A Sportsman 105 



during the yachting period a literary society, which 

 we called the Webster Debating Club, limited in mem- 

 bership to fifty, of which I was President, Poor, 

 Vice-President, and Lane, Secretary. After four years 

 of the club's existence, our attention being elsewhere 

 attracted, the club was merged in with another 

 association of like character. We had a good deal 

 of interest and comfort in this club, of which we had 

 weekly meetings, and conducted a literary maga- 

 zine, from which the offerings of our members were 

 read, and we discussed the important questions of 

 the day with much freedom, if not ability. We started 

 in quite a humble way, but having the indomitable 

 assurance of Lane to head committees of solicitation, 

 we grew comparatively opulent, and soon had a per- 

 manent hall engaged and furnished. 



I look back with amusement now with the remem- 

 brance of Lane's boldness and undiminished energy in 

 striking for donations, when rebioffs to him were but 

 incentives for renewed exertions. We created a long 

 list of honorary members — who never graced our meet- 

 ings by their attendance — which included the Presi- 

 dent of the United States, Senators, and local celebrities, 

 who were duly notified of the distinguished honor of 

 our attention, and who almost always responded with 

 appropriate letters of acceptance, and who became ob- 

 jects of attention without delay from our soliciting 

 committee, and who often responded with Congres- 

 sional documents and publications, which although not 

 especially adapted for a library of reference, made an 

 important array in our hall. I called with Poor and 

 Lane on Charles Sumner, Edward Everett, and Gover- 

 nor Banks, and listened to the alluring invitations of 



