THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 81 



The donations to the cabinets, the past year, number 

 670, from 138 different donors. 



The number of visitors to the rooms of the Institute has 

 equalled that of previous years, although an inspection of 

 our register indicates that we had bat a very few persons 

 from the West last summer. This is easily accounted for, 

 as all the western people vvent to Chicago, instead of Com- 

 ing east, as usual. Visitors came generally from New 

 York and New England. We had also many from abroad. 



The old meeting house of the First Church seems to be 

 more attractive than many modern churches, judging from 

 the applications for the big key. The record says about 

 8000 attended there the past year. 



The last year has been an especially busy one in all de- 

 partments. The large collection of books and newspapers, 

 in Plummer Hall, the accumulation of years, have been 

 examined and re-arranged, the papers repaired, where they 

 needed it, and collated ; and we have helped kindred so- 

 cieties with some of our duplicates. 



The entire collection of relics and curiosities in our 

 cabinets has been cleaned, re-arranged and re-labelled. 

 The re-arrangement was made under the direction of Mr. 

 Arthur R. Stone, whose assistance has been invaluable. 

 Upon the completion of this work, on Monday evening, 

 April 9, the whole building was lighted for the first time, 

 and thrown open to members and their friends, some 300 

 or more of whom, availed themselves of the opportunity 

 to examine the collections, which was done with evident 

 satisfaction. Light refreshments were served and excellent 

 music furnished by the Adele Mandolin, Banjo and Guitar 

 Club. Mr. Ross Turner exhibited some fine water colors 

 on this occasion. 



The work of preparing and arranging the Joint exhibit 

 of the Institute and the Peabody Academy of Science at 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XXVI 11 



