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369

May 8, 1905.

My dear Professor:-
      
Have just received a long letter from Dr. Kroeber in which he states that, in his judgment, a meeting of the anthropological association in San Francisco instead of in Portland would be much better for all concerned. He says in part:- "I see very little in the Portland Fair that would warrant any anthropologist in traleling [[traveling]] across the continent to see it, especially if he had seen St Louis. There are no anthropologists there and not even any institutions of any account. We have become acquainted with people interested in anthropology and have interested others, so that the Association could be sure of an attendance of a desirable kind. The trip to Portland would not have to be curtailed in any way and no doubt the low rate to the fair would hold good via San Francisco, or arrangements could be made to make them available. I hope you will see the advantage of holding the meeting here and will do what you can to bring it about."
       
Kroeber asked me to take the matter up with you and endeavor to have the change made. His suggestions bear great weight and I feel that San Francisco might prove the better place. From the reports of the meeting in St Louis it would seem that the great efforts put forth amounted to very little, that is in the way of interesting people in our work. Is a fair of this nature the place or is fair time the time to approach people and endeavor to interest them in scientific work? It would seem to me that a city like San Francisco would be much more desirable and that more good could be accomplished. The motion concerning the meeting at Portland was