THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE INSTITUTE. 23 



Permit me, in conclusion, Mr. President, to have the pleasure of 

 formally making this offer, through you, to the Essex Institute. 

 Hoping to hear from you at your convenience, 



I have the honor to sign myself, 



most cordially and respectfully yours, 



Waldo Story. 



What shall we say to that? asked the President. We 

 have no room ! The President then said : I promised 

 to read you a letter. I have done better. I have read 

 you two. I will do better still. I will read you two 

 more. I will read them in the order of their dates and 

 you shall judge for yourselves of their relative impor- 

 tance. The first calls upon us to give free lectures — 

 just what we are doing. The second calls for more room. 

 Here are the letters : 



Salem, Feb. 26th, 1898. 

 Hon. Robert S. Rantoul, 

 President of the Essex Institute, 

 Salem, Mass. 

 Dear Sir :— 

 At a meeting of the Salem Lyceum held January 24, 1898, the com- 

 mittee appointed at a previous meeting to consider the matter of 

 presenting to the Essex Institute the funds of the Salem Lyceum, re- 

 ported in favor of so transferring the funds, and, as part of their 

 report, submitted a petition and bill to be presented to the Legislature 

 of this Commonwealth, asking for a dissolution of the Salem Lyceum 

 corporation and authority to transfer its funds to the Essex Institute, 

 to be safely invested by said Institute, and the income thereof to be 

 expended each year in maintaining a course of lectures to be announced 

 by said Institute as being maintained by the " Salem Lyceum Fund." 

 On motion it was voted that the report of the committee be accepted 

 and adopted. 



The petition and bill above referred to were presented to the Leg- 

 islature, and I am happy to inform you that the bill has been duly 

 enacted, and that under the authority thereof the funds of the Salem 

 Lyceum amounting to three thousand dollars ($8,000.00) will be paid 

 over to the Essex Institute, subject to the conditions of said act. 



Very truly yours, 



Edw'd C. Battis, 



Secretary. 



