Page 41 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 39
indicated by the orciel. in which they are named. Of private
libraries, the most comprehensive in this specialty are those of
Mr. LENOS, of New York, Mr. BROWN, of Providence, and
Messrs. MURPHY and BREVOORT, of Brooklyn.
"The largest and most valuable thcsaurns of manuscripts, are
those of BANCROPT and PBESCOTT. 80 exceptional has been
the interest ir?, so poor the appreciation of this literature, that,
until very recently, whatever had been gathered up from oue
source or another, was comprehended in these few libraries, with
the exception of a very little treasured in the small historical li-
braries of some of the older states. And it must be remembered,
in addition, that it formed but a most inconsiderable portion of
each.
Wisconsin .fIisto~ical J'ociety noticed.
Of late, there has been a gratifying increase of interest in
matters relating to American history, displaying itself in the
establishment through individual enterprise exclusively, of nu-
merous '.State Historical Socicties ' in different sections of the
Union. And it is not a little interesting to note in this, as well
as in inore practical enterprises, the aphorism, ' Westward the
star of Empire takes its way ! ' finds confirn~ation. Minnesota
and Iowa have very respectable IIistorical libraries. WISCONSIN
deserves all praise, for she has already, with few exceptions, the
best ' State Xistorical Society and Library ,' in the Union,
arising from the fact, that whereas the Eastern States donate
nothing, and the most of the Western only a nominal sum,
Wisconsin has ap$ropriated several thousand dollars to this
institution. This early devcloprnent of historical interest will
secure for the West the most acturate and reliable records of
her growth, the importance of which, though me may infer it,
will only be fully comprehended in the future.

Charles B. Norton's Labo,~*s.
"The increasing attention paid to this sort of literature is, in
some good degree, the result of exertions made by Mr. CHAS.
B. NORTON, of New York, formerly of the 'Publishers' Circu-