Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1900)
January 11 , 1000. OMAHA ILLrSTKATKD RR1S. l\ \ Nebraska State Historical Society At a meeting at the Commercial hotel In Lincoln September 23 , ISIS , the Nebrask.i State Historical society \vns started ami on the following day Us organization was per fected and otllccrs elected. On September 25 , 1001 , twenty-two years will have passed u\cr the struggles of this society to acconu plish something toward collecting and pub. llshing the nnnals of Nebraska and fountl- Ing a historical library. It is somewhat In r teresting to look back over this period to BOO what was done and ho\v the work has been accomplished. 1 There was nothing very unusual about the constitution under which the society woikeft from 1S7S to 1SS5. It may bo mentioned that It had a board of directors which was morb cumboisonio limn useful and which was dis pensed with In ISS.'i. 1'iof S.imuel Aughey , whose duties In the university em braced the teaching of nearly everything that could bo In any way construed as a science and many things that could not , various lines of saving material are many The society publishes such niiiteilal ns Is piesented to It at the annual meeting and such other historical records as can bo secured - cured as often ns Its funds justify. Under the name of "Transactions and Proceedings" live volumes were Issued from 18S5 to 1893 The name was then altered to "Proceedings and Collections" and three volumes of this second scries have been published. The library of the society Is thus an his torical library primarily. Prof. How aid rery wisely spent some of the surplus funds for sets of very valuable colonial records , which now cannot bo duplicated for much greater amounts and some of them are not to bo had at all. The total number of books \\ill not fall far below 13,000. It should bo a matter of rejoicing with all lovers of local history that the society has been endeavoring for the last seven years to collect and bind all flies of papers pub llshcd in the slate. This Is a gigantic task and the society could only begin as it had 'CORNER OF NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL COLLECTION Photo by u. G. Cornell. found time to write a tow scraps of record In the secretarj 's book. Robert W. Furnas , D. II. Wheeler , Moses Stocking and a few others donated numerous papcis , books and letters and the society may be said to have had a beginning at any rate. Fees and dues made the duty of treasurer ono of many small burdens. It was seen that a change was necessary and thus came a reorganiza tion in 1S85 , on a basis of a law of the 'legislature of 1883. This made the so ciety a state institution , allowing $300 per year for expenses. The new constitution dispensed with the board of directors and corresponding secretary. Ex-Governor Fur- r.as , Prof. Aughey and W. W. Wilson served faithfully as president , secretary and treas urer , respectively , until 1SS5 , when their places were filled by J. Sterling Morton , Prof. G. E. Howard and Charles II. Gere. From that time to this , fourteen ycais , the society has kept these men at their posts , only putting Prof. HW. . Caldwell In Prof. "Howard's place when the latter went to Cal ifornia. A change was made in 1893 which placed the work of the society In the handa of ono officer , called the assistant secretary and librarian. This ofllco Is not elective as the others , but appointive , the appointive power being vested In the board of officers. ' In July , 1893 , I took up the work of the society under this name and have continued it to the present time. Scant ( iiinrti'rN. Contemporary with the change of the work from secretary to assistant secretary and .libraiinn was another change of quarters. jTho society had , from Prof. Howard's time , .5'1 ' any rate , a small room on the second \loor of the main university building , ad joining Prof. Howard's lecture room. In 1S92 an additional small room was obtained for the purpose of storing a few new paperw , which had begun coming to the society , to lo ) preserved. Tlnougli the efforts of Prof Howard and Prof. Little a portion of the library building of the State university was designed for the State Historical society In tlio plans. When , therefore , the nortii wing of the library building was finished so far as the first appropriation would allov the Historical society gladly took possession of the rooms designed for It. After the north \\lng wns put up and roofed there remained only onmigh of the appropriation to put the tiling between the ground floor and the second mid rough plaster the room on the t ground floor and lay a plno floor. Even so this room presented wonderful advantages for the work of the society. Hero was a room with over 3,000 square feet of floor space , fireproof and furnished , In addltl n with a vault twenty feet , quaro. Thing ? were possible Immediately which were not hoped for before. The society