The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-15

ial, books, charts and papers. For
the accumulations of the society
rooms with a vault for safe storage
have been assigned in the capital
building at Bismarck.
The society represents mu.d heroic
work on the part of the officers.
Among others, mention may be made
of Hon. Charles F. Amidon, federal
judge, resident in Fargo, president OF
the society; and Prof. o. G. Libby, of
the university of North Dakota, Grand
Forks, the enthusiastic and indefatig-
able secretary. DR.. Libby has rcnd-
cred the state yeoman service in the
tracing out and preserving of antiq-
uities which as time passes will be of
inestimable value for the writing of
the history of North Dakota. Already
accumulations have been made for
which eastern universities would give
Il princely sum.
The purpose of the society IS two
fold:
Bismarck. where vault and rooms
have been reserved in the capitol for
the use of the society
2. Exploration-The gathering OF
materials illustrative of the life OF the
Indians and the earliest times to pre-
pare and to publish accounts of these
remains with maps and pictures to
prepare a history of towns, counties.
and communities, which latter work
is of especial interest and difficulty
owing to the exceedingly varied char
acter of the foreign population. There
are no fewer than twenty-three lam
guages spoken and used by the resi-
dents of North Dakota.
The society now has in press the
first volume containing sketches, adj
dresses and articles covering the ar
Genealogical discoveries within the
state. This work is largely matter
of voluntary contributions made ba-
cause of state pride. Other achieve
ments of the society are
1. The large collection Of the news
papers of the state. 1t is the purpose
of the society to receive, bind and pre-
serve complete files of all the news.
papers of North Dakota.
2. The collection of thousands of
photographs. maps, and charts illus
trating the early life of the state, the
Indians, and the early enterprises of
settlement and discovery.
The society is making every effort
to work in conjunction with those
whose profession brings them into
contact with the materials for history
and those in touch with the actual
history at the present time. The pro-
blem with all its details of American
izing our populations is being solved
here as scarcely anywhere else. Es-
pecially does this work appeal to old
settlers for information on early days
and to clergymen and to teachers for
the cooperation which will make the
work of writing a complete and ac-
curate history possible.
The educational aspect of this is sv-
ident. We are making history Pu-
pills in high schools ought to feel a
pride in this and gather and collect
material while it is fresh. In fifteen
years we compass in this country a
century of progress as shown in the
older states. We have here commun-
tiles representing the aboriginal hunt
ing life of the Indians, the pastoral
life of herder and ranchman, all phas-
es of agricultural conquest of the soil
and rapidly developing city and in
dustrial life. All this the historical
society can record and not the blend
ing and interlocking of the various
stages, part of which will soon have
disappeared forever.
1t is up to every loyal citizen of
North Dakota to help in this work
which will be the glory of the COM
to have done and an ire
parable loss to neglect.