XXlll 



first meeting- the attendance was so small as to create what mig-ht have 

 been to some an adverse influence, whereas under all the circumstances 

 the result was quite the opposite. It was my pleasure to shortly learn 

 the real quality of the Association and with others to perceive its op- 

 portunity. Several of us put our heads together to enable the best 

 influences at our command to bring forth the most good. That start- 

 ed, as it were, a new era but no new motive. As president for the 

 succeeding seven years, I followed the aiifairs of the Association closely, 

 and when the pressure of my many cares required that some be dropped, 

 the active administration was continued by Lester W. Clark and then 

 by Howard R. Bayne, with the result that the membership advanced 

 from 36 in 1892 to 129 in igo6. 



Although such an institution deals little with finance, it is admittedly 

 prudent for it to be conveniently solvent. During these twenty-five 

 years, wath a limited membership and with dues of only $3 per annum, 

 this association has published its Proceedings monthly without having- 

 missed an issue; it has published several pamphlets of considerable 

 size, which have been freely distributed to members and sold to others; 

 it has bound its books, bought cases for its collections, and provided 

 itself with all facilities really needed, and has shown each year a balance 

 which, starting- from $28 in 1883, has grown at an almost uniform rate 

 to $624 in October, 1906, and, as it never has owed anything, this is 

 about the most continuous record of solvency that I have ever known. 



The first number of the Proceedings was issued in November, 1883. 

 This publication soon began to attract attention in scientific circles, thus 

 bring:ing- requests for exchange of publications, and by gradual exten- 

 sions these exchanges came to be made with societies in various parts 

 of the world. Scientific and historical societies, public museums and 

 libraries, and other institutions were eager to exchange their extensive 

 works, often beautiful volumes, for our meagre leaflets dealing with 

 one small locality, thus building up for us a library which has to a 

 considerable extent taxed the resources of the Association for care and 

 maintenance. The number of titles on our exchange list is now about 

 eighty, and this number could be doubled at once if provision could be 

 made to take care of the books thus secured in exchange. 



If there is any one thing which characterizes the quality of the men 

 and minds that have made this little institution what it is, it is the demand 

 that has existed for its meagre and often poorly printed pages, some- 

 times only one page a month and seldom more than four, by these im- 

 portant societies, who were willing to give in exchange the large and 

 often handsomely illustrated volumes previously mentioned. Fortun- 



