8 BULLETIN OF THE ESSEX INSTITUTE. 



of Essex Bridge, of Washington's visit to the North 

 Beverly Cotton Mill, and of the Browne mansion on 

 Folly Hill in Danvers. The acquisitions of the year are 

 so varied, so numerous and so valuable that it is unsafe 

 to particularize among them to the exclusion of any. The 

 forthcoming Secretary's report must be awaited if justice* 

 is to be done them. 



In closing this report it remains for the committee to 

 give voice to the obligations of the Institute for the very 

 cordial support from the people of this community of 

 which it has been sensible throughout the year. If this 

 is, as it seems to be, an evidence of an appreciative recog- 

 nition of its work and an earnest, unabated confidence in 

 its future, the friends of the Institute may well take it 

 as a guarantee of coming prosperity. Though our needs 

 are greater to-day than ever in the past, our claims are 

 seen to rest upon successes in a wider field and based 

 upon a firmer footing. 



Report of the Secretary, for the year ending 

 May 17, 1897. 



The very full report of the Executive Committee makes 

 it almost superfluous for me to add anything except, per- 

 haps, a few statistics which it has been usual for the Sec- 

 retary to furnish every year for the annual meeting. 



The donations to the cabinets the past year have been 

 455, from 115 diflTerent donors. 



11,035 persons, according to our record, have visited 

 the old meeting-house ; but, as many people go in at the 

 gate without making their appearance in our room, it 

 would be safe to say, there must have been at least twen- 

 ty-five per cent, more visitors than we have a record of. 

 We have to spend a great deal of time answering the 

 usual batch of questions, such as — "Is this key the 



