The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-21
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The Annual Winter Meeting Held in
Portland Yesterday.
The List of Donations Made to the
Society Lately.

COStohy eotCtys
At the meeting Of the Maine Historical
Society yesterday afternoon, Mr.. Williamson
In the absence of President Baxter. occupied
the chair. There was fair attendance,
mostly of local members. The librarian and
curator. Mr.. II. W. Bryant. reported as fol-
lows:
Fifteen volumes OF early American school books
from Mi s +. NJ. tsuxton OF Bethel.
loves Almanac for 1918, aud the Phllbrlck
and Philbrook Genealogy, from L: 9. pmlbroos
Cl rke's Seamans Manual, PiddingtOn's Sailors
Horn book Blunt's Coast Pilot, Thom's Naviga-
ton and other works from Thomas L. Merrill.
Francis Champernowne and other historical
papers by the late G. W. futile from the estate Of
Bunker Hill Memorial Tablets, and the
Twentieth Report Of the Records Commission
from the city Of Boston, the conspiracy Trial and
Jonathan Fishers Scripture Animals, with orr
ginal wood cuts by the author, from e. E. B.
Six sermons and addresses delivered in Ware,
Mass, from VIM. 5. Hyde.
Thirteen Harvard University Bulletins from
Prof. WinSOr.
twenty volumes Of government reports
Architecture by LIE Clerc. I714.
Proofs of infant church membership 1876.
The cure of church divisions 1870,
The catechizing Of families 1883.
The Poor Mans Family Book 1874. written by
Richard Baxter, from James p. Baxter.
The 4th volume OF the American Journal OF
Archaeology from John Z. Dewitt.
, Lie OF Camp Meeting Rev. John Allen from P.
One hundred and seventy-hve miscellaneous
pamphlets from the Massachusetts Historical So
Sketch Of the. old parish burying ground OF
WINDSOR, N. s., from w. G. Frye.
-Four hundred and twenty-five miscellaneous
pampaIets from Edward Small.
The following works have been added by
purchase to the library:
The Cavaliers and Roundheads Of Barbados by
Ballou's history of the town of Milford, Massa
Emery's ministry of Taunton.
DeCosta's Pre-Columbian Discovery of Amer
Felts customs of New England
=, Inc charters OF the British Colonies in Amer
The Groom Theological series.
Leonard Weeks Genoa ogy aud divers history
OF lhe Pu itan Commonwealth =
The thanks Of the society are also due for
favors received to c. G. Jones, Jr, A. A
Berry. E. F. Dar.n, DR.. Charles b. Smith,
;: ID Pe-t, Mrs. Marcian Seavey, s. w.
Matthews, John +. Sprague, S. Fl. Whitney,
Mcclellan, 4. g +. Candage, s. P. May
berry, W. ID. Brownson, Smithsonian Insti-
tu'iOn. American Philosophical Socity, Col
by University, Union Theological Seminary,
New Hampshire Genealogical Society and
American Antiquarian Society.
For the cabinet We have received bound manu-
SCRIPT COPIES 81 the Records Of the First Church
William M. Sargent.
A ram engraved portrait Of the Rev. Samuel
Dr. James A. Spaidinx has given a small yo :
ume, o und in parchment, evidently leaf from
All ancient missal, and is a curious specimen Of
paleo. iaphy, d"ne before the invention of print
Ing. 1t Is interesting to note that the earliest
type used was copied from the Script used by the
A broa1side Of an exhibition at Hebron Acade-
my ~ 1927, from Mr.. Elliott Smith Of Norway
A framed photograph portrait of the late Rev.
Dr Edward Ballard, from Miss Sarah j. Ballard
A bottle of sand from the river Nile and a hand
ksrchi ia en- fromt rebel schooner Archer in
A fragment OF the coffin in which George Wash
ingt9n was frst buried. duly authenticated, from
A large photograph, handsomely framed, of the
late Cyrus Woodman, is the gift Of Edward Wood
man.
received from MARQUIS King. and ea as1 n esse
papers from W. II Br0wnson.
Also from Or. Fillebrown, 10 bank notes of the
confederate states and OF the early state banks.
