Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-31
MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

At the opening OF the year 1882, the So
ciety was just beginning to recover from
the effects of the fire of Marcn 1, 1881.
which inflicted on it considerable damage.
Many OF the books were considerably in
jured. These were rebound. and those
which had been lost were replaced by 9TH
ers, SO that much Of the loss occasiore6 b.
the ire was made good.
During the year 1882. the society stead
lily pursued its work. with good success.
The only drawback was the fact that the
rooms which it was compelled to occupy,
lin the basement of the market house),
We're totally unsuited for the purposes of a
library, being lamentable deficient
in comfort, arrangement and light. De-
spite these untoward circumstances It's
work steadily progressed. At the triennial
election IN January, most of the old board
of councillors were re elected, and on Or
ganizing, at the February meeting, the
former officers were again chosen. Gen.
Sibley, its honored president, would have
preferred to have been excused from
further service on account of his feeble
health, but his associates insisted that he
should remain at the head of the society.
The executive council SO chosen has held
regular meetings in the rooms of the So
ciety during the year. These meetings
were mostly for business, and no efforts
have been made to hold general meetings
for any literary purposes, mainly from the
want Of any pleasant Or convenient place
to meet. Nevertheless, several very inter
esting papers have been read-among
them memoir Of the late Alex. Faribault,
/ by Gen. Sibley,a paper on some events
| of the Indian war Of 1862, by Capt. Edwin
Bell.
The library ofthe society has increased
gratifyingly the past year. 1t now con-
tains 1921 bound, and 10000 unbound
volumes-total 2O,231. Over 1000 bound
volumes were added during 1882. most of
them very valuable and desirable for such
a collection. The library of the society is
! now the largest and most valuable in the
state.
The membership Of The society has con-
siderably increased during the year. AS
general thing,it has never been its policy
| to impOrtune persons to take member
ships. Recently, however. by a little eff
fort forty life members have been added
TO the roll, of gentlemen residing in ST.
| Paul, Minneapolis, and Saltwater. This
accession will be of much advantage to the
society, as the list embraces a number OF
| active and influential gentlemen.
! For several years prior to the burning
of the capitol, the society were Impressed
with the necessity of erecting fre-proof
building for the security of its valuable
collections. After the fire, the subject was
brought more forcibly to the society than
before. Gen. Sibley commenced an earn
est effort to raise the necessary means.
himself heading the list with $1,000, and
Commodore Kittson offering $4,000. The
past month, the amount raised was stated
at $4,000. Only $4,000 yet remain to
be pledged to attain the object. It is te
be regretted that Gen. Sibley's earnest eff
forts to secure the amount were not com.
pletely successful. as it is feared that moth
ing can be done this session, and a delay
of two years ensue. Meantime the society
will occupy quarters in the new capitol
whittier it will remove in month or two