id of the society. The executive
council meets once a month for the transaction of its business, at which
meetings, and at its annual meetings, interesting papers and essays are
delivered on historical subjects, which are preserved, and with other
matter are published in handsomely bound volumes when sufficient
material is accumulated.

The society, in the manner prescribed in its by-laws, may establish the
following separate departments:

Department of Annals and General History of Minnesota.
Department of Geology of Minnesota.
Department of Zooelogy of Minnesota.
Department of Botany of Minnesota.
Department of Meteorology of Minnesota.
Department of Northwestern Geography and Chartology.
Department of American History.
Department of Oriental History.
Department of European History.
Department of Genealogy and Heraldry.
Department of Ethnology and Anthropology.

It has corresponding members all over the world, and official
connections with nearly all the historical and learned societies of
Europe and America, with which it interchanges publications. It has a
membership of 142 life and 37 annual members. It may receive donations
from any source.

Its property, real and personal, is exempt from taxation of any kind. It
has accumulated a splendid library of about 63,000 volumes of all kinds
of historical, genealogical, scientific and general knowledge, all of
which are open and free to the public. It also has a gallery of pictures
of historical scenes in Minnesota, and portraits of men and women who
have been prominent in, or who have contributed to, the history or
growth of the state, together with an extensive museum of Indian and
other curiosities having some relation to Minnesota. One of its most
valuable attractions is a newspaper department, in which are complete
files of all newspapers which have been and are published in the state,
except a very few unimportant ones. The number of our state papers,
daily, weekly and monthly, received at the beginning of the year 1899 is
421. These papers are all bound in substantial volumes, for preservation
for the use of future generations. On Sept. 1, 1899, the society had on
the shelves of its fire-proof vault 4,250 of these volumes. Its rooms
are in the capitol at St. Paul, and are entirely inadequate for its
accommodation, but ample space has been allowed it in the new capitol
now in the course of construction.

ST