University of Virginia Library

THE
SAN FRANCISCO ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY,
AND
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES.

Pursuant to notice, a large and respectable number of those
of our citizens interested in the advancement of the arts and
sciences in California, assembled in the large hall over the
Union Hotel, at 8 o'clock on Thursday evening, the 31st of
June ult.

The meeting having come to order, was organized by our
distinguished fellow-citizen, Dr. Keensarvey, being called to
the chair, and the appointment of A. Cove, Esq. as Secretary.

The chairman then rose, and in that lucid style which
ever characterizes his public Addresses, briefly explained the
object of the meeting:—It had been urged, he said, and he
feared with too much justice, by our scientific friends in the
Eastern States, that the inhabitants of California, residing in a
country which opens to the Geologist, the Ethnologist, the
Mineralogist, the Botanist, the Taxidermist, the Antiquarian,

the Historian, the Philosopher and, in short, the Savant, the
richest and most unexampled field on the face of the globe,
or elsewhere, for their labors, were entirely regardless of
their privileges in this respect, utterly absorbed in the pursuit
of gain; and while excavating from the bowels of the
earth its auriferous deposits in sufficient quantity, they cared
not, to use a forcible illustration, the execration of a tinker,
for those sciences in the pursuit of which they could alone
find a rational manner of expending their accumulated
wealth.

Was it possible that this could be the case? Had we
not among us men of science, of liberality, of intelligence?
(Cries of “Yes, Yes!” from the meeting, and “Si Señor”
from a Castilian Savant in a glazed hat and judicious state of
spiritual elevation.) Had we not in our midst many who,
having acquired a sufficiency of worldly wealth, now wished
to find among the treasures of science, that calm satisfaction
which the possession of no amount of “dinero” can possibly
afford? (Tumultuous shouts of “Yes, yes! Seguro! Si Señor,”
and a voice, “Whar is he?”)—Yes, gentlemen, it was the
pride and pleasure of the Chairman to believe that such was
the case; and it was in the hope of being able to hurl back
the aspersions of the Savants of the east, that this meeting
was called together; it was with the hope of forming a permanent,
scientific, California Association, composed of such
material as cannot be found elsewhere, and whose researches
and transactions should be read with mingled emotions of
astonishment, delight and envy, by every enlightened lover of

science, from the eastern end of the North Farraleone Island,
proceeding easterly, to the western end of the same. (Loud
applause—cries of “Good! bon! bueno!” broke from the
meeting, and a deep moan of acquiescence from the Castilian
Savant, who, with the glazed hat partially shrouding his
massive intellectual developments, had become slightly somnolent.)

The applause consequent upon this beautiful effort of the
Chairman having subsided, Mr. B. S. Bags rose toad dress the
Chair:—

He had not the advantage of an early education—not
much, he hadn't; but he read a good deal, and liked it; and
he dare say now, that if the truth had been found out, he
knowed a great deal more than some of those filosifers at the
east. He wanted to see science go on in California. He had
a considerable interest in the place, and expected to spend his
days thar. He was now fifty-three years old; he come out
here twenty-three years ago as Steward of a Whale ship, and
he run away and turned Doctor. (Laughter; cries of “Hush,
hush!”) But he married a Californy widder, with a large
ranch; and he had, when the gold mines broke out, made his
“pile”—he had over three hundred thousand dollars, and he
didn't care who knowed it. He meant to devote the interest
of the same to learning science. (Uproarious applause
—cries of “Go it! that's the pint!” and “Carrambas!”)
He had three daughters, and he meant each on em should be
a scientific man (loud applause); one of em wore green specs
now, (immense applause accompanied by a cry of “Hep—ah!”

