EDITORIALANA. |
|
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS. A convention of the International Society of Archaeologists was held at Cincinnati on September 29th, 1912. The meeting had been called as a semi-official gathering, but the large attendance and enthusiastic sessions resulted in its being voted an official convention -the first of the organi- zation. The sessions were held at Art Museum, arrangements for this privilege having been made by Mr. Philip Hinkle, curator of that insti- tution. After the adjournment of the meeting, an inspection of the archaeological and other exhibits of the museum was made by the delegates and visitors, under the personal guidance of Mr. Hinkle. A feature of the convention was an address by Dr. William C. Mills, curator of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society's Museum at Columbus. Dr. Mills spoke interestingly on several phases of his explorations in the Ohio field and emphasized the importance of attention to detail in archeological research. Other speakers were Mr. David B. Emert, Dawson, Ohio, first president of the society; Mr. Allen J. Reynolds, Madison, Ind., its secretary and editor of the official organ, The Archae- ological Bulletin; Mr. F. P. Thompson, Dayton, Ohio; Prof. F. W. Gott- lieb, Morristown, Ind., and Mr. W. L. Griffin, Somerset, Ky. The principal business of the convention was the discussion of ways and means for broadening the society and its usefulness. Steps were taken for incorporating the body to enable it more forcibly to pursue the exposure and elimination of counterfeiters of archaeological speci- mens. The society was formed some three years ago with the avowed objects of exposing fraudulent dealers, to encourage the preservation of mounds and earthworks, and to curb the mercenary spirit among collectors by encouraging the study of archaeological material from a scientific standpoint. The society now has about 500 members. W. L. Griffin of Somerset, Ky., was named as permanent chairman, and H. C. Shetrone, Columbus, Ohio, as permanent secretary of the convention when the meeting was declared an official convention. Mr. J. A. Jeancon, Colorado Springs, Colo., is president of the society, and Mr. Allen Jesse Reynolds, Madison, Ind., secretary and editor. Sev- eral side trips were made by visiting members to nearby points of (486) |
Editorialana. 487
archaeological interest, including the
two serpent effigies of southern
Ohio.
Mr. Mills extended the society an invitation to attend the
second annual conference of the Society
of American Indians, held in
Columbus.
THE INDIAN CONFERENCE.
The historic Indian of Ohio, in the days
of his contest against
the invasion of the Whites, often
dreamed of organization for the pro-
tection of his race and confederations
were formed by Pontiac, Corn-
stalk, Little Turtle, and the last and
greatest by Tecumseh, the famous
Ohio Shawnee chief. It was just a
century ago that he gave up his
life in the battle of the Thames
fighting for the rights of his race.
To-day the Indian population of this
country, numbering some three
hundred thousand, is mostly confined to
the governmental reservations
of the West. They are the wards of the
nation, treated more like
children than citizens and deprived of
the right of voice in the govern-
ment. Their wrongs are many, and again
they are attempting to form
a tribal alliance, through which
organization they can influence the
government at Washington to bestow upon
them greater advantages
and protect them in many wrongs.
The condition of the American Indian
particularly attracted the
attention and aroused the sympathy of
Professor F. A. McKenzie, of
the Ohio State University, and some two
years ago he began a cor-
respondence with a number of
representatives of American Indians.
The result of that preliminary
correspondence was the gathering at
Columbus, in the first week of April,
1911, of six distinguished Indians,
viz.: Dr. Charles A. Eastman, Dr. Carlos
Montezuma, Thomas L. Sloan,
Hon. Charles E. Dagenett, Miss Laura M.
Cornelius, and Standing Bear
As the result of this first camp fire,
an invitation was issued to the vari-
ous western tribes, inviting their
representatives to meet in Columbus,
October 12th to 17th, 1911. The signers
of that invitation were: W. O.
Thompson, President, O. S. U.; George S.
Marshall, Mayor of Colum-
bus; Charles J. Pretzman, President
Chamber of Commerce; Joseph
Taylor Britan, President Columbus
Ministerial Ass'n; H. M. Blair,
Secretary Y. M. C. A.; E. O. Randall,
Secretary State Archaeological
and Historical Society; and J. M.
Henderson, President Columbus
Federation of Labor. The conference was
duly held, and was a grati-
fying success in every way. The second
Annual Conference of the
Society of American Indians will be held
in Columbus, October 2d
to 7th, 1912, a report of which will
appear in one of the subsequent
numbers of the Society's Quarterly.
Concerning this movement and its
conception, we reprint from
the Kit-Kat Club Magazine, for
September, 1912, the following article,
written by Professor F. A. McKenzie.
