Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-11
DAUGHTERS OF REVOLUTION.
The Annual Meeting Being Held
 in MiddletoWn To-Day.

The President General of the Society,
 the Wife of Senator Fairbanks, Was
 Present-Many Papers Were Read
 and Several Interesting Speeches
 Made.
 Middletown, July 1.-The spring conference of the Daughters of the American Revolution opened at the North Congregational church this morn ing at 1U.3u. Between 5uU and 6OO Daughters were present. The occasion was marked by the attendance of Mrs Charles W. Fairbanks, presdent-gen- eral of the society, wife of Senator Fairbanks of Minnesota. She was greeted with the greatest enthusiasm.
 Mrs ". w. Wilcox, regent of Wads- worth chapter, in delivering the ad- dress of welcome, referred to the fact that the chapter was organized i'll Feb- ruar, 1892, and is consequently the old est chapter in Conneotcut and the sec- ond in New England. It was named for General James WadsWorth, Sd, born in 1730 in Durham, and prominent for many years in the military and civil service of the state. Mrs Wilcox said that while the chapter at one time had five real Daughters on its roll of mem bership, four of these fave now passed away. "The people of Connecticut are to be congratulated that the various chapters are engaged in the excellent work of preserving historical buildings and mementoes, encouraging in the minds of young people a thoughtful tsudy of the lives and times of our Revolutionary heroes"
 The response to the welcoming ad- dress was by Miss Hannah K. Peck, regent of Ruth Hart chapter of Meri- den. She paid graceful tribute to Wadsworth chapter as q pioneer not only in point of precedence, but also in philanthroplc and Iatriotic work; to Mrs Fairbanks, the presidents general, and to the state regent, Mrs Kinny She added: Whether we regard the occasion as a pilgrimage to a patriotic shrine, family homecoming to give thanks for all we have been able to do and be in the year that is past, or as a literary and social gathering, it is sure to be an occasion of pleasure and profit
 Mrs D. Ward Northrop of General Wadsworth chapter, Middletown, gave an historical sketch of Middletown in which the prominence of the town in the early days when there was a large trade with the West Indies and Mid dletOwn was the largest city in the state, was strongly brought out. Ref erence was also made to the part that Middletown has played in the wars of the country. During the Revolutionary war her most prominent representative was Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs; no hn of 1Q1O 1a, Thomas McDonnough: during the civil war, General Joseph +. h. Mansfield and President Cummings of Wesleyan university, who encouraged the stu dents to enlist in the cause of the Union
 Mrs Fairbanks's subject was "Con- tinenta1 Hall" She said: 'sYou have erected over the land monuments. you have inscribed tablets, you have marked sites, all of which evfnce the honor i'll which you hold valor, states manship and work for liberty. There still remains another to be erected to the great rank and file of the War of Independence. the soldiers of the army and the great reserve force the women of the revolution. The building of the memorial Continental hall is at pres ent one of the most important consider y building for the official headquarters of the national organization. Let the memorial which we erect correspond indetail to the political structure whicE our fathers have bequeathed to us.
 There remains work for the national society to do so long as there remains one hero, one heroine of the revolution to commemorate, so long as there re- mains one spot to mark, because sacred from labor done by brain or hand for love of independence; one site on which patriots contended for human right, human liberty While there remains one to be taught of tie equal system of reward for those who keep and the equal punishment for those who break the law, there wifi ever remain work for the Daughters of the American Rev. olution.'
 At the conclusion of her address she made an appeal to the members for the memorial fund and S1,063 was sub- scribed. Luncheon was served in the Y. M. c. A. gymnasium, and this was followed by reception given by Mrs Fairbanks to the other Daugn1ers. . afternoon was spent in hearing papers read.