Evening star., 1897-02-23
Toaays Session sfths Daughters Of
tho American Revolution.
LIVELY BlGUSslOl on ADIlssl0As
Growth Of the Chapters and
Membership.
NOTES OF MEMBERS

The business of the morning session OF
the D. A. II. was largely routine. but q few
somewhat exciting features dropped in oc-
casionnIiy to enifven the reports. which
were Of necessity somewhat dry al detail.
though of vital interest to those who carry
the love Of the order close to their hearts.
The president general. Mrs. Stevenson,
was in the chair. supported on the right by
Mrs. A. G. Brackett, vice president gen
eraI and behind her chair sat her parlia-
mentary adviser.
Prayer was offered by the chaplain gen.
eral. Mrs. ]. j. Bullock. and America" was
sung as an opening ode. Reports Of the
national officers were the first thing in
der. That of the vice presiden. general in
charge of organization, Mrs. Philip tIich-
born. was interesting. as it gave some idea
of the spread of the 81 1t!ment in favor Of
the organiZatio The other reports were
those of Mrs. Charlotte Emerson Main. re-
cording secretary general; Mrs. Jonn l..
Mitchell corresponding secretary general;
reports of registrars general Mrs. Mary
Jane Seymour and Mrs. Albert D. Brockett;
historian general, Miss Elizabeth Bryant
Johnston: assistant historian general, Miss
Fedora Wilbur; surgeon general, DR.. Julia
Cleves Harrison. and librarian, DIR. Anita
NewcoMb MCGEE.
The report of the surgeon general was
short and sweet. and was most gleefully re-
c6aVeQ Dy the congress. SHe SAID tnat Sne
had found the honors Of the Office easy.
the work nil. and she therefore recon-
n:ended that the office be done away with,
as all there was to it was a name.
Reading of Reports.
Mrs. Mary Jane Seymour. one Of the
registers general. lead a very interesting
report. She has verified 3, 3,405 original pa
pers and 80 additional ones. She has sign
ed $50 badge permits, written $50 letters
and dictated nearly as many more. She re-
ported that she had verified the papers OF
80 real or original daughters of soldiers
Of the American revolution-two OF the
number being centenarians. Miss Eliza
beth McElroy Of the Gen. Freiinghuysen
Chapter was elected May Z. 1896. She
died soon after the news of her election
reached her and before the souvenir spoon
of the D. A. R. had been presented to her.
This spoon Is the property of the national
organization. and Is presented to each
original daughter. Miss Nancy Ray of
Rochester, N. Y. member of Susan Car
rington Clark Chapter. will celebrate her
one hundred and first birthday if she lives
till March 13. 1897. She was horored with
a large attendance at reception on her
one hundredth birthday She Is yet able
to attend her personal needs. She sent
Mrs. Seymour a poem OF twenty verses
which she often recites. 1t was written
before the revolution. and is entitled.
rington Clark Chapter holds the banner
for real daughter membership, because,
beside the centenarians 1T has nine Others
being eleven real daughters in ALL
Recording Secretary General.
Thu recording secretary general reported
that at the beginning of 1896 the member
ship of the society was 12.21S; now the rolls
displayed a membership of 1S,0OO gain of
5000. or more than 1000 more than in any
other year. During the year 122 charters
have been granted, divided among the
states rs follows: Massachusetts leading
with y; New York. IA; Ohio 10; Illinois
ranks as No. 4. having formed 7 new chan
ters during the year. Connecticut Is stiIi
the banner state. Kentucky has kept pace
Win = charters: Vermont, 5, while Michi-
gan Pennsylvania and Tennessee have Sc
cured 4. California. Delaware, Nebraska.
indiana, Iowa and Virginia count 3. Mary
land, Kansas. New Jersey. Rhode Island
and Wisconsin have 2, and Alabama, Dis
trfct OF Columbia. Maine, Mississippi. Min
nesota. Oregon and South Carolina have
one each.
Mrs. Main recommends the keeping of
record OF the organization of every chapter
In her state. She has signed her name
1000 times during the year! She spoke of
the pleasant conference on the consolida-
ton OF the two organizations, the Daugh-
ters Of the Revolution and the DauRh ters
Of the American Revolution and said the
OASIS OF the union OF the two societies
would be re I'd before the close OF the week
for the consideration OF the congress.
The Librarian General.
The librarian general. DR.. Anita New
COMP MCGEE. reported that when she took
the onice only 125 books were In possession
OF the historian general. Today the num-
Der OF volumes had increased to S27. or
the number eleven only had been pur-
chased; 722 had been presented to the na-
uenal society. q few at time. Four do
nf
Mrs. Watson A. Bomron Of the Moheean
chapter OF Sing Sing. N. Y. gave 157 vol
umes; the United States bureau of public
documents. 5s; Mr. Robert Buchanan. "a:
Mr.. Philip Hichborn, II. The value of the
years addition Is something over $1,000
many of them being volumes of rare
American history No restriction has been
placed on the character of the books for
the library, but those on American history
and genealOgy are most valuable
Mrs. Elizabeth Bryant Johnston, the his
tor1an general, gave many interesting facts
concerning the publication of the genoa
logical volumes. which the National D. A.
X. ts at work upon. Two volumes have
been prepared. The volumes on lineage
cost 81 each to print. and by act Of congress
is sold for fifty cents. an actual loss to the
that the selling price be raised to cover
the cost. She thought that many would
live to see the book worth large sum.
Woe President General.
Mrs. Jennie Franklin Hichborn, vice presi-
dent general Of the organization, reports
that lis chapters have been added. making
3a6 chapters in all. Four state regents and
I'D chapter regents have been appointed
and confirmed, making the total number Of
state and chapter regents now 46 and 51l,
respectively. Among these Is q regent for
Honolulu. one for Hawaii and one for
Naples. Italy. The regent at Honolulu has
forwarded the papers Of a sufficient num-
ber Of applicants to assure the organiza-
ton OF q chapter. Most Of these are daugh-
ters Of missionaries who went to the Is
land long ago.
The assistant historian general, Miss
Fedora Wilbur. reported that In spite OF her
hard work 5000 members have their an
cestry yet unrecorded In the lineage book.
1t will NOW require fifteen volumes of 1000
names each to register those already men,
bers Of the order.
A Dfscassion ~ to Admission.
One Of the first matters that came UP for
discussion this morning was on admission
to tho hall of the congress. While the
ladies believe that the board Of manage
ment has done all that 1t could for the
comfort and pleasure Of the delegates, 1t 70
also apparent to them that the arrange