594 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



non-resident members. A manual for the use of members has 

 been prepared by Lieutenant F. S. Bassett, and it contains many 

 practical observations and suggestions for collectors. The Chi- 

 cago society publishes a quarterly journal called The Folk-lorist, 

 edited by Lieutenant Bassett and Mrs. Bassett, both of whom de- 

 serve credit for promoting the organized study of folk lore in 

 Chicago. The contribution on Illinois Folk Lore, by Miss Helen 

 M. Wheeler, shows what the right person can do in the State out- 

 side of the cities. Many of the superstitions of the pioneers of 

 the Western country have disappeared, but the traditional cus- 

 toms and beliefs of their descendants, if closely studied as they 



have been noted by some 

 American novelists, should 

 yield unexpected results. 



The meetings of the Chi- 

 cago Folk-lore Society are 

 held once a month at the 

 Woman's Club Rooms. They 

 have been very interesting 

 and well attended. Some 

 idea of the useful work done 

 may be gained from the pro- 

 gramme presented at the 

 meeting in April last. The 

 guests of the evening were 

 Mrs. French - Sheldon, the 

 African explorer, and Cap- 

 tain John G. Bourke. There 

 were contributions by Mrs. 

 Molly Eliot Seawell, Miss 

 Mary A. Owen (the author 

 of a book of Voodoo Tales), 

 Mrs. Eva Wigstroem, of 



Sweden, Mr. A. M. Stephen, and Prof. H. Hurlburt. The readers 

 were Major Joseph Kirkland, Mr. Franklin H. Head, Captain E. 

 L. Huggins, and Mrs. Wilmarth.* 



This completes the list of local folk-lore societies in America. 

 It is expected that one or two new branches will be established 

 before another year. There should be folk-lore societies in fields 



COLONEL CHARLKS C. JONES, JK. 



* The Chicago Folk-lore Society has adopted a seal and motto an idea which might 

 be used by the other societies. The figure in the seal represents the meal-sprinkler of the 

 Navajos the courier sent out by the priest during the ceremonies of the "Mountain 

 Chant." The motto on the seal is the well-known line from Hiawatha " Whence these 

 legends and traditions." (Dr. Mathews's account of the ceremonies in Report of the Bureau 

 of Ethnology for 1883-'84.) 



