The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-08
Society of Natural History.


society on membership was read at its regular
business meeting Monday evening and ordered
to be published in the daily papers.
The Society of Natural History is making a
praiseworthy effort to increase SO largely the
number of its members as to make it, in every
sense of the word, popular institution,Its hall
and meetings place of pleasant and pro1ita-
BILE resort and is also endeayoring to make it q
self sustaining institution.
At the present time without vested fund
it is also without any floating debt, and 1t is re-
solved that none shall ever De incurred.
Having out grown its pleasant rooms in City
Hall, the occupancy of which 1t had enjoyed
since the great fire, in which it lost its new
hall, and the whole of its property for the sec
ond time, it felt compelled to purchase the uec-
essary land and erect upon 1t a building, hav-
ing reference in its construction to its present
and future wants. In order to accomplish this
it was under the necessity OF investing the
whole of its small fund, twelve thousand dol
lars, in the work.
The decision to do so was arrived at with no
little reluctance, and it was only finally adopt.
ed after the deliberate conviction was reached.
that it must eventually be for the best interests
of the society.
The conviction reached was that it would be
best to place the society at once in q position
where the opportunity to increase its useful
ness, by making it an institution OF and for all
our citizens, would be far greater than it ever
This was to be accomplished by erecting
building of some architectural merits that
would have the rooms for its meetings easy OF
access, upon the first floor, with well lighted
hall for the exhibition of its collections and
with other convenienceS that could not be OBJ
tanned in any other way
The attempt was made; the new hall was
erected upon Elm street in 1880, and the
first session of the societys meetings was held IN
the fall, winter and spring months OF lSS0-0l.
rlac.. noc WAR sustained
attracting the attention and exciting the IN
terest of our citizens in the welfare OF the
society. But it was known that the expenses
for carrying on the ordinary operations OF the
society were greater than the income from the
usual assessment of its members would admit
of being sustained beyond a very limited time,
without making such diminution in them as
would very seriously impair their usefulness
By increasing the number of its members IN
definitely or even by the simple addition to
them of from two to three hundred, 1t was
seen that the society would be enabled to go
on in the career of usefulness that 1t had marx
ed out for itself, its ability to do SO increasing
from year to year. Our society nas never
called in vain upon our citizens for assistance
and even now perhaps fund might have been
raised by subscription to replace that used IN
the construction OF the building, the interest,"
of which would have enabled us to go on as
usual with our work But tnis wouiu nave
been derived from a comparatively small num-
Der of our more wealthy citizens, and 1t was
thought best to make the effort to interest
larger number in the continued success OF the
society. This could be done by asking them to
become members of it, at their option either
to take an active part in its exercises or to
Join in part or solely for the purpose OF aldlng
it, first to the extent of its initiation fee of 20
and second, but pot until the second Year, Jus
regular annual assessment OF ~, from desire
to see such institution fourishing IN TINS Guy
1t is very gratifying evidence OF the holo
which it has upon this community that almost
without any effort on the part OF the commit
tee to solicit names, upwards OF two hundred
have already been proposed for membership
within the period of one month and the 1air
nrospect is that the large number of three hun
dred will very soon be completed. In Tar the
greater number of cases the persons asked to
Join the society have taken pains to express
| their pleasure in doing so and often regret
that they had not sooner thought OF ~ as y
| duty. Some have hesitated little upon per-
| sonal grounds of fitness for membership, their
| bu mess avocations directing their thoughts
and tastes into other channels. But when,
| having made themselves better acquainted
| with the aims and objects of the society, the
| thonght has occurred that among the members
| of their family or among their friends there
| might be some who would take an interests 10
| such pursuits, or else with desire to still do
| something more in the direction OF promotlng
| a public good, they have almost invariably al.
| lowed their names to be added to the list OF
| members. In only one or two instances has
| the invitation to join the society been declined
| otherwise than with the expression OF their re-
| luctance and regret. All this is very encour-
| aging TO the members of the society and to the
/ Committee who had been appointed by it to in
| vite our citizens to become members. Ii mas
i already become quite evident that the commit
tee will fail to call upon all who are! DESTROYS
| of Joining the society, first from their lgnor-
ance of the fact, and second, perhaps from
i want of personal acquaintance.
| Although the number that was specified by
/ the President, at the first meeting in October,
as being desirable 20 enable the society to go
on with its work has at the time OF this Writ
| ing been nearly obtained, yet there is no wish
or intention to debar as many as please from
| uniting with it. On the contrary, they are
| urgently invited to add their names and lnf1u-
ence in advancing the interests OF the society
and in this way, directly, the cause OF educa-
ton.
The committee take this method, therefore,
of notifying all who are yet DESTROYS OF aiding
the society by becoming members that they
are cordially invited to do so by slgnifying
such wish to any one OF the committee, or oy
| uniting their names upon paper that after
this date will be placed for that purpose in
the library room of the society on Elm street
which will be open every day from y to IL a. m
and from to p. M, or at the bookstore Of
Loring Short & Harmon.
| The society aims at increasing in every way
the attractions of its hall and of its meetings
and by the united zeal of a large number O.
onr citizens, its success will be fully insured
| These meetings can be made to fulfil the wish
| es of all its members, and as popular as any
| can be that aim at instruction in the science O
| Natural History.
An are invited to take an active part in the
| meetings, to present objects in Natural Histor,
and facts with whatever remarks they may see
| fit to make. The united interest OF larg'
| number can never fail of making such meet
ings both interesting and full Of valuable, in
| formation, both to young and old, in word o
of making them popular in the best sense 0
| the word.
The committee would further suggest tina
| the list of lady members should be coDsidera
blv increased, and that probably the ladies o
the society could more easily and appropriated,
accomplish this by extending. as COMMITTEE
of the whole an invitation to their friends an'
intimate acqaintanePs.
Whilst the foregoing remarks were beln
| prepared for the press, the information ha
been obtained that tie largest number 9
| new members that was reckoned upon as a.
| most a necessity, three hundred, has alread
heen obtained. But, as has already been said
| If Is nv no means the intention or wish OF tn
society to limit it to any particular number; tn
| greater it is, the greater also VIII be It's II
source and consequent ability to increase tn
sphere of its usefulness.
; VIM. Wood, John NJ. Gould, P. G. Manning
, Elihu Hasty, Joseph P. Thompson, A. l
Burbank, Woodbury. s. Dana, Charles 1
Fuller, Committee on Membership.
, Portland, Dec. 9th, 1881.
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