Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-27
FOLKLORE SOCIETY
The Annual Session Begun in This
City Today.
MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Papers Read at the Opening Meet
ing This Afternoon.
SOME TED n A M E

The sixth annual session Of the American
Folklore Society began this morning at
10 o'clock at the Columbian University,
with meeting of the executive council.
Those present were DR.. Washington
Matthews, U.S.A, Fort Wingate, N. NJ;
w. w. Newell and Marshall H. Saville.
Cambridge, Mass; Capt John G.. Bourke,
U.SA. Fort Ethan Allen, VT; DR.. II. Car
rington Bolton, president Of the New York
branch Of the American Folklore Society;
Maj. ]. w. Powell, director of the bureau
of ethnology; Miss Stansbury. GAINESVILLE.
Ohio; Miss Alice Fletcher, president Of the
Woman's Anthropological Society; Prof.
Otis T. Mason, eX-president of the Ameri-
can Folklore Society, Smithsonian Insti-
tuition; Rev. ]. Owen Dorsey and F. H.
Gushing Of this city. A letter was read
from the president of the society, DR.. Alcee
Fortier of Tulane University, New Orleans.
La, stating that on account of death in
his family he would be unable to attend
the session, and much regret was expressed
by the members at this intelligence.
Secretary Newell stated in his report
that during the year the society had pub
lished two volumes of Folk Tales of An
gola,' which were prepared by He'll Chate-
lain, late United States commercial agent
the president Of the society, DR.. Foster,
and others, among which were Retrospect
of the Folk Lore of the Columbian Expo
stion," by Stewart Culin; Eskimo Tales
can Plant Names" Fanny ID. Bergen;
Notes on the Folk Lore of the Mountain
Whites of the Alleghanes," ]. Hampden
Porter; Three Epitaphs Of the Seven
teenth Century" Sarah A. P. Andrews;
Popular Medicine, Customs and Supersti-
tions of the Rio Grande.'' Capt. John G.
Bourke, and plantation Courtship," Frank
d. Banks.
The Councils Report.
The annual report was adopted and or
dered to be presented to the society at the
meeting this afternoon. In this report 1t
is stated that "the financial disturbances
Of the year 1894 have been so serious that
the American Folk Lore Society seems to
have reason for self-congratulation in the
successful accomplishment of it's seventh
year. The number of annual members,
by whose fees the operations of the So
ciety are mainly supported, remains about
the same Gs at the close of the previous
year-somethng more than five hundred
names, according to the report of the Sec
retary, now standing on the books of the
society.
"This number, however is altogether in
adequate for the purposes to be accom-
plished. 1t would seem that 1T ought to be
possible to increase the membership to
society to carry out at least a part of the
ends which it ought to promote. Members
are urged, individually, to do all in their
power to make known the existence and
THE fees Of the annual members are at
present only sufficient to properly publish
the organ of the society, the Journal of
American Folklore. The publication of
dependent financial basis. In order, there
fore. to allow OF such publication, an an
nual subscription of $40 was instituted. the
society thus obtaining from each such
contributor 81 for the publication fund, in
addition to the regular fee of s., which
entities him to copy of the Journal Dur
ing the year 1894 subscriptions have been
received sufficient to insure about 5000
for additional publication. In producing
two volumes of the Memoirs. by the aid
of this sum and of Its reserve funds, the
society has done all in its power"
Osiccrs and Committees.
The report of Treasurer Hinton showed
that there are now in the treasury 81 1903. 90,
and that the expenditures during the year,
mainly for publications. by the society,
amounted to S2,S95.
A question arese as to the feasibility of
donating a part of the funds of the society
now on hand, and also the creation of a
new fund for the purpose Of assisting in
original research. and Secretary Newell and
Prof Mason We're appointed committee to
take the matter under consideration ana
make a report thereon.
Secretary Newell, Capt. j. G. Bourlle and
Miss Alice Fletcher were appointed a com-
mittee to select officers for the ensuing
year. The council then adjourned
The officers for the present year, most
Of whom will be reelected at this after
Moons session, are President, DR.. Alces
Fortier; first vice president, DR.. Washing
ton Matthews; second vice president, J.
Owen Dorsey; council, Franz Boas, Chica-
go, ILL.,; II. Darlington, Bolton, New York;
Capt. John G. Bourke. United States army,
Fort Ethan Allen. VT; Daniel G. Brinton,
Philadelphia; Alexander F. Chamberlain,
Worcester Mass; Mattoon M. Curtis.
CLEVELAND. Ohio; Alice G. Fletcher. Wash
ington; George Bird Grinnell, New York:
Otis 7. Mason, Washington; Frederic w.
Putnam, Cambridge. Mass; John Reade,
Montreal, p. c.; Archibald r. Iisdale,
Boston, Mass: corresponding secretary, j.
Walter Fewkes, Boston; treasurer, John II.
Hinton, New York; curator, Stewart Cur
tin. Philadelphia.
Meeting of tho Society.
The society convened at 2 pm. with Vice
President Washington Matthews in the
chair and Mr.. w. w. Newell secretary.
After the transaction of routine business,
including the adoption of the report of the
council. the following papers were read:
"a Navahoe Myth" by DR.. Washington
Matthews; Folk Lore Concepts" Frank
Hamilton Cushing; Theories of the Diff
fusion of Folk Tales" William Wells
Newell; illustrations of the Cortez Co
dex," DR.. J. Walter Fewkes; Negro Corn
Scrgs," Capt. r. r. Moten.
The society will adjourn about o'clock.
Tonight from to 10 o'clock the visitors
and their friends will have reception in
the Admiral Porter mansion, No. ITO l
street, under the auspices of the following
local cemmittee DR.. j. H. Mccormick, ex-
ecutive chairman; DR.. j. owen Dorsey,
Frank Hamilton Gushing, Dr. Washington
Matthews representing the Washington
branch of the American Folk Lore Soci-
ETY.; DR.. Thomas Wilson, DR.. ]. II. McCor-
mick, Mr.. George r. Stetscn, representing
the Anthropological Society: Mrs. Emily
Judson Mason. Mrs Hannah J.. Bartlett,
Mrs Helen Douglass, Mrs. Justinia r.
Hill and Mrs. Ellen Powell Thompson, rep
resenting the Woman's Anthropolosical
Society.
Indian songs will be reproduced from a
photograph, the songs having been secured
by DR.. Matthews during his residence in
the far west; folklore songs by Mr.. Cush-
ing; Indian song by Miss Alice Fletcher
and Mr.. Lafiesche, the latter a member of
the Omaha tribe Of Indians.
TomOrrOw's Session.
The papers to be read at tomorrow's ses-
sions are "Kwapa Folk-l0reo hy Rev Il