Two leaders of the Indian race, Dr.
Charles Eastman and the Rev.
488 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
Sherman Coolidge, also leaders in the
Society of American Indians,
which was organized in Columbus in the
year 1911, have reason to be
proud of the prophetic vision which led
them, many years ago, in the
city of Washington to foretell a need
and jointly to pledge their devo-
tion to an organization which should
gather the representatives of all the
tribes, once lords of our domain, to ponder
the problems of their race,
to demand and secure their rights, and
to inspire their fellow Indians to
repeat in the new civilization their
achievements of the old. Dr. Eastman,
in April, 1911, helped to draft the
original platform for the Society so long
in his dreams, a platform which will
remain historic as long as America
and the Indian are known. Mr. Coolidge
is the President of that Society.
These two men, however, do not stand
unmatched. Others here and
there, alone and in silence, have also
seen and cherished the vision.
It is the star of hope which shines for
any one who loves the race or
who seeks to solve the Indian problem.
In October, 1908, Dr. Eastman, Mr.
Coolidge, and Dr. Montezuma,
consented to give four lectures in
Columbus in connection with a course
of study on the Indians at the State
University. Those lectures, when
heard in Northminster Presbyterian
Church, excited a great deal of
attention and interest. They proved that
two races could be roused to
action. Starting with these three men, a
correspondence was begun, which
gradually extended until more than
twenty-five were included in the list
of Indians ready to start a Society. An
earnest endeavor had been made
to make even this small group
representative of diverse points of view.
It was essential that all Indians should
feel an equal right in the organi-
zation. After two years of such
correspondence, a call was issued for a
preliminary meeting in order that a
Conference could be brought into
existence through the formal action of a
body of Indians. So in April,
1911, six Indians, at the Chamber of
Commerce, sat for two days in
serious consultation, and brought into
substantial being the American
Indian Association. The brief platform
of six planks was hammered out
of serious differences, and in the end
represented contributions from every
one of the six persons present, and was
the unanimous choice of the group.
The writer does not know of a better
piece of composite workmanship.
In addition to Dr. Montezuma and Dr.
Eastman, this historic group was
made up of Miss Laura Cornelius, Mr.
Thomas L. Sloan, Mr. Charles E.
Dagenett, and Mr. Henry Standing Bear.
Mr. Dagenett, the only
employee of the Government in the group,
was made provisional chair-
man, and upon him fell the brunt of the
executive work which cul-
minated in the Conference of October. No
one will ever appraise the
prodigious work he accomplished, nor the
executive power he threw into
the situation. By the authority of this
body, too, Mrs. Rosa B. La Flesche
was made recording secretary, and she
left the government service, came
to Columbus in May and became an engine
of tireless energy in the
interest of the Society. Without her
energy and her sanity of judgment,
Editorialana. 489
the Conference probably could not have
been held last year. Miss Cor-
nelius as secretary invited the
Executive Committee to meet late in June
at her home in northern Wisconsin, and,
under the generous hospitality
of herself and her family, the program
for the Conference was drafted.
The letters asking for active and
associate memberships were also drawn
up there and on the train which brought
the committee back to Chicago.
Now the campaign was on, and the work
and the troubles began.
All good things cost trouble and work,
but the costs should be forgotten
so far as possible. One very serious
loss was suffered during the
summer. Dr. Montezuma withdrew from the
Society. There is a great
suspicion of the government in many
Indian circles. Dr. Montezuma's
consuming desire was to make the Indian
free. If the Society were to
work to that end, it must be
independent. Rumors spread over the
country that the government was secretly
controlling the Society. It
was even gravely asserted by outside
people that the government would
have paid spies at the Conference. So
the suspicions and rumors grew
until Dr. Montezuma felt obliged to
withdraw. As the Society continues
to demonstrate its complete
independence, it is hoped he, one of the
founders of the movement, will feel able
to return. The Society is free
and it includes all honest differences
of opinion.
At last on the anniversary of the
discovery of America, the
Conference was opened to prove the army
of pessimists mistaken and
to justify the faith and works of the
optimists. Space will not allow
of any summary here of the proceedings
of this first national gathering
of American Indians. That may be found
in the report of the Con-
ference, a splendid duodecimo volume of
183 pages. Suffice it to say
that nationally and locally the
Conference was counted a distinct success.
