in the opinion of your committee the time has come to move for a permanent building for the Society.

H. H. WILSON,

E. T. HARTLEY,

F. W. BROWN,

A. J. SAWYER,

W. A. SELLECK.

Mr. Henry H. Wilson moved the adoption of the report. Carried unanimously.

The committee on obituaries, through Mr. A. J. Sawyer, submitted the following report:

The Committee on Obituaries have to report that that mysterious power which we call Death has invaded our ranks and taken from our list of membership, General John M. Thayer, Edward Rosewater, Major Charles W. Pierce, and Nathan Blakely; therefore be it

· Resolved, That in their death the Nebraska State Historical Society has lost four of its most honored and respected members. Each was a patriot and rendered conspicuous service to the nation in its hour of need; each a statesman and helped to lay broad and deep the foundation of our commonwealth and to govern it with just and wholesome laws; each was a philanthropist ever seeking the good of his brother men; each was a pioneer and endured the hardships and privations common to the vanguard of settlers in a new territory. By their lofty patriotism, their pride of state, their zeal for its betterment and their civic virtues, they have left their impress for good upon the institutions of our noble Nebraska which shall endure through all time.

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the records of this Society and also furnished to the press. A. J. SAWYER.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.

On motion of Samuel B. Iiams the Secretary was instructed to cast, and did so cast, the unanimous ballot of the members present for the election to active membership of the following:

The Secretary then proposed for honorary membership the following:

Horace E. Deemer, Red Oak, Iowa.

William J. Leverett, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

On motion the Secretary was instructed to cast the unanimous ballot of the members present for the election of these gentlemen to honorary membership.

The Secretary: The ballot is so cast.

Then followed the election of officers for the ensuing year. George D. Bennett moved that "the present officers be reelected to succeed themselves as follows:

President, George L. Miller, Omaha;

1st Vice-President, Robert Harvey, St. Paul; 2d Vice-President, James E. North, Columbus; Secretary, Clarence S. Paine, Lincoln; Treasurer, Stephen L. Geisthardt, Lincoln.”

There being no other nominations, Mr. Samuel B. Iiams moved that the rules be suspended and the Secretary be instructed to cast the ballot of the Society for the officers named. Mr. H. H. Wilson moved to amend by making it the duty of the mover of the motion to cast the ballot. The amendment was accepted. The question upon the motion was put by the Secretary and unanimously carried. The ballot being cast by Mr. Iiams, the following were declared by the President to be the duly elected officers of the Society for the year 1908:

President..

1st Vice-President..

2d Vice-President..

Secretary.

Treasurer..

George L. Miller, Omaha .. Robert Harvey, St. Paul James E. North, Columbus .Clarence S. Paine, Lincoln

Stephen L. Geisthardt, Lincoln

The following amendments to the Constitution, recommended by the Executive Board, were then presented by the Secretary and ordered laid upon the table:

First-To amend article IV, second paragraph, by striking out "upon signing blank membership form, furnished by the Secretary," and substituting therefor the following: "provided further, that any person donating to the Society prop.erty to the value of $5 shall be entitled to active membership without payment of membership fee, and be considered an active member during the continuance of such loan, without payment of fee."

Second-To amend article IV, third paragraph, by striking out the words "the Secretary shall furnish each life member with an engraved certificate of the same, suitable for framing," and substituting therefor the words "said life membership shall entitle the holder to all the privileges of the Society, including the right to vote, and to receive publications without the payment of membership fee or other dues."

Third-To amend article IV, paragraph four, by adding the following: "The Secretary shall furnish each member an engraved certificate of membership, suitable for framing."

Fourth-To amend article IV by the addition of another paragraph as follows: "Any society in Nebraska, organized for the purpose of gathering and preserving facts relative to the history of this state and of its individual citizens, may, upon application, become an auxiliary member of this Society, be represented at all general meetings thereof by one delegate, and make a report of its work annually to this Society."

Fifth-To amend article V, fourth paragraph, by striking out the words "shall collect and."

Sixth-To amend article V, fifth paragraph, by inserting after the word "correspondence" the following: "he shall collect all membership fees or other moneys due to the Society, and turn the same over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor."

The regular program was then presented as follows:

Piano solo

Miss Marilla Hunter

.Horace E. Deemer

Address, "The Part of Iowa in the Organization of Ne

braska,"

Vocal solo.

....

Mrs. Kittie Austin Aylsworth Address, "The Last Battle Between the Pawnee and Sioux in Nebraska".

...

William Z. Taylor

The meeting was then, by the President, declared ad

journed.

CLARENCE S. PAINE,

Secretary.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.

FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1907.

Members of the Nebraska State Historical Society:

In submitting this, my first annual report, I do it with a feeling that, however much has been accomplished in the past year, it must seem little indeed when compared with what remains to be done to place this Society in that commanding position among similar institutions which it ought to occupy.

My predecessors in office laid well the foundation for a great historical library and museum, and the citizens of Nebraska owe to them, for their self-sacrificing labors, a debt which will never be liquidated. Considering the small appropriations available and the consequent lack of help and of facilities, they assembled an immense quantity of very valuable material, which only needed to be made accessible in order to be of inestimable benefit to historians, students, scientists, and all investigators. The sorting, arranging, classifying, and cataloguing of this material has been the principal work of your present Secretary and his assistants during the past months. While it can not be said that this work is wholly completed, we are at least able to report substantial progress.

REVIEW OF THE PAST.

The Nebraska State Historical Society was organized in 1878, but for some years little more was attempted than to maintain an organization and hold annual meetings, at which