, 1891-11-13
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Why There Should be an Interest
Taken In IL, in the State.


Tacoma News: The history of this
state presents some of the most interesting
incidents Of any state in the union. Yeti
the field is practically unworked land there
is room for a very large amount of inter
esting study. In these early stages of his
torical study the "reminiscences of partici-
pants are of the greatest value. This stage
o. the work is purely matter Of collection
and too much material cannot be gath
ered Matters apparently trivial and Of
the light OF further Investigation, prove to
be of the greatest Importance. These
chronicles, for they really amount to little
more, can be collected at the present time,
but each year it becomes more difficult to
get them. Those who took part in the
stirring events Of the early history are get
ting old, and in a few years they will pass
away. And with them will pass away the
possibility of getting these facts at first
hand, many of the details of which have
never been published. Any person who
ever attempted the collection Of such his
torical facts at first hand will recognize the
greatest difficulty that will be beencountered,
Those who took part in these events passed
through an active youth, succeeded by q
long period of comparative quiet. It is
natural that their minds should dwell up
on theseaactiye, youthful years, and that
they should repeatedly tell Of the stirring
adventures in which they took part
Through frequent repetition and through
constant thought on the subject, the mag
nation unconsciously colors and distorts
the facts until it is difficult to determine
| what the actual facts were. By the COM
parison various statements, and by the
| elimination OF the personal equation, the
true history may be written. Another
source of historical information of later
| date is in the columns of the pioneer press.
| Such information is necessarily incomplete
and fragmentary, but it conteins mass of
hints and suggestions of great value. The
collection of this Information should not
be postponed, and the State Historical So
ciety, recently organized, proposes to do
this work. In order that it shall be done
properly it is necessary that the society
should not be hampered by lack of funds,
and funds come only from a large member
ship.
The membership Of such an organization
is not composed exclusively of those who
have the opportunity or desire to perform
the work Of compilation, but Of all those
who recognize the importance of the work.
That is to say, every man of intelligence
and education should assist the work
by becoming a member and assisting
4 financially those who are willing and able
| to petorm the more onerous laborS. In
nearly every state iii the Union
such societies have been organized and
| performed work Of the greatest value
| In his Winning of the West, Z the first
truly philosophical history Of the country
i west Of the Allegheny mountains, Theo-
dore Roosevelt acknowledges the great as.
lsistance he has received from the publica.
tions of the historical societies of the
states covered by the volumes already is
sued. His work will do much to correct
and modify the earlier views on the his
tO1 nj RnT 1tFTy J0lN