Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-22
OF fHRRAST.
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF TEE WORK OF THE
WEST VIRGINIA
Historical and Antiquarian Socieiy-An Appr0prla'
ton Will b Asked Of the Legislature to
Assist in the WOrk-HOPs\to Get
the Worlds Fair Building,
sn.,,at oorrespond<nes Of ne REGISTER.

Special Correspondence Of ne REGISTER.
CHARLESTON, w. VA, December 20
The West Virginia Historical and An
tiouarian Society will ask the Legisla-
ture. at it's forthcoming session, Tor an
appropriation OF public funds to enable
IL to further prosecute its work OF COL
lecting valuable historical blocks, relies,
etc. The society received an appropri-
alton of s., 900 at the last session OF the
Legislature. and while 1t seemed 10 be
q very small amount for such an In
portant undertaking, it is believed that
the money has been judiciously expend-'
ed and the results are very gratifying
TO the Society.
The West Virginia Historical and An
tiouarian Society was Chartered teoru-
ary IL, 1890, and IL Immediately
went 10 work TO collect books,
papers, maps, charts, etc., bearing
upon the early history Of the State, ana
of the country in general. IL had no
funds, however, except the smali
amounts received in the way OF ices,
etc, and report made By the society
in June, 1891, showed that 10 had only
one hundred volumes on its shelves.
AS soon. however, as the two thousand
dollars appropriated by the Legislature
that wear became available, the work
of the society received new impetus,
and since June, 1891, or within the
space OF eighteen months, the society
has placed upon It's shelves 1923
volumes. The selection o, these books
has been made not only with reference
10 historical research and study, but
with the purpose or covering VIDE
field of subjects, including art ana
science. No catalogue OF the soclety's
library has been made, for the reason
that the Executive Board has not had
the means to pay for the printing OF
work so extensive as would be required
to properly list the books, maps, relics,
etc.
The library is rich in West Virginia
photography, more than fifteen volumes
of the collection having been written by
West Virginia authors, or by others on
subjects pertaining to the State. A
special effort has been made by the
society to collect and preserve the pub
lie documents of the State, and OF these
the society has the best collection In eX-
istence. They represent all the depart
ments OF the State government, extend
ing back to the foundation OF the State.
The society has in its archives valu-
able collection knownlas Pamphlet HIS
tory" There are 525 OF these publica-
lions treating exclusively OF West Viz
ginia, and SIS pertaining IN mlscellan-
eous subjects, making total OF l, 100
pamphlets.
The society has made q specially OF
collecting old newspapers as they give
the best expose OF ancient history aud
it has succeeded in collecting specimen
copies covering many of the years ex-
tending from l77l 10 the present time.
In the department Of maps and charts
the collection is most interesting. 1t
includes more than one thousand maps,
charts and drawings, illustrating the
SvUH 9Puy, vvP~z- - v---i-s.v-- -
the world at large, and especially OF the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Central
America aud West Indies. There are
some very curious specimens OF the map
makers art. Among them are fac
SMILES of John Smiths map OF the
Chesapeake Bay, made by him in ZOOS,
and printed at Oxford, England, In 1912;
Mitchel's map OF the British and
French Possessions In North Amer
lea, drawn in 1850; Eden Bowen's
map of North America, showing the
British and Spanish possessions, togeth-
err with the West India Islands, drawn
in 1851; a MAP Of the Most Inhabited
Part Of Virginia" drawn by John Fry
and Peter Jefferson, in l775, and map
OF Virginia, designed to accompany JEFF
fersons Notes on Virginia." drawn by
Samuel Lewis, in 1774
The Society has more than thousand
curlOs, specimens ard relics, among
which are autograph letters OF George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James
Monroe, Thomas Name Randolph and
Henry Clay; a report Of a survey made
by Daniel Boone, near the mouth OF the
Great Kanawha, in June. 1891, in his
own handwriting and bearing his
signature. There is also pow
der flask carried by Fleming Cobb
In the battle of Point Pleasant In VA;
a powder-horn carried by Capt. John
Wilson, commanding the Kanawha
Rifemen In the war OF 1912; snuf-sox
once the property OF Harmon Benner-
hassett, and other curios.
The society has IN it's possession near
" three thousand WAR Papers," all
pertaining 10 the military affairs and
organizations OF West Virginia.
There is now In the possession OF the
Society eighteen bookcases, having an
aggregate of 730 feet Of shelving. There
are also eleven Showcases flied with
curios, relics, ETC., and having an ag-
gregate OF 600 square feet OF glass.
The society mas been using the Speak
er's room at the Capitol In which to
shelve its books and the chamber OF the
House Of Delegates In which 10 display
its specimens, which will have 20 be re-
moved for the meeting of the Legisla-
ture. An effort will be made 20 secure
the West Virginia building al the Co
lumbar Exposition when the Worlds
Fair is over and have IL returned here,
re-erected and given to the Historical
and Antiquarian Society for its use, aad
with a liberal appropriation by the Leg
islature the society hopes 10 secure
splendid historical collection and place
il In building Of which all West Vir-
ginianswiil be proud. There Is now 10
salaried Office connected with the soci-
ETY., most Of the work having been done
bY the officers without pay.
a