The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-04
American Learned Societies
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKiN.

There are about rs learned societies in
the Emitted states which are classed as ma
tonal, and which have a national scope
| They range from the organizations which
study the grave principles Of political
economics and form clearing houses of
political thought, to the society which de-
lights in contemplating the wild flower
and in preserving its reign against the on
slaughts of cOmmercialism. Perhaps 10
other country IN the world so young as
America has prOpOrtiOnately so many
such societies as the United States Can
ada is following this record in that par
uCul3r, and has a list Of such institutions
that tells Of the ascendency of the intel
lectual life in the Dominion.
The Carnegie institution of Washington
has recently issued a handbook of the
learned societies of the Americas. 1t was
prepared under the supervision of Herbert
Putnam. librarian of congress, and under
the direct charge Of j. David Thompson,
member OF the library staff True to It's
purpose of making all important knOwl-
edge accessible to every serious student
by collecting from widely separated
sources and classifying for ready refer
ence-One of the first things the institu-
ton did after 1t got down to business was
TO make a liberal appropriation for the
bringing forth of a handbook of the
learned societies and institutions OF the
world The volume relating to the Ameri-
cas- is the present result. The data cover
ing the rest of the world has been gath
cred together, but is not yet. ready for
publication.
In all the Americas there are perhaps
fifteen hundred societies which are add
ing something to the store of human
knowledge in their respective spheres.
The great majority Of these are more or
less local in their nature. In some OF
them the terms of membership eligibility
are very strict and exacting, others are
practically open to all corners who put up
the initiation fee. Forming a ready guide
to the activities of all these organizations,
for erafr in
them, the new handbook places an en-
tirely new field of information at the dis
posal OF the ordinary student.
Some of the societies listed have very.
specific objects. The American Alpine
club is an instance. Its object is the ex-
plOration of high mountain peaks and OF
polar regions. Its membership is limited
to those who have climbed important
mountains. those who have explored po-
lar tracts. or have contributed something
to the worlds knowledge on the SUBJECTS
in which the club is primarily interested
Its first studies viii take the form OF mon
ographs on typical mountains OF North
America.
PERHAPS the most widely known of the
learned societies of the United states IS
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science Certainly its aCtlFi-
ties cover a wider range than those OF
most other such societies 1t has some
thirty other important societies affiliated
with H. and they all meet with II, usually
during the last week of December. its
object is to encourage scientific research
in all its branches, and to procure Tor the
Iabors of scientific men increased faclh-
ties and wider usefulness.
The American Mosquito ENtermllduOn
society came into existence in 1913, ana
as the name indicates, it has gone after
the MOSQUITO hammer and tongs. 1t an
nounces its object as being to eIIect oy
means of education, legislation, cO-Opsra-
ton and the interchange of ideas, the
practical determination Of the mosquito IN
settled communities or sections. No re-
port of any mosquito Indignation meeting
to protest against this has yet been re-
ceived.
Boston has a peculiar club called the
club of Odd Volumes. Its membership Is
limited TO fifty-one active and five hon
orary. 1t has as a main purpose the col
lection of odd and peculiar books INTO
library. and their occasional eXmDluon-
The Acorn club of Connecticut has the
same objects with relation 70 I 6ohnecti-
cut matters. The Wild Flower Preserva-
ton Sociey of America lives up to It's
name and seeks to have such laws passed
and enforced as will properly preserve ana
protect "the lilies of the field in their
array that surpasses SOlOmOn's in all his
glory.
The present is pre-eminently an age of
organization. Every person can find some
avenue of society activity between the
Cradle Roll and the Oldest Inhabitants
association It is said that sixteen mn
lion Americans belong to one organiza-
ton or another. Thus, about one out OF
every three people above the age OF Is
is a member OF some organization. A l1D-
ersl proportion Of these belong TO some
learned society-snd learned is an elastic
word as thus applied 1t may range from
the small historical society up to the great
national historical association, or from
some local botanical research club up to
the Agassiz and similar societies of ma