quickly had collection cases made for dlspla > lng such relics of Nebraska or other states as might bo brought In and enlarged the ehelv.ng for llbraiy and newspapers. For two years the society occupied the unfinished wing of the library building before the building was completed. Work iif tlu > Society , The actlvitleu of the aoclety along the facilities .ind continue in the same way. Along witli the saving of current papers has been cai ricd on a conhlanl hunt for old files of papers. About GOO papers are fllod reg ularly. Relics that are significant cf anj thing in Nebraska history are laid away In the cases or placed upon the walls. Many things re lating to Nebraska find their way into the looms cither as gifts or loans. Some of the early Nebraska relics aic those from old Fort Atkinson , which was established about eighteen miles north of Omaha in 1S19. Thes > c arc old pieces of cannon , bricks , buttons , nails and oven a piece of tombstone with the date 1820 on It. The society is getting , as fast as possible , portraits of Nebraskans. Of all prominent public men who have labored for the good of Nebraska It is worth while to hang por- tialts on the walls of the collection room , as well as to print biographies. For coming tune the woik cf the society will undoubtedly ask and iccelve greater recognition. The last legis lature gave to the society ncaily double the amount It had received buforo and yet this ? 2COO per annum Is barely enough to carry the woik. When binding , printing , postage , express and the OIRVTOR JAY AMOS I1\UIUTT AT HIS DESK Photo by U. G. Cornell. libralan's salary are taken out of It seaieely enough lemnlns to hlio faomo woiK done b > the hour. Pel haps 1 may he ul lowed to suggest hero for the ( list'time pub lid } what il is possible to do for this and Kindred woik. This htato cannot , certainly , do for its society what Wisconsin has done That on Urpiising state began planning for the \Vis ci i.sin Historical society a $100,000 building which should also contain the State mil veislty library. It Is not jot completed nnd the cost will be double that. Hut Ncbiaska can begin In a modest way ito build , a lit tle at a time , a NcbiasKa museum , which sball contain peipetual exhibits of the agri culture , hoillcultuie , geology and historj of Nebraska. If a two weeks' exhibit ol cereals Ft , a gcod thing , why Is it not a gooi thing to have a display of Nebiaska prod ucts always wheio the traveling wet Id mn ; see it ? A moment's thought will show tha , a Nebiaska museum is a necessity , once it I thought of. JAY AlMOS IJARRHTT , Assistant Secretaiy and Librarian. The American Way An Englishman hailing fiom the nort' went Into the Chatham hotel In Paris 10 conliy and cautiously asked the pi Ice of whislty , relates the London Chronicle. "On fianc , sir , " icpllcd the bartender. "And whisky and soda ? " "Ono franc , sir. Al diinlis ate the same price. " The Engllsli man .sat down and , to his nstunishmenl found that the place was run on Ameilca lines and that the customers helped them helves at their own discretion. Ho pun Ihhed that bottle of whisky till it was nenrl empty. As ho wont out ho paid his tram but the manager called him back and said "You have forgotten your change. " ' thought that the dilnk was a. fianc. " "Tin Is so , hlr , " was the reply ; "that Is the ic tall price , but there is a i eduction whc you buy whok'halo. " And ho handed bac fhe i-oiis. President State Historical Society * J. Sterling Morton No one pel son Is Idenllllcd with so in my phases of Nchinskii hlstoiy as J SteiUm ; Mm ton. ptcsllent of tlm State Historical soUety IniiltiBlc qualities and I'vlrliili' liruiiiHtanccs have made him ono of the most conspicuous diameters In o.uly FCI- tli'inent , pioneer ovonts. Indian affairs , tor- ntotial and state oiganbatlon , legislation , politic ! ! , transput tation , education , miinu- fartures , finances , economics and reform. lie i not enl > one of the earliest pioneers , hut ahio the one who has the most to show in risulls. His tiall In Nebraska , forty- Iho jears long , Is "lila/ed" on otlhor hand with unmistakable leooids of his passage While dcnioiistiallng whiil the Industrious homesteader , aided by climate and soil , wn > produce In finlt and cereal crops , ho has not neglected the "doci'iit-nmn" crop nor failed to show what a well ordered s-tauiich , eatnosi ndvouite of tin 111 reform sound tnonej , cionom.v , Individual self- lellnnro nnd Intcgiit } "A filiMid to tiutli , nl snulImeie. . In notion faithful and In liinmr clear , Who liioKo n > ) piuiiilM' , eivod no pilvalc ( Mid. " With ttilth and courage an a basin , his fiankeiaclty lias commanded the lespect of many who do not accept his views. The scope of his Infoi mat Ion and the lu'cuiacy of his judgment on lluam'lal and economic subjects are nationally reci gul/cd. The op portunity a ( Yon ! eel l > v a cabinet position to test his ability along these lines aston