82 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



the World's Fair was, of itself, a great tax on the time 

 and energy of a number of our members and friends, many 

 of whom contributed besides, very handsomely, to the 

 necessary expenses incurred. The society is greatly in- 

 debted to this committee who were instrumental in making 

 our exhibit a success. That it was a decided success, is 

 the testimony of all who saw it. 



Since the last report the Secretary has made some 

 progress in the arrangement of the manuscripts and other 

 old papers in the fire-proof room on the first floor. When 

 it is remembered that these pieces of paper are estimated 

 by the hundrecls of thousancls, it will be reaclily believecl, 

 that it is a vast work to arrange all this mass of letters, 

 deeds, etc., which the society has in its possession. The 

 papers left to the society by Doctor Wheatland are in 

 process of arrangement, by Wm. P. Upham, Esq. They 

 are for the most part of a genealogical character,and prob- 

 ably of great value to the historian or genealogist. What 

 we need in this department is more money. A person 

 qualified for the purpose, could be constantly employed 

 in assorting, arranging and inclexing these papers, if we 

 had the means to do it. I fear the importance of this 

 matter is not understood. More and more people, as 

 years go by, are becoming interested in looking up family 

 history and genealogy. We are constantly having appli- 

 cations from individuals all over the country for informa- 

 tion relative to their ancestors. So many families came 

 originally from England to Salem, in the early settlement 

 of the country that here is the starting point of their in- 

 vestigations. And now the great interest taken in the 

 M Sons and Daughters of the Kevolution " and the " Colo- 

 nial Dames," etc., is such that we are beset with queries, 

 which require considerable study to answer. In this con- 

 nection, it gives me pleasure to say that during the Coming 



