ON ME. DU PONCEAU S HISTORY. 65 



felted membership ; Wooley, Mather and Jackson had 

 long since moved away, and in 1768, were probably 

 dead, as they are not reported as members on the 

 exchanged list. Of the remaining six, Thomson, 

 Isaac Paschall, and Physick had signed. By this 

 statement it would seem that Joshua Ilowell and 

 William Hopkins were also members of the ancient 

 Society who had not signed in the book referred to, 

 as well as William Franklin. The Committee cannot 

 explain why, in the extract above given from the 

 minutes, Ilowell and Hopkins are over-looked, unless 

 it is because they had signed in the first part of 

 the Junto minute book. 



In pursuing the chain of evidence in relation to 

 the point under consideration, the Committee will 

 anticipate a little, by calling the attention of the So 

 ciety to a letter from Charles Thomson to Dr. Frank 

 lin, contained in Mr. Fisher s communication. It 

 has already been mentioned that Dr. Franklin was 

 elected a member of the American Society, the con 

 tinuation of the Society-Junto, on the 19th of 

 February, 1768. On the 4th of November following, 

 he was elected its first President under a new or 

 ganization of officers ; namely, a President, Vice- 

 President, etc. instead of the former one, of Chair 

 man, Secretary, and Treasurer. At the same elec 

 tion, Thomson was chosen one of the Secretaries, and 

 it became his duty, as such, to inform Franklin of 

 his election. The letter above referred to, dated 



