THE RETROSrECT OF THE YEAR. 97 



reason why every effort should be made to increase the 

 membership ; while a great many of our members may 

 not derive any personal benefit from their annual assess- 

 ment, they cannot but feel that they are giving us much- 

 needed financial help. 



The manuscript department of the Institute ought to 

 be made of use by having its treasures properly arranged 

 and catalogued. This, I know, requires both time and 

 money, but it is to be hoped that lack of funds will not 

 prevent the completing of this work. A competent per- 

 son should be employed in this department arranging in 

 books, which would be easily accessible, the documents 

 which are now in bundles and difficult to consult. 



During the year we have had several special exhibits 

 such as manuscripts, autographs, china, etc., which have 

 attracted attention and have been the means of bringing; to 

 our collections many valuable gifts of the same character. 

 These exhibits could by a little more publicity and by call- 

 ing for loans of similar articles have been made very much 

 more complete, but they would have required more room 

 than our exhibit cases could afford. 



It has been suggested to me that, during the coming year, 

 it would be a good idea for the Institute to arrange for a 

 loan collection of portraits of persons who may have been, 

 in any way, identified with Salem; such an exhibit would 

 be of public interest, and enough material to fill Plummer 

 Hall ought easily to be obtained. 



More than seven thousand persons have visited the old 

 meeting house of the First Church the past year. 



Twelve persons have become members of the Society 

 during the year, while nine members have died, viz. : 



John P. Andrews, James Chamberlain, Henry Hale, 

 Edward B. Lane, Nathan Nichols, George W. Pease, Sam- 

 uel G. Rea, George Russell, J. Linton Waters. 1 



I mentioned in my report of last year that the formation 



'Seep. 119. 



