Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-09-05
The Value and Uses Of Historical So
CietloS.


determined by its usefulness, and If
the latter is settled the question Of
value is settled.
Historical societies are valuable if
history is of value. If it is of any
service TO us to know what has been
done in the world, in our country, in
our state, in our county or town, then
history is valuable. Nobody disputes
the value OF history and its study.
These have been recognized in every
age and by every people laying any
claims 10 civilization and enligh' en-
ment.
ANY means which tends to the pre-
seryation of the material from which
history is written is Of value, and 1t is
more difficult to tell what is not valu-
able as historical material, than to tell
what is. There is, ! suppose, hardly
scrap Of written or printed paper on
earth to-day, which will not be. one
hundred years from now, of historical
value. The proceedings of this meet
ing, fifty years from now, will be read
with more absorbing interest than will
mark their parusal in the daily papers
tomorrow.
ANY means, then, which can be used
TO preserve the record Of what we do
and say here, and of what men are do
ing and saying of public character,
all over this slate il of value.
II has been found that historical ma
tcrial can be best preserved through
the agency of a government. The great
storeheuses of historical information,
the world over, are government ar
chives. He would write a history of
the United States, goes to Washing
ton, 10 Paris, to London, and searches
in the government Offices. This is be-
cause the government endures. while
individuals pass away. You or l may
devote lifetime to collecting books
and papers and autographs and wri-
iings of all sorts, pertaining to some
historical event or period, and when
we die, the papers are scattered, sold,
lost. or used as rubbish and there is an
end of the labor Of weary days and
toilsomc nights, but let that collection
be gathered by authority of the Uni
ted States. or any state of the Union.
and, barring the chances of fire and
war, or some unusual calamity, il will
last as long as the Union. or the state
government. the flag or the broad
seal.
Under our system the government
is carried on by a union of corporate
aud individual power. The state
governs and provides within certain
rather narrow limits, and what is left
must be done by the individual. SO
in ouf state government there Is no
officer, under the constitution charged
with the collection OF historical mater
ial for the use OF the people. Conse-
quently some agency mu lie rm-
ployed. This, with rs, is supple in
the Kansas State Historical society.
which furnishes the men TO do The
work and much material aid, while
the state provides IL place for the col
lection, and through the legislature.
The means of keeping it open and
growing.
Experience, settles all questions in
this world, and experience has settled
that for MS, the best me hod Of pre-
serving history, is that which has al
ready been such a magnificent success
in the state OF Kansas. Common
sense. then, would indicate that that
system should be maintained. The
State distorted society should be ke,t
up, it membership should be increased,
lis annual meetings made more iInpos-
ing and interesting, and the state ley
stature should appropriate regularly
ANA without crudging or grumbiug
the small sum necessary tor the pre>cr-
Walton and enlargement of the price
less collections OF The society
| presume most of YOU here present.
have seen this collection. Some ofyou.
know have passed hours i'm these
quiet rooms engaged in search through
books and papers for information t"
be found nowhere else, but no occa-
sional visitor can form an idea of the
interest felt by thousands of kansa,
people in that collection. In the
course of my business it is my custom
to visit the Historical rooms every
week, and sometimes for days togeth-
err, and | have never entered them
when did not find them occupied by
visitors representing in the course OF
the year, every portion of Kansas and
even OF the United States. Strangers
looking through the State House, 90
there first and stay there longest, and
these visitors are not all attracted by
curiosity. Every day someb ody is at
work there, copying notes, seeking and
finding.
Let me speak briefly of what it is
that makes these rooms attractive and
their contents incstimablc.
FIRST, the relies. Here are a hundred
things pertaining TO old days of strife
and struggle; articles which bring back
Old John Brown and his associates:
the skirmshes and fights between
Kansas freemen and their foes. See
ing them is like tearing down the veil
of years that separates us from the
past.
Second, the portraits and busts.
These include ;hc likenesses Of our
governors and public men: of early
friends and benefactOrs of Kansas: and
with them may be taken the hundreds
of photographs of men known in our
history; members of our legislature
for many years. aud the officers OF
state. In this line the Historical So
cieiy is richer than any individual
But for it., many of these pictures new
cr would have been taken: these busts
carved. Certainly they never would
have been collected where they have
already been seen by thousands of
interested people, and are yet, if The
legislature does its duty, to be seen by
generations yet unborn.
Third, the manuscripts. Here are
letters, orders, papers, public and pri !
waite autographs yet TO be worth |
great sums) which exist nowhere else |
aud which form material for the future
historian.
Fourth, books, These are carefully |
selected, relate TO Kansas history and |
matters bearing upon it, which taken
in connection with the collec- /
ton in the State Libra |
nv. give nearly all that has been print |
ed respecting Kansas. With these may
be included the famous scrap books Of !
DIR. Webb. purchased by the Society, |
which in themselves would furnish /
material for MANY volumes.
Fifth. The Kansas newspaper filc-. |
The actual value of these cannot be |
preserved elsewhere. Not one news
paper Office in hundred has vault