American Historical Association.

The annual climax in the work of historians in this country is the meeting of the American Historical Association. This year the honor of entertaining this great convention fell to Providence. Rhode Island, during the four days, December 26 to 29.

Among other good things provided in the programme was a conference of state or local historical societies. In this conference the Washington University State Historical Society was represented by Professor Edmond S. Meany, secretary of the society and managing editor of the Washington Historical Quarterly.

At the same time and place meetings were held by the American Economic Association, the American Political Science Association, the Bibliographical Society of America, the American Sociological Society and the New England History Teachers' Association.

The first session of the American Historical Association was a joint meeting with the American Economic Association, when the annual addresses were given by Professor Jeremiah W. Jenks, president of the American Economic Association, and Judge Simeon E. Baldwin, president of the American Historical Association.

The second session was devoted to European history and those who participated were Professor George L. Burr of Cornell University, Professor Dana C. Munro of the University of Wisconsin, Henry Osborn Taylor of New York City, Louise Ropes Loomis of Cornell University, Professor James Harvey Robinson of Columbia University and Professor Paul Van Dyke of Princeton University.

The third session was a joint meeting with the New England History Teachers' Association. It consisted of a conference, a report and discussion. The chairman of the conference was Professor James A. James, of Northwestern University. Those who participated in the discussion were H. P. Lewis, superintendent of schools, Worcester, Mass.; Herbert D. Foster, professor in Dartmouth College; John T. Manning, Public School No. 8, Bedford Park, New York; Lucy M. Salmon, professor in Vassar College; Julius Sachs, professor in the Teachers' College, Columbia University; and James Sullivan, Jr., High School of Commerce, New York City.

The fourth session was a joint meeting with the American Economic Association, and was devoted to economic history. Those who participated were Professor Ulysses G. Weatherly, of the University of Indiana, Professor John R. Commons of the University of Wisconsin, Professor Edwin F. Gay of Harvard University, Professor Frederick J. Turner of the University of

Wisconsin, Professors Simon N. Patton and Edward P. Cheyney of the University of Pennsylvania.

The fifth session was devoted to conferences and those who participated were: Professor Max Farrand of Stanford University, Professor George B. Adams of Yale University, Professor Andrew C. McLaughlin of the University of Chicago, Professor Charles D. Hazen of Smith College, Professor George P. Garrison of the University of Texas, Professor John O. Sumner of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Professor H. Morse Stephens of the University of California, Professor Benjamin F. Shambaugh of the University of Iowa, Professor H. V. Ames of the University of Pennsylvania, State Librarian John P. Kennedy of Richmond, Va.; Custodian of Public Records Luther R. Kelker of Harrisburg, Pa.; Professor Henry E. Bourne of Western Reserve University, and Frank H. Severance of the Buffalo Historical Society.

The sixth session was devoted to American Colonial history and was participated in by Professor Susan M. Kingsbury of Simmons College, Professor Edward Channing of Harvard University, Professor Barrett Wendell of Harvard University, Professor Claude H. Van Tyne of the University of Michigan, and George Louis Beer of New York City.

The seventh session was devoted to later American history. The following took part: Clarence S. Bingham of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Ulrich B. Phillips instructor in the University of Wisconsin, Professor Evarts B. Green of the University of Illinois, Professor Frank H. Hodder of the University of Kansas, and Professor James A. Woodburn of the University of Indiana.

PACIFIC COAST BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.

Portland, Oregon, was the place of meeting of this important exponent of historical work on the Pacific Coast. It was the third annual meeting of this branch of the national organization. Four workers in history-Max Farrand and Clyde A. Duniway, of the Stanford University Faculty; J. N. Bowman, of the University of California Faculty, and Mr. Don E. Smith, thought enough of the meeting to make the journey to Portland. The State of Washington was not represented nearly as well as it ought to have been. There were three earnest members from this state: Mr. T. C. Elliott of Walla Walla, Miss Lena Dodd of Kalama and Miss Katharine B. Judson of the Seattle Public Library.

The programme included the following papers:

Professor J. N. Bowman-"Cook's Place in Northwestern History."

Professor Clyde A. Duniway-"Suggestions on the History of the Federal Relations of the States."

Professor Max Farrand-"Criticism of American Historical Documents."

Professor Joseph Schafer-"Origin of the British Interest in the Northwest."

Mr. Don E. Smith-“Some Considerations on the History of Spain, and Spanish America in the 18th Century."

Professor H. Morse Stephens-"The Organization of Work with Historical Manuscripts."

Professor F. G. Young-"Finances of the Cayuse War."

The American Historical Association has surveyed thoroughly the field of historical society work in this country. The committee doing the work consisted of Reuben Gold Thwaites of Madison, Wisconsin; Benjamin F. Shambaugh of Iowa City, Iowa, and Franklin L. Riley of University, Mississippi. The report is full of interesting information. The following extracts will especially attract readers in the l'acific Northwest:

"After all, the principal desideratum is, as we have indicated, the personality back of the work, rather than the form of organization. It would be unwise, even if possible, to attempt the making over of men or of methods that in their respective environments either promise or have already attained satisfactory results. What is needed, rather, is the betterment of existing methods, and especially the enlisting in the service of welltrained and vigorous executive officers.

