54 



quested Vice President D. B. Hagar to officiate as mas- 

 ter of ceremonies for the occasion, which he did in his 

 usual graceful manner, and not only were his few opening 

 remarks characterized by wit and pleasantry, but he intro- 

 duced the various speakers with a very nice savoring of 

 clever things that did much to make the stream of oratory 

 run smoothly. 



The Health of Gov. Washburn was proposed who re- 

 sponded as follows : — 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: — I am 

 happy to meet ^ou on this interesting occasion. Having 

 been in your city but once during S(jme twenty years, and 

 then for only a few hours, I am to most of you an entire 

 stranger. But your reception has made me feel that I am 

 among friends, and I thank you for this opportunity of an 

 acquaintance with those Avhom I have learned to honor, 

 not only for their personal qualities, but for the good work 

 in which they are engaged. Not to be somewhat conver- 

 sant with the early history of Salem is to l)e ignorant of 

 the history of the Commonwealth. Here was one of the 

 first settlements of the colony of jNIassachusetts Bay. 

 Hither came Endicott and AVinthrop, names foremost 

 among those of our colonial times. Here the former lived 

 and died, and here are still found his direct descend- 

 ants. Here Roger Williams lived and preached till the 

 people, believing his doctrines injurious to the best inter- 

 ests of the community, compelled him to seek a locality 

 more favorable to his peculiar tenets. This was the home 

 of Story and others who have adorned our ju<Iieiary, and 

 some of the most influential members of Congress and 

 the national cabinet have resided here, while time would 

 fail me to mention the names connected with this locality 

 which are favorably known in literature. Neither can I 



