St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-10
IN IT'S EARLY YEARS
CHARLES e. MAYO TELLS OF THE
STATE HISTORICAL sOCIE-
TVS TRIALS.
JUDGE GO0DRICH'S PART.
THE DIVISION WHICH THREAT
ENED ITS EXISTENCE TWENTY
YEARS AGO.
MUSEUM FOR FORT SMELLING.
The Matter Referred to Committee
Undertaking Believed to BE
Too Great.
JUDGE G0oDRIcH's PART.
MUSEUM FOR FORT SMELLING.

Sixteen members were present at the
meeting of the State Historical society
last night. The feature of the meeting
was paper read by Charles E. Mayo,
inspector of customs, who has been
connected with the eociety for a long
time. The subject of Mr.. Mayo's con-
tribution was '"The Homes and Hab-
itations of the Minnesota State His
torical Society," Mr.. Mayo gave a
brief review in a historical way of the
different places in which the society
held it's meetings and maintained it's
library in it's early years, particularly
since it's revival in 1854. He also re-
ferred to some of the members who
used to take active interest in it in
by-gone days, and touched briefly on
the division that threatened it's exist
ence some twenty years ago. He at
tributed this difficulty to the action
Of Judge Goodrich, who headed the
opposition to the management Of the
society. But finally Judge Goodrich
was worked out, and since then the
society has progressed steadily.
w. H. Kelly, who was secretary of
the society in the first years Of it's ex-
istence, made a few remarks in the
same vein, and read two letters he
had received from Fletcher Williams,
who succeeded him as secretary. At
the time the letters were written Mr.
Kelly was in the South, and the object
of Mr.. Williams in writing was to make
inquiry regarding the early records of
the society, which it appears had been
lost. The letters were written in 1S7S
shortly after the fight had been COM
menced by Judge Goodrich, and in
them Mr.. Williams commented very Sc
verely on the conduct Of the opposi-
ton.
In accordance with resolution
adopted at the previous meeting, Pres
ident Ramsey appointed a committee
to confer with Gen. Mason relative to
the suggestion in his address at the
celebration Of the anniversary of the
founding of Fort Smelling last fall, that
an effort be made to have the old fort
turned over to the society for the es-
adjustment therein of a historical
museum. In a running discussion Of
the subject the sentiment seemed to
be that the undertaking would prove
too much of a white elephant for the
society, but the committee Is to con-
slider the whole question and report
thereon. The committee consists of
Judge G. e. Flandrau, Judge Clark,
Capt. Blakely, Henry Fairchild and
Gen. J. B Sauborn.
David L. Kingsbury assistant libra
rian, was elected a member of the ex-
ecutive council to fill the vacancy oc-
casioned by the death of Gov. Mar
shall.
The librarian reported that 107 dona-
tons Of books, pamphlets and other
additions to the historical library had
been received during the month Of Feb
ruary, one of the most important being
the skull of Little Grow, the famous
Indian chief. donated by Dr. Frank
Powell
Secretary Upham has received from
Senator Nelson at Washington some
correspondence relative to the manner
in which copies of the records in con-
nection with claims growing out of
the Indian war may be secured from
the government. These letters did not
come before the meeting, but will first
be considered by the committee The
correspondence is in pursuance Of a
resolution adopted at the last session
of the state legislature, requesting that
| copies of all the records in connection
with these claims be furnished to the
society with view to securing addi-
tional information relative to the In
| dian uprising. The tenor Of the let
tvs is that the documents can be ex-
amined only after affidavits have been
filed that the person examining is in
terested, and does not intend to use
the information as the basis of prov
| ing other claims