Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/327

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Conference of Historical Societies.
321

are sometimes distributed, as in Michigan, to all libraries in the State, and are thus used for popular instructions among 1 the citizens and in the schools. As a general rule both classes are in want of funds for the proper management of the societies and are unable to do all that they desire or all that they ought to do in the proper line of historical research and work.

It has frequently happened in the past that two societies will collect and print in their publications, papers, and documents that have already been printed by some other society. This sometimes occurs because the two publications are issued at the same time and the publishing societies are ignorant of the works of each other. Sometimes this duplication occurs because the second publisher was ignorant of the former publication. It has also sometimes happened that one society will print a portion of some important document, omitting portions not of interest to the State or locality of the society, although the omitted portion may be of great interest to some other locality.

It is not always best to omit publication of documents simply because they can be found printed in some other publication. In the publication of a series of documents it would detract from their value somewhat to find a statement that some one or two were omitted because they were printed in the proceedings of some other society, while it would be a needless expense to any society to reprint an entire collection of documents because they applied to the locality of the society if the original print could be readily secured.

For the purposes of coöperation to avoid this unnecessary duplication it is suggested that the various societies send to the secretary of the American Historical Association, to be by him. at once transmitted to the other historical societies, a list of such papers as are proposed to be printed by the society during the ensuing year. As an illustration of how this will work, take the subject of the Haldimand papers, many of which have been printed in Michigan and Wisconsin. If any society proposes during the next year to print any more of these papers and a list is sent to every other society the publication of the same papers by any other society could be readily prevented.

Another good that might be derived from this notification can be readily seen in the following illustration: There is now in preparation for publication in the thirty-fourth volume of the Michigan Society the "Orderly Books of Gen. Anthony Wayne," comprising not only the books left by General Wayne, but the continuation of the same by his successor, General Wilkinson, and such other heretofore unpublished documents as can be obtained covering the period from 1792 to 1797. It is quite desirable that this publication should include everything that can be found on the subject of Indian warfare after the appointment of Wayne, at least until the time of his death in 1796. Many of the societies have letters, documents, diaries or journals, and