The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-22
ITS 9th ANNUAL.
AmericanAntiqu
Society Meets in
Worcester.
A BRILLIANT ASSEMBLY.
Hon. Stephen Salisbury
is Reelected It's
President.

The S7th annual meeting of the Am
erican Antiquarian society was held
yesterday in Antiquarian hall with an
average attendance, among the men,
beTs who were present being Senator
George z. Hoar, Nathaniel Paine. Ste
phen Salisbury, Samuel Abbott Green
Of Boston, Edward Livingston Davis,
William Addison Smith, James Froth-
inghan Hunnewell of Charlestown, Ed
! ward Henry Hall Of Boston, Charles
Card Smith of Boston, Edmund Mills
Barton, Franklin Bowditch Dexter Of
Yale university, Charles Augustus
Chase, Samuel SWEET Green, Henry
Stedman Nourse Of Lancaster, William
Babcock Weeden of Providence, Rev.
DR.. Daniel Merriman, Robert Noxon
Topaz of Cambridge, Henry Herbert
Edes Of Cambridge, James Phinney
Baxter Of Portland Ne, William Eat
on Foster Of Providence, DR.. John
Franklin Jameson of Providence,
Charles Francis Adams Of Boston,
Charles Pelham Greenough of Brook
line.
Rev. Calvin Stebbins, Henry Alex
ander Marsh, Simeon Eben Baldwin of
New Haven, associate justice Of the
Connecticut supreme court of errors;
DR.. Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, pres
ident of the Polytechnic institute;
Judge William Trowbridge Forbes of
Westboro.
DR.. George Henry Haynes of West
boro, DR.. Charles Lemuel Nichols,
Waldo Lincoln, DR.. John Noble Of Bos-
ton, George Parker Winship of Provi-
dence, Prof. c. H. Haynes of the
Polytechnic institute.
A. Mcfarland Davis of Cambridge
Edward c. Porter of Dorchester, F. H
Dewey, DR.. Edward Claiming of Cam
bridge J. Evarts Greene, Henry w.
Haynes of Boston, Solomon Lincoln of
Boston, Prof. L. P. Kinnicutt of the
Worcester Polytechnic institute.
Hon. Stephen Salisbury. president of
the society," opened the meeting at 10. 80
O'Clock and called upon Charles A,
Chase, recording secretary, for the
minutes Of the last meeting, and the
reading of the minutes suggested to r.
N. Toppan of Cambridge to ask why
William NJ. Evarts induced the British
government to send representatives to
the Geneva conference of arbitration.
In reply to this question Senator Hoar
entered into a lei gthy explanation of
how Evarts, whose personal influence
with the English government was
great, persuaded it to agree to a de-
liberation upon the Bancroft-Davis
claim. as it was called, and induced it
70 meet the Americans at Geneva and
hear their side of the affair Senator
IIoar agreed with Mr.. Toppan in be-
lieYing the episode TO be one of con-
siderable historic interest.
The next event was the reading of
the report of the council by James
Phinney Baxter, ex-mayor of Portland.
Ex Mayor Bakers theme was "The
writing of history"
Mr.. Baxter said in substance:
Not lon6 ago this question was put to
person of literary aspirations: What
would you rather be, famous post, an
historian or novelist?" You have" he
replied exactly indicated ny ambI-
ton by the order in which you have
put your question. l consider poetry
the highest form of literary art, or in
deed of all art; hence, / would rather
be a great poet; but next to a great poet
l would rather be a historian" Il
think" said his questioner, that the
popular opinion is that anybody who
can gather facts can write history
"Oh, yes, was the reply and therpop-
ular opinion may also be that any one
who Fan rhyme can write poetry I
am inclined to believe, though, that the
field OF history today presents more at
fractions TO literary ambitions than any
other"
That the field of history has been but
imperfectly cultivated and still affords
excellent opportunities to literary
workers. I have no doubt all VINO are
acquainted with the subject will adj
nit; our the writing of history requires
special talent, and talent of as nigh an
order as any department of literature
The importance of good history in the
education of a people cannot be over
estimated, yet we know how the study
Of history is neglected. This may be
due in measure to the quality Of his
tory which has been placed in our edu-
cational institutions
PERHAPS it may not be too much to
affirm that the history of itself Which
people puts forth, affords an approx
innate measure of it's civilization. so in
timateiy is it correlated with the popu-
lar intelligence. Histories have been
written, imposingly voluminous, which
give one but the vaguest idea OF i'm
portant events, and too often no idea
at all. This grows out of the ATTEMPT
TO cover too wide field, and the neces.
sity Of condensation, and leads us tt
the belief that the future historiograph.
er is to devote himself more and more
TO the writing of monographs A we'll
known thinker some time ago in ar
ADDRESS TO a learned society, remarked
that the writing of history was once q
pleasant recreation, but now 1t had be.
come an exacting task. He depicted III.
man with a lively imagination, who
upon few facts, or half-facts wouit
rear such structures as his genius
might devlse-structure artistieally at
tractive. though quite as unreal a.
modern historical fiction; but it should
be observed that our modern romano,
lists are becoming more and more care
full to conform to historical truth.
The writing of a town history is no
an undertaking to be entered upor
lightly. 1t is, indeed, a serious matte
and requires the most painstaking re-
search as well as keen powers OF anal
ysis and considerable facility of ex
preston. Every town has an interest
ing history respecting its beginning ant
often of its naming.
Having given an account of the be,
ginnings of a town, the authors tasl
should not be one of great difficulty
He should have at hand all the record,
and documentary material relating K
the subject attainable. The gathering
arranging and indexiHg of such mate