True it is, of course, that differences
developed when attention turned
to organization, and those differences, based
upon honest opposing points
of view, continued after the Conference
closed, and resulted in January
in a change of principal officers. The
persistent fear of government con-
trol led Mr. Dagenett to sacrifice the
well-earned distinction of Executive
Secretary. At the same time Mr. Sloan
made an equal sacrifice of the
position of chairman. Both men continue
to be powers in the Society,
which was extremely fortunate in finding
Mr. Parker and Mr. Coolidge,
men who could fill the two positions to
the satisfaction of the entire
membership. Harmony reigns. If the
Society shall now be given the
moral and financial support which it
deserves it will do a great work
for the Indian race and the American
nation.
JAMES HOUSE ANDERSON.
Judge James House Anderson died in the
City of Columbus, June
27, 1912. He had been an invalid for some years, being confined
to his residence, but his mind remained
alert to the end. He was a man
490 Ohio Arch. and
Hist. Society Publications.
of great vigor of character and strength
of intellect, and his life was
one of unusual activity and
accomplishment. We glean the main facts
of his career from a volume entitled,
"The Life and Letters of Judge
Thomas J. Anderson and Wife,"
edited and annotated by James H.
Anderson.
James House Anderson, son of Judge
Thomas Jefferson and Nancy
Dunlevy Anderson, was born in Marion,
March 16, 1833. He was edu-
cated in the district and select schools
of the town, in the Marion
Academy, and at the Ohio Wesleyan
University. He studied law under
Ozias Bowen, (subsequently Supreme
Judge), and Bradford R. Durfee,
graduated from the law department of the
Cincinnati College in the
spring of 1854, receiving the degree of
LL. B., and immediately began
the practice of his profession in his
native place. He was a delegate to
the first Republican State Convention in
Ohio, held July 13, 1855, in
Columbus. In April, 1855, he was elected
mayor of Marion, and in the
October following, prosecuting attorney
of the county. In the trial of
causes he was indefatigable, at times
eloquent, and usually successful.
On November 27, 1856, he was united in
marriage to Miss Princess
A. Miller, the youngest daughter of
David Miller, a pioneer of promi-
nence in Marion and Wyandot counties,
whose nephew Rear Admiral
Joseph N. Miller, U. S. N., (born in
Springfield, Ohio), represented the
U. S. Navy, by appointment of the
President at the Queen's Jubilee in
London in 1897. In 1859, Mr. Anderson
was a candidate for the State
Senate, in the district composed of
Marion, Logan, Union and Hardin
counties, and came within one vote of
receiving the nomination. In
March, 1861, he was appointed by
President Lincoln, United States Consul
at Hamburg, one of the most important
commercial cities in Europe,
and with his family at once embarked for
the scene of his duties. During
the Civil War, Hamburg became a
rendezvous for privateers, and blockade-
runners, where they received their
outfit and supplies, and the necessary
espionage of these vessels, their
lawless owners and officers, demanded
sleepless vigilance. Consul Anderson performed
his arduous duties most
efficiently, as is evidenced by the
number of commendatory letters received
by him from the governmental officials
of the United States during that
time of crisis.
While in Hamburg, Mr. Anderson was
notified that he had been
elected a member of the American
Geographical and Statistical Society,
and subsequently he was elected a
corresponding member of the American
Institute, which latter institution he
represented as a delegate, in May
1863, at the Great International Agricultural
Exhibition at Hamburg.
In August, 1866, becoming weary of
official life abroad and longing for
his native land, resigned his consulship
and returned home.
Devoted as Mr. Anderson had been to
President Lincoln through-
out the war period, and despite his
strong attachment to the Republican
party, he could not conscientiously
withhold his approval of the Southern
Editorialana. 491
policy of President Johnson, and in 1866
he was sent as a delegate from
the Eighth Congressional District of
Ohio, to the National Union Con-
vention at Philadelphia. In 1866,
President Johnson tendered him an
appointment as Chief Justice of Montana
Territory, which he declined,
not wishing to leave home again, but
accepted the office of Collector
of Internal Revenue, of the Eighth
Congressional District of Ohio.
In 1874, he moved from his home at Upper
Sandusky, having moved
there from Marion, to Columbus, the
place of his residence until his
death.
In 1878 he was appointed by Governor
Bishop Trustee of the Ohio
State University and for seven years was
chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Mr. Anderson took a deep interest and an
active part in the pro-
ceedings of the patriotic and other
organizations of which he was a
a member. At the National Congress of
the Sons of the American Revo-
lution, held in May, 1899, in Detroit,
he was elected Vice President
General of the National Society. He was
a delegate from the Ohio
Society to the National Congress, S. A.
R., at Morristown, N. J., in May,
1898; at Detroit, in May, 1899; at New
York City, in May, 1900, and
at Pittsburg, in May, 1901.
