The casts once received, they must be put together, sometimes repaired
and finally set up. Pedestals must be built for the statues, wall-spaces
prepared for the reliefs. Therefore, a small force of skilled
plaster-workers and carpenters is necessary. In Norwich most of the
plaster-work was done by two men, a third being added occasionally, and
the aggregate of this item in the expenses was $1,626.75. With regard to
the carpentry, more work of this kind than would usually be necessary
was required by the fact that a number of changes had to be made in
order to adapt the hall to its use as a museum of art, its destination
not having been determined when the building itself was completed.
Consequently, some of the $4,690 paid for material and labor in this
department would form a part of the building expenses in a structure
designed especially for the purpose.

These were the principal expenses in the preparation of the Slater
Museum. On photographs about $800 have been spent thus far, the
electrotype coins cost something less than $750, and the balance of the
total quoted was made up by such incidentals as the draperies and
upholstering, photograph frames, the designer's commission and petty
expenses.

Turning now for a moment to the other side of the balance-sheet, we
shall try to answer the question, "Does it pay" to undertake a work of
this kind, except in our large and central cities? If to the founder or
founders of such an institution it be sufficient recompense for their
liberality to see their gift used, appreciated and enjoyed by people of
all classes, the brief experience of the Slater Memorial Museum answers
the question with a strong affirmative. The Museum was dedicated on
November 22 of last year. Since then it has been open regularly ten