from a person in a white hat and blue blanket coat, who having
evidently mistaken his place, was requested by the Chair
to leave at once—but he didn't do it). Order being restored,
Mr. Bags went on to say, that he had money enough, and
had gin up trading stock, and began to study science for itself.
He had bought a “Mahomedon,” and could tell how
hot it was any time; he had examined the “Ah teasing”
well in the square, and knew something about Hydrocianics
from a contemplation of scientific structures. By reading the
papers daily, particularly the “Alta California,” he found all
sorts of new matters which he supposed give him considerable
idea of “New Mattix;” but above all, having seen in the
papers from the States an account of the “Bosilist pendulum”
and its application to the Bunker Hill Monument, by which
it showed how the earth turned round from east to west, he
had ever since for three hours each day, watched the Flag-staff
on the Plaza, and he could assure the meeting that when
the flag was trailed it always flew out to the West, and when
it was histed the rope always bent out to the East—(“Hear!
Hear!)—Gentlemen might say it was the wind that did
it, but what made the wind? If any gentleman here had
ever rid out to the Mission on a calm day (“Hear!” from a
Savant who kept a Livery Stable in Kearney Street), he must
have felt a breeze blowing in his face. Well! he made that
wind, he did, agoing! and it was the earth that made the
wind by turning around in just the same way. (Deep impression
produced: low remarks, “we must examine this! Bags is
a trump, &c.”)

Mr. Bags concluded that he had took up a good deal of
time, but he hoped that a society would be formed, and that
he would pay his share towards it (applause), and more too
(loud applause); he hoped he would be able to do more:—he
was now reading a paper in Silliman's Journal on the “Horizontal
Paralysis” with its effects on the “Cellular system,”
and he hoped to get some ideas out of it which he would
adapt to California; and if he should, the society should have
the benefit of it. Mr. Bags here sat down amid prolonged
and continued cheering.

Barney Braglagan was now loudly called for, but not appearing,
the meeting was addressed by several of our most
scientific citizens, the tendency of whose remarks was entirely
and unreservedly in favor of the formation of a permanent
society; and the meeting being wound up to the highest
state of scientific excitement, it was unanimously—Resolved:
That this meeting resolve itself into a permanent scientific
association, to be known as the “San Francisco Antiquarian
Society and California Academy of Arts and Sciences,”
and immediately enter into correspondence with all learned
and scientific associations on the face of the earth.

Immediately after the passage of the above resolution, a
committee, consisting of Dr. Keensarvey, A. Cove, and James
Colomel, M. D., were appointed to prepare a constitution for
the society. Leaving the hall, they immediately repaired to
the saloon of the California Exchange; when returning in
seven minutes and five seconds (mean solar time), they submitted
the following draft of a constituion, which was
adopted by acclamation:

Article I. The officers of this Society shall consist of a
President, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary,
Treasurer and Librarian, who shall be elected annually, by
ballot.

Article II. The objects of this Society shall comprise
inquiries into every thing in the remotest degree scientific
or artful.

Article III. The Society shall consist of members,
corresponding members and honorary members. The first to
be persons residing in California; the two last to include
both persons and residents of any other place on the face of
the globe, or elsewhere.

Article IV. There shall be an annual payment of one
hundred dollars, in City, County, or State scrip, by each
member residing in the City of San Franscisco, or its
vicinity.

The Society now proceeded to the election of officers
for the ensuing year, with the following result: President,
Dr. Keensarvey; Vice-President, M. Quelque Chose; Corresponding
Secretary, G. Squibob; Recording Secretary, A.
Cove; Treasurer, Buck S. Bags; Librarian, the Consul for
Ireland, ex-off.

On motion, the Treasurer received permission from the
Society to apply to the City Council for liberty to stack the
scrip forming the funds of the association upon the Plaza
under cover of a Tarpaulin.

On motion, committees were appointed to report at the
first meeting of the Society, on the following subjects

namely: 1st. Antiquity; 2d. Geology; 3d. Toxicology;
4th. Ethnology; all as applicable to California.

On motion the proceedings of this meeting, and the
future transactions of the Society shall be published in the
San Francisco Daily Alta Californian, Silliman's Journal,
the Boston Olive Branch, and the extra documents accompanying
the President's annual message.

On motion, the Society adjourned to hold its first regular
meeting on Thursday evening, July 15, in the remains of the
old Adobe building anciently standing on the north-west
corner of the Plaza.

Immediately on adjournment the several committees
entered with zeal upon their various duties: