Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-12
STATE SOCIETIES In WASHINGTON

w aSQlnSGOn ana senator La Oliette Oh
Wisconsin, as well as several represents
| tives. were among the speakers Of the
evening. The meetings of this society
are held monthly during the winter, some
times at a hotel and sometimes at the
home of a member. The May meeting
was held last night, and took the form
of a storytelling evening, when prizes
were awarded the best story teller by 2
vote Of all those present,
Another society which is still in its in
| fancy is the South Dakota Society, or
ganized April TO- 1911. There are about
one hundred and ten South Dakotans in
the government service in Washington
| and these were all notified of the pro-
posed formation of this society," a large
number of them becoming actual men,
| bers. The. first SOCIAL gathering was held
| in December of the same year, taking
| the form of banquet. Sixty guests were
present, including both senators from
South Dakota. Gamble and Crawford;
Representative Martin and other promi-
| nent natives Of the state. John L. Erick-
| son was POSTMASTER. On April IL Of this
year the society met and adopted the
constitution and bylaws, and at the same
i time arranged for another social gather
| ing the 2bth of this month. The officers
of the society are: Harry T. Dawson,
president; B. w. Kumler, vice president;
| Edward K. DuPuy secretary, and I. l.
Chorpening, treasurer.
81
The aims and objects OF the original
Mississippi Association. briefly stated,
are: to foster state
| Mississippi pride; to preserve ira
a4. ditions: to encourage
Association. patriotism and histor-
| ical research to aid those in distress, and
to draw together in social intercourse all
those who either by birth or adoption
claim citizenship Ia the commonwealth
of Mississippi. The constitution also
| provides that no questions regarding
either religion or politics shall be dis
| cussed at. the meetings. The Mississippi
Association was organized In May, 1895,
| at the residence of Harry Peyton, who
| became the first president of the asso-
| citation. During the early days the meet
| ings were held at the residences of the
| various members. but with the rapid
| growth Of the association a hall became
| necessary.
Among. those who are largely response
Bile for the early success OF the Missis-
| slppi Association are Capt Fred Beall,
Maj. George p. Herdon, Gen. j. H. Brink
er. Harry Peyton. Capt. John w. Fite
Percy Edmupds. H. G. Long. Carl Schof-
Miller. Mrs. Sarah Mcdonald. Mrs. Mary
G.. Quitman. and Mrs. z. w. Pegram.
Today the, officers of the society are Capt
Fred Beafl, president; Jose Cotton, vice
| pTcSlueuI, MISS bcnH1G NdUeTS, secretary
and w. P. Ramsey. treasurer. The SEN
atOrs and representatives from Mississippi
are honorary members of the associa-
ton.
In 1912. after seven years, the Missis-
sippi Association was reorganized and
the name changed to the Mississippi So
ciety. At this time Carlton NJ. Clark was
elected to the presidency. Under his
guidance the society was given a new
lease of life and a greatly increased mem
! no In DO tic n fyof roy III
as one of the most important of the state
societies Like the other state organiza-
tons the usual custom is to hold monthly
meetings during the winter. with an oc-
+, latter. one of the most important ever
given by the Mississippi Society was to
the native-born Missssippians in Wash
| ington.
| several senators from other states who
nevertheless were MisSissippian born.
| Among them We're Senator Francis G..
| Newlands of Nevada, Senator George r.
Chamberlain Of Oregon. Senator Thomas
| P. Gore of Oklahoma and former Secre-
| tary of War Dickinson. AT the present
| time those who represent Mississippi in
| the national government are among the
active workers of the society here, and
Senator John Sharp Williams, Represent
| alive Thomas L. Sisson and Representa-
| tive Benjamin G. Humphreys are almost
regular attendants at the meetings.
X
To trace the organization and growth
| of the North Dakota Society necessi-
tates going back a number
| North of years to the time when a
small group of men from
DaKOtA. that state who were promi-
| nent in Washington government circles
| used to get together for quiet evening.
:! At these gatherings it was of the home
state that they talked, and Of her sons
and daughters in Washington. Col. c. A.
Lounsbury, now in the general land Of
| fee; Maj. ]. H. Hamilton. doorkeeper at
the Senate: Gen. Harrison Allen, now
dead, but at that time auditor for the
Post Office Department; Maj James Nc
Laughlin, in the Indian service. and for
| thirty-four years an agent among the
tribes, making treaties. as well as being
| the author of my Friend the Indian" ;
r. w. Farrar, clerk of the Senate COM
mittee on pensions. and James Anderson.
| who succeeded Gen. Allen as auditor of
| the Post Office Department, were the
| men who would thus assemble and dis
c,rss home ties and friends. At these
| gatherings 1t was often proposed to band
| into regular organization OF North
| Dakotans, but no definite organization
| was ever perfected until an event &C.
Il
| of the society.
! That was the death of a native of
| North Dakota, whose widow was left al
most penniless with a. family to support.
| The men who had come here from that
| state then realized that there was need
of a regular organization which would
| aid North Dakotans, and SO on December
| 81, 1907. the North Dakota Association
| came into existence.
Mai. John G.. Hamilton was elected the
| first president Of the association. being
| followed in turn by Robert w. Farrar,
| Col. c. A. Lounsbury and others who had
| been instrumental in it's organization.
| The present officers consist of William A.
Kelly, president: Maj. James Mclaughlin,
! vice president, and Joseph F. Miller, sec
retary-treaSurers The board OF directors
| Is composed Of J. M. Boardman William
r. Fitch and Williams e. Coils. The
present membership is about 100 The
meetings of the North Dakota Associa-
| ton are held once year. on the 22d of
| each February. That date was chosen.
not on account Of its being the birthday of
| George Washington, but because 1t is the
| date of the states admission to the Union.
This meeting takes the form of a ban
| quet, at which the North Dakota delega-
| ton in Congress and other prominent
| men from that state are the guests. On
| account Of his former residence in North
| Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt is an hon.
| orary member of the association, having
| been elected during his term as Presi-
| dent. President Taft is also an honorary
| member.
MARYLAND, WHOSE MARYLAND2