He was one of the earliest life members
of The Ohio State Arch-
aeological and Historical Society and
almost from the time of its organiza-
tion (1885) to the time of his decease,
took a most active and interested
part in its proceedings. He frequently
participated at public functions
under the auspices of this Society,
spoke at many of its important meet-
ings and was the author of several of
the most valuable and instructive
contributions to the publications of the
Society. Mr. Anderson was a
most painstaking and diligent student of
history, and his articles possessed
the rare value of great accuracy and
detail. He was, moreover, a man
of fine culture and most scholarly
accomplishments, giving his productions
finished literary form and phraseology.
In May, 1899, he was elected a Trustee
of this Society, which
position he continued to hold for three
terms ending in 1908. Judge
Anderson was also a member of order of
Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, the Ohio State Bar Association,
American Bar Association,
and president during the year 1902 of
the Old Northwest Genealogical
Society.
Judge Anderson is survived by his wife,
Princess A. Anderson, two
sons, Lieutenant James T. Anderson, U.
S. A., Charles F. Anderson,
Paducah, Ky., and a daughter, Mary
Princess Anderson-now Mrs.
Edward Orton, Jr.
492 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
ZACHARIAH T. SMITH.
[The following article is the expression
of respect to the memory of
Z. T. Smith by J. L. Lewis and published
in an Upper Sandusky news-
paper. Mr. Smith was for many years a
life member of the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society
and was potently interested in
securing the proper legislation for the
appropriation for the erection of a
building for the Society's Museum and
Library.]
It has oft been said that, "'Tis
not all of life to live; nor all of
death to die." And while many of us
think little of this statement, yet
in fact, it is the real measure of our
earthly existence. To live either
in the higher or lower type of animal
life, is to eat and breathe and sleep;
to give to the organs of the body
nourishment and strength and rest;
and so long as this can be done, we
live. And in thus living only, we
do no more than the lower animals.
But we learn from that oldest of books,
that in the later days of
creation, after all else was finished,
God made man in his own image,
breathed into him the breath of life and
gave him a duty to perform.
Hence 'tis not all of life to live. And
we as human beings should not
take from the world its food and air,
our sustenance, and give nothing
in return.
We owe to our Creator, our fellowman, to
ourselves and to our
surroundings, more than to simply exist.
All nature says to us, "Come
into my store-house and solve my
mysteries." The soil says, "Study
my ingredients and there shall be a
seed-time and a harvest;" the moun-
tains say, "In our depths are the
products of ages, knock and it shall
be opened unto you;" the mighty
ocean says, "On my bosom I will
carry the commerce of the world, bring
it unto me;" the rushing torrent
says, "I will not always destroy,
but if guided aright, I will turn the
wheels of industry;" the babbling
brook says, "I will water the hill-
side and the valley and the sunshine
shall bring forth fruit and flowers
that will surround and beautify the home
of man and the fragrance
thereof shall be his." So man, who
may be the crowning glory of
creation, will be its greatest failure,
unless he responds to the invitation
that on every side bids him to put forth
effort and "ask, that he may
receive."
The good of the world today is measured
by the efforts of men-
not every one, perhaps-but those who
have striven to perform the duties
assigned by him in whose image we are
created.
All can not do the same. It was not so
intended; but each, in his
way, can, if he will, do some part. And
of those who have lived in this
community, we find in the life of Z. T.
Smith of Pitt Township, Wyandot
County, Ohio, a most representative
example of willingness and work and
a life that is well worthy of imitation.
Born and reared upon a farm, in his
boyhood days, he did not have
Editorialana. 493
the present school advantages, but
habits of industry and determination
helped him to gain knowledge that may be
found in other ways outside
of the school room, and in his mature
years he grew to be one of the
best generally informed men in this part
of the state and was considered
authority on many of the leading
scientific and historical subjects of
the day, and especially was this true as
to the lives and habits of the
early people of this and other nations.
He was a most patient and thorough
student of nature, having few
equals and no superior in that line; was
one of the early members
of the Archaeological and Historical
Society of Ohio, and after years
of research, has secured the most
valuable specimens in the state,
having hundreds of kinds of wood from
the different countries of the
world, metals, rock, grasses, flowers
and birds.
He was not a theorist, but a plain,
unassuming, practical student
and one of the few men whose real
knowledge was far in excess of what
he professed to know, and when asked by
a friend how he had, without
special advantages, secured so much
valuable information, modestly
replied that in early life he formed the
habit of staying at home nights
and the time thus gained, in addition to
rainy days, had given him the
opportunity. Thus while some live only,
he has proven that 'tis not all
of life to live. And it is unfortunate
that he did not become associated
with some leading institution of
learning, and thus give to the world
more of the rare jewels of information
he possessed, for like Lincoln
he knew much that colleges do not teach.
