Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-22

The annual meeting of the American Anti
quarian Society was held at the hall of the So
ciety, in this city, yesterday, the president,
Hon Stephen Salisbury, in the chair. The
first business was the reading of the report of
the council by Hon. Benjamin f. Thomas.
The report gave an interesting sketch of the
life of the founder of the society, the late
Isaiah Thomas, whose entire gifts to it, in
books, building, and legacies, amounted to
over $4,000. The charter of the society was
granted Oct. 4, 1872, consequently the pres
ent year commences the second semi-centen-
NAL anniversary of its existence. Mr.. Thorn
as was president till his death in 1881. The
entire contributions to the society by its pres
ent president, Hon. Stephen Salisbury, in va
rious ways, amount to over 5000 The IL
brary now comprises over 10000 volumes,
and there is permanent fund to the society
of $4,000. The report closes as follows =
"When this institution was founded, the
country was at war with foreign foe The
close of our first half century finds us amid
the commissions of civil war, in struggle for
national life. The writer of this brief report
confesses that he has found it impossible
wholly to withdraw the mind even for an hour
from the theme which fills every heart, and
trembles on every lip, which breaks into
prayer, melts into tears, kindles into flame,
the last thought at night, the first thought at
morning, our country, our distracted, afflicted
country-perpleXed, but not in despair; cast
down, but not destroyed; wrestling, we fondly
trust, with adversely, as Jacob wrestled with
the angel, to wiring from it its blessing, yelled
and ecipsed as the sun, to come forth again
with life and light and glory in its beams"
The report of the librarian, Samuel f. Ha-
ven, Esq, was an interesting and elaborate
document, relative to the operations of the
society. 1t speaks as follows of one, among
the many contributions of the library, during
the past year.
'The most elaborate and important gift in
this department (relative to the war; is one
for which the society and the country are
| equally indebted to Mr.. Pickering Dodge He
began at the commencement of the war to clip
| from newspapers representing different par
ties and policies, descriptive, argumentative,
and statistical articles referring to events as
they occurred, for the purpose of forming
documentary history of the rebellion, com
piled from such contemporary sources. Out
Of these materials he has, with remarkable
skill, constructed convenient octave volumes
each embracing about the period of Il month,
handsomely bound and provided with care
fully prepared table Of contents. With the
circumstances of leisure and warm interest
in the undertaking, Mr. Dodge unites other
advantages for the preparation of such book.
| Himself loyal Northerner he is connected
/ by marriage with ardent secessionsts at the
! South, and his residence in Baltimore last
winter, on account of his health, enabled him
to secure a large number Of Southern papers
for that portion of his compilation-whose
! materials are least accessible, and are likely
to have the special merit of variety. Twelve
volumes are already completed, and Mr..
Dodge is now actively pursuing his. patriotic
labors in Philadelphia, where he has many IA
cilities and expects to remain till warm wealth
er. His collections, finished and unfinished,
are secured to the society in case of accident
to himself by regular form Of conveyance. 4"
A resolution offered by Gov. Lincoln, thank
ing the donor for these valuable collections,
and gratefully accepting them to be deposited
with this society, for the use Of the future his
tory of the country, was unanimously adopt
ed. The report Of the treasurer, Hon. Henry
Chaplin, was read, and referred to the auditing
committee, DIR. George Chandler and Nathan