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THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE INSTITUTE. 33 



President Rantoul then said : Our senior Senator writes 

 as follows : — 



My dear Sik : — 



I am sorry that my public engagements here will 

 deprive me of the pleasure of accepting your invitation to attend the 

 fiftieth anniversary of the Essex Institute. I should like to see the 

 members of that famous society and to hear what they will tell of its 

 founders and the learned men who have given it such great distinc- 

 tion, of Dr. Wheatland, and of Mr. Hunt, the modest and faithful 

 officer you have so lately lost. But I suppose it will be impossible. 

 I am, with high regard, faithfully yours, 



Geo. F. HoAit. 



And our junior Senator, an Essex County man, sends 

 his regrets in these words : 



U. S. Skkate, Feb. 11, 1898. 

 My DEAR Sir : — 



I am much obliged by your kind invitation to be 

 present at the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Essex In- 

 stitute, and regret that it will not be possible for me to be present. 



Very truly yours, 



H. C. Lodge. 

 Henry M. Brooks, Esq., 

 Secretary. 



The President remarked that it was not every day that 

 we had a son of Salem at the head of one of the three 

 great professions of the country, but it was so to-day, and 

 he shared their resret in heing obliojed to read a letter 

 from Mr. Choate, when they had hoped to hear from him. 



Mr. Choate writes : 



50 West Forty-seventh Street, 



Feb. 28, 1898. 

 My dear Eantoul : — 



I regret very much that I cannot avail myself 

 of your kind invitation to be present and take part in the celebration 

 of the jubilee of the Essex Institute on the 2nd of March. It turns 



ESSEX IKST. BULLKTIX, VOL. XXX 3 



