The Society commenced its work vigorously, and immedi- 

 ately obtained suitable rooms in the Radiger block, near the 

 present site of the Confederation Life building, 467 Main St. 

 During the first year the Society secured a grant of $200 from 

 the Legislature, which sum, with a small increase, it has re- 

 ceived yearly ever since. With a similar amount received from 

 fees, the Society at once entered upon the work of founding a 

 library. The history of this library is the subject now before us. 



The writer well remembers the purchase of the first book- 

 case. It was to be something better than ordinary. Made of 

 unstained oak, it was to be increased section by section as new 

 cases were needed. It still serves the purpose of its origination 

 in the Society's library, but it is alone in its grandeur, all of 

 its succeeding adjuncts being made of humble pine. 



THE FIDLER LIBRARY. 



The first contribution to the Historical Society library was 

 350 volumes from the Hudson's Bay Company. A part of this 

 was books from the Fidler library, which has its own history. 

 Peter Fidler was a noted surveyor and fur trade officer, going 

 back to 1791, twenty years before Lord Selkirk's time. Dying 

 in 1822 he left 500 books of his library for a library nucleus 

 on Red River. The books were taken to Fort Garry and a 

 number of them, marked with the characteristic autograph of 

 the quaint old trader, are in our possession. Of this gift a 

 still larger number belonged to the " Military library." These 

 speak of the presence in Fort Garry in 1846-8 of H. M. 6th 

 Regiment of Foot, under the command of Col. Crofton, who 