The society is indebted to Mr.. A. G. Ten
ney OF Brunswick, for the recovery of the
wick.
Also to the Messrs. Mannix Brothers,
stone cutters of this city, for their generosity
in furnishing the granite base to the ancient
Chinese post surmounted by the sacred dog
Foe, at present deposited in the lower read
Ing room. This post from the entrance to a
temple is known to be at least 500 years old,
and was the. gift Of Captain Frank l.. Cakes
from this town 10 1857. The letter is adj
dressed to John Weste. Esq, in Boston.
These papers were read:
CHRISTENING OF THE STATE.
Mr.. George f. Emery in his valuable paper
said the christening of the state occurred in
the convention of 1919 A committee of one
from each county reported In favor of the
title COMMONWEALTH of Maine" A contest
ensued over the word commonwealth"
associations and state dignity, while others
thought Estate" briefer and more proper, as
the constitution made no provision for the
admission s Of commenwealths; State" was
of columbus" and "Ligonia" were urged In
prevail.
A history of the state seal followed, copy
being read, and its device and emblems dis
cribed. he report on the seal was attrib-
uted to Col. Reed, but Gov. King and Benja-
min Vaughan, LID. had much to do with
IT, DR.. Vaughan's device of an aurora
borealis was given up because it could not
was great deal of criticism over the motto
"Dirig0," the editor of the Philadelphia Ma.
tional Gazette obtecting to 1t. The engraver
OF the seal was Henry Mitchell OF Boston.
although j. R. Penniman Of Boston, noted
designer, made more perfect one after
wards. Eight changes have taken place in
the seal since the original one was adopted,
all OF them slight notifications Of the en-
blems On the seal.
During the imbroglio of 1880 the disappear
ance Of the seal from its proper place of de-
posit led to authorization Of the present one,
which was to be cumfOrmable to that sac
knowledged as the seal Of the state" The
lack OF adherence to the original device and
OF uniformity In the picture representations
OF our seal was deprecated as disrespectful,
and has demorslized the public as to what
constitutes tae true ensign OF our state gov
eminent.
The paper closed by adverting to the fact
that several thsr states have Incurred un-
authorized alterations of their seals, among
them New York, which, 10 1882, by legisla-
ton re-establiShed hers.
SKETCH OF REV. DIR. CHAMPLIN.
Rev. ii. S. Burrage. d. D., then read an
interesting paper on "A Sketch of the Life
of the late Rev. j. T. Champlin, D. D.,
LID" from which we make brief extract
Rev. James Tiff Champlin was born at
Lebanon, Conn, In the year of 1911. He re-
ceived collegiate education, aud while
pursuing his theological studies was engaged
DO tuIOE III DEOWu university, In 1850, CON-
tinutng there three years. A vacancy occur
ring In the First Baptist church, In Federal
street, In this city, call was given to Tutor
ChamDlin, and on May 8, 1888, he was
ordained pastor of that church. He loved
the work, and had successful pastOrate, but
abronchal trouble caused him to resign, much
to the regret Of his people. He was elected
professor Of languages at Waterville College.
and ON Sept. 8, 1841, he began his life work.
Waterville then was only small village
on the stage line between Bangor and Au-
gusta.. In 1857 he was elected president Of
the college (being the SIXTH, and professor
OF intellectual and moral philosophy. 1t
was due to his efforts and untiring
energy that Gardner Colby made the
noble gift Of $50,0o0 for permanent fund in
1864, and 1t was at ris suggestion that the
legislature of 1867 changed the name of Wat
eryille College to Colby University.
Mr.. Burrage paid deserved ibute to DIR.
Champlin as an author and translator, al
though his Influence was as a man and not
as writer. de threw his whole heart into
his work whatever that work happened to
be. DR.. Champlin resigned the presidency
of Colby University In 1872, having been
connected with the college 80 years.
A TYPOGRAPHICAL sURMIsE.
VIM. M. Sargent presented short paper
on "a Typographical Surmise. Locating the
Houses Of Godfrey and Gorges. in York,
Me-"
Mr.. Edward Godfrey's house being the
first hnuco ht ilt In vorb M Garpanf 10