Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-06
VALUABLE PAPERS
|DDEN FOR YEARS IN THE
STATE DEPARTMENT.
Work Of lndexing and Binding Them Pro-
pressing SloHlY--The Madison and
Monroe Papers.

Washington. Jan. 5.--Storcd away In
II nrchives of the state department are
|'ollection Of historical papers, the most
|IuQble, in all probability, In the United
.aies. They include letters, diaries,
|oAH etc,0nd are constantly In demand
Students and writers of history. The
.noent handling which they have re-
|Vtl have seriously damaged some Of
|sni aud that they may be preserved
the use and information of succeed
|, Generations OF investigators, the de-
.rtulent has for several years been ar
|uping. indexing and binding them.
. he'd this work is finished Gt will re-
Ore another decade, ut least, unless the
Zee is incren5ed) the manuscripts viii
In such a condition that they may be
.ndled by the investigator without
|rm 20 the documents and any par
. ulRr paper may be found at glance.
| "a work is under charge OF Mr.. Hamil-
II, who has been In the library many
.are. and Is thoroughly familiar with
ns contents. The Madison and Mon
. papers have been bound and partly
|icked. They ill thirty-two and
|ycpty-tve large volumes, respectively.
| lbdeX Of the Jefferson papers IL about
|,oHquarters done, $4,000 titles having
.ell written.
| phe first purchase Of an historic col
. ti0n for the department was that of
papers Of Washington, for which an
| "a OF $4,000 was inserted In the ap-
. opration bill of 1894 The collection
owned by George G.. Washington,
4 bis signature 90 the bill of sale Is
|nderfully like that Of his illustrius am
. TOP Apparently, the whole of the coll
. ton was not then secured, Tor in 1919
ofher appropriation of $4,000 was
"a 10 purchase the remaining manu-
ipts, books and letters of George
. uahingtou,' which were also trans
|rrtd 20 the department by George O.
|hshingtOn These documents are the
ohals of those quoted IN Sparks
IL and Letters of Washington" and
consulted them In the state depart
nt In the preparation of his work.
IN Aug is, 1851, an appropriation Of
|0VOO was made To purchase the manu-
|lpt writings OF Thomas Jefferson FROM
Qnlas Jefferson Randolph, and like
Ilnpnt TO purchase those of Alexander
.imiltOn from james @. Hamilton
Fler in the same year, May. 81. an act
~ passed authorizing the secretary
state to purchase from Mrs. Madison
unpublished manuscript of her late
|sbpnd, eX-President James Madison
LEI next purchase authorized was the
.loction of manuscript books and papers
Jnmes Monroe by act OF March 3,
. VIZ For this the secretary of state
| N authorized to pay $. J.. Gouyeneur,
II executor Of the late ex-president,
sum of $4,000
. phe last purchase Of this character wns
II collection of the writings and works
Benjamine Franklin, made by Henry
eYens, then of London, England. Ste
a was an author of note, Green Noun
Boys being probably his best known
k, and an mdefuuguble collector OF
p4icnna a part of this purchase
.If two typewriter copies Of all the
.onscripts which are used for reference,
eco OF originals. Mr. Stevens re-
~ S35OOO for this collection II Is
fiered 10 be the most valuable coll
Ipni trom a purely historic stand
i4h Ia the department The books
|tfe sent 10 the library Of congress
9 Pie manuscript retained at the state
.Haftment This addition was made in
- since which time congress has
|A"t no eppropi lii0n for The purchase
other collections, although valuable adj
ions 70 the Jefferson, Madison and
.pnfoe papers have been offered 10 The
. yernment The purchase Of the mate
collected By the late George Ban
~, together with his correspondence
y diaries has recently been ngtated.
Il nothing was done.
irst IN importance and value of an Of
| papers IN the department the libra
n places the REGARDS Ut the continental
nEress, which came 10 Il by inheri-
.Ate. Although the art of verbatim re-
tng was not exercised in those days.
records contain not little of what
| said by the fathers and founders Of
country, and a complete transcript
the business proposed and trans