The herald., 1893-11-05
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,"
"A Review of Its Past and "a
View of It's Present, :
Together With Statement of What
Its Future Should Be.
An Organization whose Work IL Bene-
hoiai in All Ways-What Its Fes-
lures Are-Its Work for
Decade Past.

& The following ia paper on The His
torlcsl Society OF Southern California,
s Its Pact, Present and Future, which was
read before the society at the celebra-
tion OF the tenth anniversary OF its or
ganisation by J. M. Quinn, the secre-
tary of the organization.
"The first record of the minutes of
Hthe Historical society OF Southern Cali
fornia is as follows: In accordance
with notices published in the daily
newspapers OF Los Angeles city request
+ ing those interested in forming an His
/ torical society for Southern California
to meet at the city court room Gin the
old Temple block)
"At 7 80 p. M, November l, 1888, the
following named gentlemen assembled !:
Col. ]. +. Warner, III. d. Bsrrows, GEN.
John Manifold, Maj. @. H. Wilson, ex-
Governor John g. Downey, j. M. Quinn,
George Hansen, Ira More, J. B. Niles.
A. Kohler, A. +. Coronel, A. j. Brad
Z field, N lowering, Edward w. Jone 8
and Marcus Baker, 15 in all. Colonel
Warner WAS elected president, and Maj.
@. N. Wilson, secretary.
The organization was discussed and q
variety OF opinions expressed. Some
favored the formation OF society purely
historical, others an historical and
scientific combined. A committee OF
five was appointed to draft a constitu-
ton and code of bylaws.
Don Antonio F, Coronel made an ad-
dress in Spanish, which was interpreted
by the president, Colonel Warner. Mr..
Coronel stated that he intended during
the coming year to make pilgrimages to
the various missions to consult the rec
ords that remain with view OF Hecur-
ing material for Life OF Father Juni-
pero Sierra that he intends writing. He
was invited to read paper before the
society on the Life and Labors of Father
Junipero Sierra, the founder of the mis-
sion system in Alta California. The
paper was read at subsequent meeting
and was the first paper read before the
society.
When the committee reported con-
stitution the name selected WAS the
Historical eand Scientific society OF
Southern California. General Mans
field moved to strike out the words
land scientific" The amendment was
lost. AT the next meeting the general
succeeded in having the scientific part
eliminated from the name of the society.
Weekly Meetings were held throughout
the month OF November. On the 9th of
December the organization was COM
peted and full set of officers elected.
The membership had increased to 26.
The following named were chosen to
manage the affairs of the society for
the first year: President, ]. j. Warner I;
first vice president, A. f. Coronel; sec
ond vice-president, John Mansfield !;
third vice-president, John g. Downey !;
fourth vice-president, H. ID. Barrows ;
treasurer, J. M. Quinn; secretary, @. N.
Wilson. In addition to these officers
there Was general committee of 10
members, which, with the president,
vice-presidents, treasurer and secretary,
was to make rules for the government oi
the society and to transact all its busi-
ness.
The members who were 80 unfortunate
as not to hold Office were supposed to be
content to listen to the wisdom of their
rulers and keep silent.
The constitution and rules we re copied
from those OF a scientific ociety of
Washington, d. O., of which Prof. Marcus
Baker was member. The machinery
was too ponderous for our small society
and too aristocratic for our liberal west
wears we found the friction between the
general committee and the society
proper was wearing the life out of the
organization. We remodeled our consti-
tuition, bylaws and rules, dropped the
aristocratic committee of 10, eliminated
two of our vice-presidents and thereafter
mover freer and happier.
The society grew rapidly at fret. 1t
was something new; was popular, and
was we'll written up in the papers. At
the end OF the first year we had 80 active
members. When it came to paying
annual dues financial questions had
more interest for some than historical.
Their interest in history waned. A
faithful few have stood by the society
through good az evil report. Of the
original 10 only seven are now in active
membership; some are dead, some re-
moved from the state and others dropped
for non-payment OF dues.
Among the original founders of the
society were men of mark in the history
of California. Chief among these was
our first president, John Trumbull War
ner, now 86 years of age. He. came to
Los Angeles in 1881. He is the last
living representative of that hardy and
adventurous race of pioneer hunters and
trappers who between 1922 and 1840,
under the leadership OF such intrepid
mountaineers as Jedediah S.. Smith,
Bridger, Sublette, Ashley, Walker and
others, had explored the western wilds
from the Mississippi to the Pacific. The
bravery and spirit of adventure that
actuated men to cut loose from an ad-
vancing civilization that had not yet
crossed the upper Mississippi, and PEN
citrate that unexplored region of wilder
ness, deserts and mountains that
stretched away 1000 miles to the distant
Pacific, Drawing death from starvation
and thirst, from savage beasts and more
savage men, have never before or since
been eqnaled in the worlds history of
daring adventure. The name OF Boone,
Sewer and kenton are household words
in pioneer history of the valley of the
Ohio, but the names OF the pioneer
hunters of the far west are almost for
gotten, and the story of their adventures
untold. 1t is greatly to be regretted
that Colonel Warner mas not written for
us the story OF journey across the
plains to California 62 years ago, and his
"reminiscences OF those pioneer trappers.
Jedediah Smith, Bridger, and others
whom he knew.
In the 10 years OF its existence there
has been paid into the society's treasury
$1215.25. Nearly all of this was received
from admittance fees and membership
dues. OF this amount 1870 has been
avpandad in tho p1nliootiox ,f