Naturally enough, he loved
the forest, and with its depths, by
intermingling of genius and industry,
he builded for himself and loved ones a
most beautiful home, where, sur-
rounded by waving branches, singing
birds and the rippling waters of the
nearby river, he communed with nature,
and studied the beauties of
flowers and trees and plants. The birds
were his companions and he
watched their coming and going, as he
did the visits and departure
of his friends. He was an expert in the
growing of berries, fruits,
trees and farm crops, and authority as
judge of thoroughbred cattle, hogs,
sheep and chickens, all of which he
raised on his farm. He was a most
valuable member of the Wyandot County
Agricultural Society, a president,
and in other positions, and was
statistician for the state society at Colum-
bus and the department of agriculture at
Washington. He was greatly
interested in the schools in his
vicinity, and, in remembrance of his
friendship to the Harpster village
school, the scholars thereof placed
upon his casket a spray of flowers he
loved so well, and which were
emblematical of the purity of his life.
And not only was Z. T. Smith a
most desirable and interesting
companion, but he was a public spirited
citizen as well, and in addition to his
otherwise busy life, as member
of school-board, trustee, justice, land
appraiser and in other ways for
many years, and in a most satisfactory
manner, he gave his time and
talents to public good. And the higher
offices of our state and nation
494 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
have been filled by men of less ability and less honesty of purpose than had he. As an official, he was wise in judgment, firm in conviction, prudent in policy; as a citizen he was the most desirable kind; a respected neighbor, and dutiful son, a devoted husband, a kind father, and his death will not only be an irreparable loss to mother, wife, son and daughter, but also to friends and community. He builded better than he thought, and his life and life's work stand an honor to his family, a valuable lesson to the public and an example of what others may do by industry and application. Well may it be written on his monument, "Here lies an honest man, one of nature's uncrowned kings, who gave to the world more than he took from it, and who was loved, respected and trusted most by those who knew him best." Zachariah T. Smith, born in Wyandot county, Ohio, September 10, 1851, died April 4, 1912, was married to Miss Sarah E. McClain October 5, 1875. Two children were born to this union, Jeannette, born August 11, 1876, and Paul, born November 8, 1880. The father of Zachariah T. Smith was David Smith (deceased), born in Wyandot county, March 9, 1820, was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Blackburn, a resident of West Moreland county, Pa. She was born June 5, 1829. |
|
EDITORIALANA. |
|
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS. A convention of the International Society of Archaeologists was held at Cincinnati on September 29th, 1912. The meeting had been called as a semi-official gathering, but the large attendance and enthusiastic sessions resulted in its being voted an official convention -the first of the organi- zation. The sessions were held at Art Museum, arrangements for this privilege having been made by Mr. Philip Hinkle, curator of that insti- tution. After the adjournment of the meeting, an inspection of the archaeological and other exhibits of the museum was made by the delegates and visitors, under the personal guidance of Mr. Hinkle. A feature of the convention was an address by Dr. William C. Mills, curator of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society's Museum at Columbus. Dr. Mills spoke interestingly on several phases of his explorations in the Ohio field and emphasized the importance of attention to detail in archeological research. Other speakers were Mr. David B. Emert, Dawson, Ohio, first president of the society; Mr. Allen J. Reynolds, Madison, Ind., its secretary and editor of the official organ, The Archae- ological Bulletin; Mr. F. P. Thompson, Dayton, Ohio; Prof. F. W. Gott- lieb, Morristown, Ind., and Mr. W. L. Griffin, Somerset, Ky. The principal business of the convention was the discussion of ways and means for broadening the society and its usefulness. Steps were taken for incorporating the body to enable it more forcibly to pursue the exposure and elimination of counterfeiters of archaeological speci- mens. The society was formed some three years ago with the avowed objects of exposing fraudulent dealers, to encourage the preservation of mounds and earthworks, and to curb the mercenary spirit among collectors by encouraging the study of archaeological material from a scientific standpoint. The society now has about 500 members. W. L. Griffin of Somerset, Ky., was named as permanent chairman, and H. C. Shetrone, Columbus, Ohio, as permanent secretary of the convention when the meeting was declared an official convention. Mr. J. A. Jeancon, Colorado Springs, Colo., is president of the society, and Mr. Allen Jesse Reynolds, Madison, Ind., secretary and editor. Sev- eral side trips were made by visiting members to nearby points of (486) |