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"Inspired, doubtless, by the example of the Wisconsin society, which is in close, although not official, connection with the University of Wisconsin, there has recently been a strong tendency on the part of Western and Southern historical organizations to associate themselves with their state universities. the university town, of all communities in the state, exists a body of scholars who can most profitably utilize the collections of the historical society. The scholars need the inspiration of persistent, intelligent collection and publication; the society managers need the academic atmosphere and academic counsel in and with which to broaden and solidify their work, while the historical library finds its excuse in the largest possible circle of users. Recognition of these facts has, wherever possible, led to a closer union between society and university; but in several states, as in Missouri and Washington, where union with existing agencies seemed impracticable to the universities, the latter have secured the organization of rival state societies at their own seats. Such an arrangement, while doubtless benefitting the

universities, is apt to result in divided interest and appropriations. In several Western States difficulties of this character present problems that may be many years in the solution."

Later in the same report, under the head of "Interesting the Public," are the following paragraphs:

"Indeed this matter of arousing and maintaining public interest is of itself an important function of an historical society; but obviously this should be an intelligent, discriminating interest. Field meetings, popular lectures, work with the schools, some measure of coordination with pioneer and old settlers' societies of the district, pilgrimages to places of historic interest, the promotion of anniversary celebrations, and the placing of tablets upon historic sites-all these are within the province of the society.

"The enlistment of college and university interests is likewise highly desirable, especially in the matter of research and preparing material for publication; although in becoming academic, the society should be careful not to remove itself too far from the understanding and sympathy of the common people. Popularity and exact scholarship are not incompatible. One of the principal aims of an historical society should be the cultivation. among the masses of that civic patriotism which is inevitably the outgrowth of an attractive presentation of local history."

A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRE-HISTORY OF PUGET SOUND.

Harlan I. Smith, formerly of Saginaw, but since 1895 of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, has on the press of E. J. Brill, the publisher of Leyden, Holland, a voluminous report on his scientific researches into the prehistoric culture of Puget Sound and the Gulf of Georgia. This book, entitled "The Archaeology of Puget Sound and the Gulf of Georgia," is one of the series of memoirs of the Jesup North Pacific expedition, on which Mr. Smith was the American archaeologist. The expedition, financed by Morris K. Jesup, president of the Chamber of Commerce of New York City, had for its object the investigation of man, past and present, on the North Pacific Coast from Columbia river in America to Amur river in Asia. Mr. Smith's present memoir will be illustrated by photographs taken by him in the field and by pen drawings of over 200 artifacts and objects of art. This book completes his general report on the archaelogical work done by the expedition in America, reports on the southern interior of British Columbia, the cairns of British Columbia and Washington, and the shell heaps or ancient village refuse piles of the lower Fraser, having already appeared and the remaining matter being details of

neighboring regions rather than general increments to knowledge. The reports are published as archives to record the knowledge gained so that it may never be lost, as by the burning of one manuscript. They find their way into the libraries of learned societies, museums and universities in all parts of the world from Japan to Argentine republic, and from them material for newspapers, magazines, text books for schools, encyclopedias and lecturers is taken by virtue of their not being copyrighted and the facts being free for any seeker to abstract for his own particular purpose.

Another of the pioneers of the Pacific Coast has gone. George E: Cole, who died in Portland, Oregon, Dec. 3d, 1906, came to California among the first of the Argonauts. Like the others he was in quest of gold. After drifting about for some months he started for some newly discovered gold mines in Northern California. Routes of travel were different from those since. To get to these California diggings he sailed on the brig Reindeer, October 24th, 1850, for Umpqua City, near the mouth of Umpqua river, in Oregon, some hundreds of miles northwest from the place to which he was bound. The brig had in all about seventy passengers, most of them, queerly enough, destined for Portland, other hundreds of miles northeast from the point of debarkation. Among these passengers was Philip Ritz, who later came to Washington Territory, and became one of its most influential, valuable and distinguished citizens. Cole and Ritz had crossed the plains together, and were warm personal friends, chumming it frequently, and being associated in interest many times until the death of Ritz, forty years later. They were diverted from the California mines and settled in Oregon instead, where they dwelt ten or twelve years, when they removed to Washington, establishing themselves in the Walla Walla country. While in Oregon Mr. Cole served in the Territorial Legislature two years, he being a member of the House of Representatives in 1852-53, with Ebey, Chenoweth and others, when the counties of Pierce, King, Jefferson and Island, on Puget Sound, were created. He served as first clerk of the U. S. District Court in Oregon, in 185960. In 1863, while a resident of Walla Walla, he was nominated for delegate to Congress by the Democratic convention of Washington Territory. His opponent was Rev. J. O. Raynor, a Methodist clergyman then serving as chaplain at the military post of Fort Steilacoom. The Territory was Democratic in its earlier years, and Cole was elected. The pay of congressmen at that time was $3.000 per annum, in paper money worth only 50 cents on the dollar. Delegate Cole found it very difficult to live in Washington City, and maintain his family on his allowance