NOTES AND FRAGMENTS.

Cataloging the University Collections.—A short time since, the Regents appropriated money for cataloging the archives of the University in a more systematic and thorough manner than has been possible heretofore. Mrs. Mattie Austin Hatcher, M. A., 1903, and Fellow in History, 1902-1904, has been appointed cataloger. During her incumbency as Fellow, Mrs. Hatcher was engaged mainly in classifying the Béxar Archives; but since her appointment as cataloger, her work has been confined entirely to arranging the most valuable collection belonging to the archives, the documents known as the Austin Papers; and much has been done towards making them more available for historical reference.

This collection contains something like ten thousand separate documents of varied character—compositions expressing Austin's views on various subjects, letters, decrees of the Mexican government, agreements, promissory notes, newspapers, etc. This mass of documents has been separated into two divisions—letters and miscellaneous matter; and these two classes, after having been placed in durable covers, have been arranged according to date. The earliest document of the whole collection is a memorandum of balance due William Z. Hubbard &Co. by Charles Lynch, dated Lynchburg, February, 1790, signed by Byars ⁵⁵ and attested by H. Ward. The earliest letter was written June 1, 1794, by Thos. Ruston of Philadelphia to Moses Austin for the purpose of introducing Jos. Burr who was to act as the writer's agent in taking up lands at Austinville, Va., and of discussing terms upon which Austin would dispose of said lands. Stephen Austin died in December, 1836, and the collection proper ends at this point although there are a great many papers of later date connected with the settlement of the estate, and also quite a number collected still later by Colonel Guy M. Bryan. Thus it will be seen the collection contains papers collected by Moses Austin during his residence in Virginia and Missouri, by Stephen Austin during his residence in Texas, by the latter's executor, James F. Perry, and by his nephew, Guy M. Bryan.

In the actual work of cataloging, all letters through 1829 have been finished. This includes about half of the letters and, by rough estimate, about one-fourth of the entire collection.

Publications of the Southern Historical Association Suspended.—A recent announcement which affords matters for sincere regret is that of the suspension of the Publications of the Southern Historical Association. The series has passed through eleven volumes, and the prospect of its discontinuance—since it constitutes the most fruitful and useful activity of the Southern Historical Association—is most unfortunate. It is understood that efforts are under way to effect an arrangement for the continuance of the Publications; and it is earnestly hoped that some such arrangement, of a kind that will be satisfactory to all concerned, can be made.