Show 5C Tii A MUNIFICENT GIFT The Mining Museum to be Donated to the Deseret University I Uni-versity I The Establishment of a Department Depart-ment of Mining Proposed I In the hubbub and turmoil consequent upon the administration of the laws in Utah many matters of material interest to the Territory seem to have been forgotten for-gotten Among these is the Salt Lake I Mining Institute This institution was organized by the loading mining men of the Territory in October 1883 for the purpose of collecting and keeping on exhibition ex-hibition a complete exhibit of the mineral resources of Utah and compiling useful data and information in connection therewith Rooms were secured in Commercial block at the corner of West Temple and Second South streets and the institution was placed in the hands of Prof J E Clayton president of the association As a result of Prof Claytons untiring efforts the Institute now has the finest collection of minerals and geological specimens to be found in the whole Rocky Mountain region outside of Denver It is now proposed by Prof Clayton and I the project is endorsed by various members mem-bers of the Institute who have been approached on the subject to donate the entire collection to the University of Deseret with the understanding that a department of mining and economic geology be added to that institution My idea is aid Professor Clayton this morning that while the University may not now be just what we might desire de-sire it yet it will some day be in fact what it now is in name the University the Territory The members of the Institute In-stitute seem to have lost all interest it and the Institute is behind some 80 in its finances I have attended to the exhibit ex-hibit without compensation but will be called away from the city during the greater part of the summer It would be a shame to keep the collection locked up or allow it to be scattered or sent out of the Territory Tt would be an invaluable aid to classes in mining and geometry and could not be replaced for 5000 I have decided to donate my own private collection to the University no matter what the Institute decides to do with the balance THE COLLECTION Prof Clayton then showed the reporter through the museum and the collection I is one well worth the time of any one to examine It is contained in seventeen large cases in addition to many large boulders of ores It includes everything of interest to the geologist or miner from huge slabs of Silver Reef sandstone sand-stone to the beautifully polished and manyhued Brazilian pebbles from a black mineral wax candle to coarse nuggets nug-gets of yellow gold Not only is every mineral resource of Utah represented but curious and valuable specimens from almost every quarter of the globe are exhibited ex-hibited Colorado Nevada Idaho and Montana are represented by one case of ores each and the remaining eleven cases are devoted to Utah and foreign exhibits Prof Claytons private collection col-lection is one of the works of a life time and contains some of the most interesting and valuable samples It would require a weeks time to examine each of the several thousand samples The museum was visited last summer by hundreds of tourist tour-ist s and strangers and it presents as complete com-plete an advertisement of the mineral wealth of Utah as could be conceived There is little question but this valuable valu-able collection will be donated to the Des eret University It is to be hoped the regents of that institution will appreciate the munificent gift by establishing a department de-partment of mining and giving especial instruction in this important branch of science The importance of establishing the office of-fice of Territorial geologist should be impressed im-pressed upon the members of the next Territorial Assembly Utah Legislatures I heretofore have done but little towards encouraging or advancing the development develop-ment of Utahs vast mineral resources |