Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-21
STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY.
STORY OF ITS FOUNDATION, ITS
NEEDS AND THE APPRO-
PRIATIONs MADE BY
LEGISLATURE.

The board of trustees OF the state MS
torical library says that at least three I
times the appropriation made by the I
last legislature is needed. For the years /
l90l-2, to bind papers and pamphleis
each wear, to secure a cabinet for the /
card catalogue, 10 hind zoo volumes in
book form for exchange, To publish Il,
volume of contributions to the HistoIi-
cal society, for office expenses, for pur-
chase of books the board cannot secure
by exchange. for framing Of pictures
and documents, fer purchase Of relics |
and curius, an appropriation OF $4,000 a
year is asked.
The commissioner speaks in the high
est terms Of the works of Mrs. Laura
4. HoWey. the librarian.
Mrs. HoWey's report tells how Mon
tana was one of the first states TO pro
vide for a state library. The first terri
torial legislature. which met at Ban
mack December. 1864. provided that the
territorial auditor should he eN-otticlo
librarian and Incorporated the Hlstorl-
cal Society of Montana in order to col
lect and arrange facts in regard to the
early history CT this territory, the dis
covery of is mines, incidents of the fur
trade. etc. The original incorporators
named We're: H. L. Hosmer. c. p. Hig-
gins. John Owens, James Stuart, w. F.
Sanders, Malcolm Clark. F. NJ. Thomp-
son William Graham. Granville stuart
W. NJ De Lacy, c. E. Irvine and Charles
6. Bagg.
In 1868 the territorial council petitioned
congress to appropriate $4,000 to the IL
brary The legislature of 1S7l-2 appoint
ed the auditor eX-officio librarian. and
in 1878 an appropriation of $50 was
made to it. and in 1874 ancthe,"of 5000.
Judges Conger and Wade in 1881 me-
noralized the legislature to procure an
office for the safekeeping of the SUI
preme court records. which were stored
away in boxes and sheltered in the open
hall of the court house of Lewis and
Clarke county, liable to be lost and
destroyed" In consequence a bill franz
ed by Governor elect j. X. Toole, then
president of the council, was passed in
February. 1887 regulating the Montana
library. This created two divisions one
for law books and the other for mis-
cellaneous works. each under the care
of a board of directors. The clerk of
the supreme court was made eX-otficio
librarian of the miscellaneous division
at salary of $500 a year. An appro-
p,iation of $3.50 was made for equipping
each division and 500 for buying books.
A historical department was created, in
and specimens of geology. mineralosy
and botany We're to be preserved. All
newspapers of the territory were to be
obtained and bound. Provision is made
for cataloguing the two divisions and
for the use of books in them. Appro-
priations We're made from time to time,
and in 1889 the librarians salary was
raised to $50 month.
The Historical Society of Montana was
re-incorporated as the Historical Soci
ETY. Of the State of Montana" in 1891,
and made the trustee of the state for the
expenditure of money on the library
and the care Of the collections in it. The
governor, secrettaray of state and attor-
ney general We're made ex-ofticio MEM
bers of its executive committee. A Ii
brarian at $50 a month was prOVid, d.
Provision was made for turning over
the library to the state for the c0llec-
ton of boks and newspapers and the
duties of the society were defined.
Regarding the museum, Mrs. Howey
says she appears To be expected to beg
specimens, as no funds are provided
The agricultural college has agreed tt
put up the flora in exchange for du
plicate book The state university ha
offered a collection of the insects of Mon
tana in exchange for duplicate book
pledge. E. Warren Toole has given
lovely collection of Montana birds AM
w A. ClaHl some Flathead Indian Gu
rios and beadWorS. She recommend
the purchase of the Allen collection 70
5000. for which over $500 has been do
mated provided the state gives the bal
ance. She mentions in detail a numbe
OF early records received and follows /
up with list of additions made il
1889.
Mrs. HOWey urges the purchase of al
material that can in any way throw
additional light upon our own history
but says this requires a larger fund
She says valuable books. documents AM
relics are being constantly sold from
the state and passing beyond its reach
In the meantime the names of writer
have been collected for the last te
years. The purchase of mere text book
Is opposed and instead the librarian ad
vises that of great works too eXpensiv
CIR voluminous for private or small pub
lie libraries. She asks for at least $3.50
year for purchase and binding {
books The publication of the annus
proceedings of the Pioneer society
proposed.
The rooms allotted the library in tn
new capitol building are described 6
too small, the wall space being barrel
enough for present needs The addtio
Of the north room and two rooms in tt
basement is asked. 1t is proposed tina
after removal, all the furniture no
used by state officials be put in the hi
torical library for preservation.