Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-02-18
State Historical Society Of Wisconsin.


ANNUAL MEETING-Jan. 3, 1865.
After brief session of the old Executive
Committee, approving and adopting the an
nuaI reports, the annual meeting was called
to order, fifteen members presentation. Il.
s. Orion in the Chair.
Messrs Ross, Fuller, Benedict, Russell and
Tullis were appointed committee to nomi-
nate suitable officers for the ensuing year.
During the absence of the committee, the
Treasurer's report was read and referred to
an auditing committee, consisting of Messrs
Powers, Tibbits and Dean, who reported it
correct, when it was adopted. The annual
report Of the Executive Committee was read
and adopted. viz
ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPoRT-1S64.
The unsettled condition of our country, re-
sulting from the most formidable rebellion
that probably ever existed, continues to act
unfavorably upon the prosperity of our Soci-
ety. The wear 1868 exhibited the smallest
addition to the library of any preceding year
since the efficient reorganization OF the So
ciety. The wear 1854 shows considerable
Improvement over its predecessor, in conse-
ouence of larger expenditure and purchase,
and not from increased donations, for, in fact,
they have slightly decreased. On the whole,
the past years labors and gatherings have
been productive of rich and varied additions
to the library and cabinet.
The Treasurer's Report exhibits the receipts
of the Society, including the balance on
hand at the commencement OF the year,
81. PAL .6l-the disbursements, $l,226.64,
leaving an unexpended balance OF Sl4.9T.-
Among the receipts of the year, it is. pleasant
to notice donation of $50 from the venerable
James Boorman, of the State of New York,
an Honorary Member of the Society, and a
gentleman of proverbial benevolence. VI
this expenditure, 5000. 10 has been for books
and binding, and $6l7.54 for rent and other
expenses.
During the eleven years the Society has
received State aid, our total disbursements
from the general fund has been $ll ,207.l7 ;
of which S5,996.S9 has been for books and
binding, and S5,21O.17 for rents, fuel, post
age, cataloguing and other incidental expen-
ses-thus exhibiting an average annual book
expenditure of $545.l7, and $473.66 for 9TH
er purposes.
During the past year, the Library additions
have been $40 volumes, and 226 pamphlets
and unbound demonstrating, of both
together, 746; of which 242 were secured by
purchase, and 504 by donation and exchange.
OF this increase, "a are quartos, l6l folios,
the rest being chiefly octavos. The library
now numbers S29 quartos, and 95l folios,
which may be regarded as large proportion
of such works for collection OF its size.
Among the past years additions are l6S
bound volumes of newspapers-ten of them
of the last century making the total number
of bound files in the newspaper department
I,OS6-of which 1872 were published in the
last century, and one volume in the century
preceding. A majority of the bound files ad
A. .~ast x,aar anvar tho pari0d 0f OuI
civil war, and.embrace three leading dailies o.
New York city, ione of Cincinnati, and four o.
our own State--the remainder are weekhes
The ten volumes of the last century range
from 1855 to 1883. At recent sale of the
literary effects OF the late Rev. John ID
Shame singularly industrious collector o.
matters pertaining to Western history,37 val
liable volumes of newspapers were secured
among them are files OF papers published II
Cape Town, Africa, Sandwich Islands, Mel
bourne in Australia, Liberia, China, Smyrna
Constantinople, New Zealand, Kansas, Ne
braska, Oregon, California, Washington and
Utah Territories; and the Cherokee Phoenil
remarkable in the history of newspaper lit
erature-established thirty-fve years ago
and printed chiefly in Cherokee, through
| part of the English alphabet was used BY
| George Guess, or Sequoyah, a half breed
Cherokee, the inventor of syllable alphabet
of his native language, though he was himsel
unable to read, and had no knowledge of an
| language save his own. These curious files
representing the newspaper literature of 81
many distant and diversified countries, will
be examined with singular interest by al
classes of visitors.
Our newspaper files are becoming more
and more complete and consecutive, and con
sequently more valuableiand useful for all the
purposes of history, statistics and genera
reference. There are but few collections o.
the kind in the country that exceed it-cer
tainly none west of the New England Sirtes
New York and Pennsylvania. Its invaluable
and richly repays the labor and expenditure
necessary to its collection; and the Society
should continue to make its newspaper de
partment special object of attention anC
augmentation.
The present condition of the Library, with
its successive annual increase, for the past
eleven years, since the reorganization of the
Society in January, 1854, may be seen in the
following table: