understood, perhaps, if I say, for instance, that I should take the South Sea Islands &i ono group, India, China and Japan as another, and gather together all the weapons, articles of dress or adornment, articles used in domestio life, in growing food, or used in the pursuit of gamo or fishing, musical instruments, games, etc , or anythiug relating to the manners and oustoms of the people mentioned. There are so many of these kind of things in Wanganui, some of whioh have been lent for exhibitions held in the years past, that if the people who possess these things will help me in the way indicated, I can have the new part of the Museum filled and thrown spun to the publio in a short time, and it will not be by an,y means the least interesting part of our exhibition. Of course as our own specimens are finished the loan collection is replaced with them. I wish to say that eaoh article lent to us in this way will be entered in our deposit book which is kept for this purpose, and that a receipt on our printed form will bo given for each artiole to the lender. Each article will havp a tiokot attached, so that there oan be no possible obance of mistake, and again each artiole shall be returned to the owners at any time they may desire. These matters being under my own control owners of exhibits may rely that these conditions will be carried out in good faith. Through the kindness of those interested in tho Museum, I have promises of many curious exhibits, and I shall be pleased to hoar of others if owners will be good enough to communicate with any of the trustees or myself. — I am, etc, S. H, Djidw, Hon Curator,

Mr G. "W. King has been authorised to collect all moneys due to tho late firm of T. J. Gibbs and Co , and his receipt will be a sufficient discharge.