ished KOIIIO of the "imtlvi-H , " who nmivoled tliat a "farmer could Kn > w HO much " AM a cabinet olllccr , without man Ing the fill clcucy of the dopaitment or uiultil ) limltltu its scope , ho coveied li.uk Int > the mi llonul treasury over $ . ' 000.000 In politic il i ARIJOR LODGE THE HOME OK FORMER SECRETARY MORTON AT NI311RASKA I CITY. Photo by Louis R. Dostvvlck. j home , aided by education and discipline , I may pioduco In cltl/.ens and successful btisl- . ness men. His love of home , wife ami , , children has not been eclipsed by the , glamor of a fiat publicity. Ho has tnl battered the responsibility , honor and duty s of a private cltl/on for political olllco not oven at a latlo of 1C to 1. His example as a home-builder Is moio elevating and dig nifying than official ptellxos and BUlllxos to names of politicians who get ofllces for money rather than honor , as evidenced by h the balance of their accounts. His public ! - and private benefactions ore Investments a whoso benefits ucciue to the recipient. Ills c attitude on Important public questions as a taiilf , money , pntoinallsm , impel lallsm is II determined by fundamental pilnciplcs and inot by the location of the band-wagon. The t , public ofllces ho has tilled fiom secretary of n the tpiritory to secretary of agilculturo i- have bought him on account of his merit . and equipment for such positions of trust y Ills victories aio not the result of phenoino- B | nil nmtiter strokes , hut the tontlnuance-i of I ; noble , manly struggle toward the best. In 'I the democratic patty ho was both here and , t oracle until ho refused to put on lliu "Nes- , . htiH-shlrL of domagoglHin. " As a stntesm in ' he has been the outspoken and bitter opponent - ) { ponont of all "wildcat" schemes , paternal ism , Imperialism and dcmagoglmn , tlu GENERAL VIEW OF THE NEIWASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S MUSEUM Photo by U. U. Cornell. or economic emeigenclcs lie IBltlioilt a peel , and the soveter the test the grander the i espouse. Touch ol ( irlni Humor. His convolutions and wiRings have a touch of grim humor often said to ho the HUiesl sign of a gieat character. Ills shie-wc'niss ' to peicelvo vulneiablo or salient points , his leady logic , his ability to maisliul facts , liiH unerilng sagacity , his eloquent utterances , Ills apt Illustra tions , make him a skillful debater and an Invincible opponent. Tim fugitive anec dotes , tetse sajlngs , uuiiinonts ami quota tions of ills which frequently appear In e.istein and western periodicals are evl- deiiLis of an Interest and a tecognlllon of his national reputation. lly means of the Infulillation which h.is become a part of the observance of "Arbor da > " the main incidents In the life of ltd oilglnator aie well known. The Impetus < f joiilhful imagination has In Home In stances outstripped fact , as In the cases of juvenile pall lots who wrote "J. Slotting Motion is the man who diovo out the In dians and set up stoles. " "Ho plants tiees In ( lie night. " "If he keeps on , 1 am aft aid he will bo president. " Mr. Motion Is fortunate In being well born. Ills father WUH n man of marked ability , line hmilncss capacity and sound Judgment ; his mother , Emollno Slotting , a woman of rare virtues and attainments , of cheerful disposition and very clover and otigiiiiil. As proof of the statement that "the child IH father to the man , " the fol lowing Incidents foreshadow some of the trails of laler years : Ono evening , when about 'A yeais old , he rose abruptly fiom blH devotional attitude lusldo his mother H knee , Ha } Ing , "Please , Lord , excuse mo .1 minute , " and proceeded "vi el iiimln" to settle an acumnt witli bin teasing y HIM uncle who had just come Into the loiim , Iben quietly lesuined his pctlllotiH , " ( jjil blesj < papa and bring him safely homo Please give him gooil cotfee while ho IH gone. " lluforu lolltlng ho was aceimlume I to place his small shoes against the wall with their toes divulging at the propel angle , explaining that he wanted them to get used to that position , In order thai II might not lie so dllllcull for him to keep his "toes tinned out. " When a lltllu older ho accompanied his mother on a visit to an aunl who was ilangeioiisly 111. The doctor oidend her hair cut elf and the young lad was In thor r om when the tiesses were sevctul. In his opinion the hair wan veiy beautiful. When the lady was ( ul of danger hone one asked about the hair. Il umlil not } > j found and finally small Slot ling was nude aware of the facts. "Wlij , I lo K It , " lu nald. "I gave It to the tobliiK to build their nest ; they didn't have anything but hticlis and 1 knew tbe > 'd be mighty gi.id to gel U. It's a beautiful nobl and wl'l s cti have little blids In It. " After the robins had HiuremloiLd their tltlo the vvondeif 1 rid nest was for years pie erved by the fill mo author of Aibor day. When ho reached the dignity of 8 ycais ( Continued on Fourth Page. )