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^[[Report on the [[??]] By J. Elphreth Watkins, Curator]] During the last fiscal year the collections in the Section of Transportation and Engineering have been materially strengthened. This is especially true in the branch of mechanical engineering, where it is hoped eventually to secure a series of objects to illustrate the birth and development of the mechanic art, with special reference to the evolution of the epoch making inventions. The United States Patent Office, where thousands of models, drawings and descriptions of machines are preserved, is the great repository from which the history of development of inventive thought may be studied, but the student of [[strikethrough]]eurematics[[/strikethrough]] ^[[the history of invention]] interested in ascertaining the influence that inventive action has had upon the occupation, habits and customs of the human race, [[space]] is desirous [[strikethrough]]also[[/strikethrough]] to examine ^[[also]] the products resulting from ^[[this]] inventive ^[[development]] ^[[and especially those]] that have been put in practical service to the benefit of
Transcription Notes:
[[??]] in the first line most likely symbol for 'etc'.