The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-11
Ten DIED IN a YEAR
HIGH DEATH RATE FOR 1897 IN
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
RANKS.
ANNUAL. MEETING WAS HELD
AT THE CAPITOL LAST NIGHT, RE
PORTS SHOWING A VERY Sue
CESSFUL YEAR.
GEN. ). II. BAKER READ A PAPER
On the Advances Made by the North
Star State in It's Transporta-
ton Facilities.

In the twelvemonth just past ten
members of the Minnesota Historical
society has crossed the divide relin-
gushing the cares and RESPONSE bilitieS
of this life. Five. or them were st.
Paul men. OF the five, two were
father and son.
These facts came out last night at
the regular annual meeting of the So
ciety which was held at the capitoi.
The business session in the society
rooms and the more formal portion in
the hall of representatives. The at
tendance was large and included a ma
jority of the men who are associated
with the interests of the organization
There were many ladies, too, in the
audience and they listened to the adj
dresses and papers with keen interest.
1t was supposed in some quarters
that new officers were to be elected,
but this proved to be an error, as the
officers were chosen last year for three
year terms.
President Ramsey's report of the
work Of the society for 1897 contained
also brief prophecy, and was as fol-
lows:
This society encourages and promotes the
works of writer's upon the history of Mime
sofa and of the great northwestern part Of
the United States, with which this state is
closely allied in social. political and business
development. 1t is the special province of
our society, in it's published historical collec-
tons. to gather and record the history. in
the first place. of Minnesota, and, next, Of
the Northwest including the large domain
stretching west beyond the Rocky mount1ees
to the Pacific. That vast region, sometimes
called the new Northwest, receives its i'm
migrant population in considerable proper
ton from Minnesota, and it Is tributary to
this state, especially to cities of st.
Paul. Minneapolis and Duluth, by the rail-
ways which here bring the products of the
PaSific slope to the populous Mississippi river
basin. and to the head of navigation on the
great lakes of st. Lawrence.
Our chief means of aid to writer's of Min
nesota and Northwestern history Is the yalu-
able library of this society. which on Jan. /,
1898. numbers co. 626 books and pamphlets ali
readily available to the readers by the card
catalogue. The additions to the library dur
ing the year 1887 are 1.415; and during the
past five years the number of volumes added
is about 5000 They are catalogued both I'M
der the authors names and the titles or sub
jects Of the books: so that the volumes by
any author or treating any subject can
be Immediately found.
Not only writers and special students. but
every one, is welcome to peruse these lit
erary treasures, treating of everything his
torical, descriptive, biographical and statisti
cai Tor this state. for the Northwest, and
ada and in good measure likewise for all
countries of the world This is a free public
library, ana as 1t is a reference library for
the perusal OF It's books only in the society's
rooms. whoever comes to consult it is sure
to find any book or pamphlet that the So
ciety owns. none being loaned away.
In our collection of township and county
history Of all the older states the library is
OF great interest to our citizens. many of
whom spent their childhood in those older
states, where they still have relatives and
many bonds of interest.
10 specialize, 1t may be noted that we have
about 70 histories Of townships in Maine
nearly 100 of New Hampshire townships, more
Ihan 4VU OF Massachusetts,, about 80 of Rhode
Island. 70 Of Connecticut and MANY of New
YORK. New Jersey. Pennsylvania and other
Eastern states.
Another department of our library of great
interest to many Of our people comprises
DOCKS and pamphlets American genealogv
and family histories. In this department we
nave one of the largest collections in this
country, equalled or surpassed by only one
or two other states even in the much older
states or the Atlantic seaboard Our number
OF bound books in this class is about ono
pesloes hundreds of pamphlets
But. for future writer's of the state of Min
hesota the most valuable department of the
. wnoie library Is its freproof vault contain
ing nearly all the newspapers that have hea,,
published in Minnesota since its bepinnina
as territory in 1S49. We have conv of
the hrst paper printed in the territory and
of Minnesota from 1S49 to the present Tine
me number OF Minnesota newspapers now re-
c ce by our society for its library is about
40; and the number of bound newspaper VOL
umes added during the year 1897 is 40 Civ
ing a present total of $3.50 bound newsnaner
volumes. Mr.. CLANCY, the assistant librarian.
who has the care of this department can
thus supply to our citizens the local history
or every county and town of Minnesota uhera
a newspaper is published.
Secretary Upham submitted his re-
port to the members of the executive
council of the society, which met earl
Ter in the evening. In the report the
secretary notes that for the year the
daily visitors to the rooms of the So
ciety have increased in number. The
accession catalogue shows that the
volumnes have been added to the ex-
tent of 1,415 volumes and pamphlets,
making the total at the beginning of
the present year just $685.
The expenditures during the year, for
the library and museum are shown to
be $5,4S5.S9. Proceeding, the report
says:
large number of miscellaneous pamph-
lets, coming to the society by donations,