THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 77 



Most of the party went on the 1.25 train from Salem. 

 The meeting in the afternoon was in the vestry of the 

 Congregational church. It was considered successful, al- 

 though the attendance was not large. 



Mr. Rantoul gave an interesting account of the Beverly 

 cotton factory established by George Cabot and others. 

 He showed conclusively that this was the first American 

 cotton factory. It was located near the place of meeting. 

 It has been claimed that the Pawtucket factory was the 

 first of this kind, and that was started by Slater in 1790, 

 but the Beverly factory was in operation two or three 

 years earlier. General Washington visited it when he 

 was here in 1 789 ; and advertisements of the goods of the 

 company appear in the /Salem Gazette of 1788. 



Prof. E. S. Morse and Mr. John H. Sears also spoke 

 at this meeting, the former accompanying his remarks 

 with graphic chalk illustrations. 



During the past winter, papers have been read before 

 the society in Plummer Hall by the following : 



Prof. F. W. Putnam, of Cambridge, on the "Scientific 

 side of the Columbian Exposition." 



Prof. E. Charlton Black, of Harvard College, Cam- 

 bridge, on " Heinrich Heine Poet, Humorist and Re- 

 former." 



W. A. Mowry, Ph.D., on "The Inauguration of the New 

 Government, or Washington as a Statesman." 



Sidney Perley, Esq. , on "The Geological Evolution of 

 Essex County." 



Alfred Stone, Esq., of Providence, R. I., on "The Great 

 White City." This lecture was given in Academy Hall 

 and was illustrated by lantern views. 



Mr. Arthur L. Averill, on "How the Independence of 

 the United States was obtained." 



W. S. Nevins, Esq., on "The Career of Gen. H. W. 

 Halleck." 



