-half for endowment, and the
other half for a magnificent permanent building, worthy of the
unrivaled scientific collections which it contains.

The nucleus of the material now on view was gathered by gift and
purchase from exhibitions at the World's Columbian Exposition.

From here they walked to the Wooded Island, an interesting feature of
which is the Cahokia Court House, reputed to be the oldest public
building in the whole Mississippi valley.

It was built, it is said, about the year 1716, at Cahokia, Illinois,
and has served in various public capacities. At different periods it
was employed for both civil and military purposes, and is recognized
as the oldest county seat building (Saint Clair County, Illinois) in
the original Northwest Territory.

The building is constructed of squared walnut logs, set on end in the
early French manner of stockade construction, the logs being held
together with wooden pins. Three flags, French, English and American,
float from the flagstaff of the Old Cahokia Court House, daily.

Within the building are a number of photographs of the original
documents which pertain to its interesting history.

The Japanese buildings, representing three periods of Japanese
history, remain in their original site at the north end of Wooded
Island, and near them is a tiny garden in formal Japanese style.

The United States Life Saving Station is near the lake shore and was
one of the interesting government exhibitions, and has ever since been
maintained as a regular life saving station.

La Rabida, at the south end of the park on the lake shore is an exact
reproduction of an ancient Spanish convent, where Columbus was at one
time sheltered and befriended, in the days before he was able to
secure aid from the Spanish court.

"And an interesting reminder of Columbus can be seen in those three
small caravels," said Mr. Ludlow. "Do you know their names? They are
reproductions of the small craft that brought Columbus and his
followers on their first voyage to the New World."

Dorothy, who had remembered reading an article on Columbus in a recent
magazine, exclaimed joyfully, "I know, the Nina, the Pinta and the
Santa Maria."

"Right," laughed Mr. Ludlow.

"Oh, I am hungry," said Alfy, suddenly, "I am most starved. What time
is it, I wonder? I feel as if it were way past dinner time."

Mr. Ludlow consulted his watch and said, "It is just six forty-five."

"I guess we had better start back