Frank S. Black, died March 19, 1913, in the 61st year of his age. J. Dwight Ripley, died April 28, 1913. Charles W. Fuller, died April 28, 1913, in the 70th year of his age. Daniel T. Wade, died May 13, 1913, in the 74th year of his age. Rt. Rev. William Croswell Doane, died May 17, 1913, in the 82d year of his age. Frederick Billings, died May 20, 1913. Henry W. Hubbard, died May 21, 1913, in the 70th year of his age. George S. Hart, died September 10, 1913. Edward A. Sumner, died September 22, 1913, in the 57th year of his age. Dr. William Anderson Mitchell, died September 26, 1913, in the 71st year of his age. William Tousey, died September 29, 1913, in the 69th year of his age. Augustus D. Shepard, died September 29, 1913, in the 78th year of his age. Henry Forster Hitch, died October 10, 1913, in the 79th year of his age. Cassius M. Wicker, died November 2, 1913. Henry Elias Howland, died November 6, 1913, in the 79th year of his age. Gilman H. Tucker, died November 14, 1913, in the 78th year of his age. George Loomis Sterling, died August 8, 1913, in the 58th year of his The report was accepted and ordered to be placed on file. The Chairman appointed as tellers Mr. John P. Tilden and Mr. George Clinton Batcheller, and, having collected and counted the ballots, the tellers reported that all had been cast in favor of the "regular ticket" which was named at the special meeting of the Society, November 25, and the Chairman declared that these gentlemen had been duly elected. Mr. Charles F. Mathewson, Chairman of the Membership Committee, reported favorably upon the following candidates, and they were duly elected members of the Society: Lowell H. Brown, proposed by Irving Bacheller, and recommended by A. Barton Hepburn. Archer H. Brown, proposed by Irving Bacheller, and recommended by A. Barton Hepburn. Henry B. Johnson, proposed by Joseph H. Emery, and recommended by E. W. Emery. William M. Baldwin, proposed by Joseph E. Stevens, and recommended by Emory S. Lyon. Mr. Austin B. Fletcher, Chairman of the Building Committee of the Society, reported as follows: Mr. President and Members of the New England Society. The Committee elected at the annual meeting of the New England Society, for the purpose of securing a home for the Society, begs leave to make the following report: The Committee is acting under the following preamble and resolutions: WHEREAS, The New England Society in the City of New York was organized to commemorate the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers on Plymouth Rock, to promote friendship, charity and mutual assistance, and for literary purposes; and WHEREAS, It is evident that it can never fulfill the purposes for which it was founded, or the usefulness that is reasonably expected of it, until it has a suitable home of its own; therefore, be it Resolved, That a Committee of five, consisting of Austin B. Fletcher, Morris K. Jesup, J. Pierpont Morgan, Thomas H. Hubbard, and Charles C. Burke be elected at this annual meeting with power to consider and execute plans for establishing a home for this Society by the purchase of land and the erection and furnishing of a suitable building for its purposes, but no contract to purchase land or erect a building shall be made without the further authority of the Society; it is further Resolved, That the necessary funds be raised by voluntary subscription only, and that no part of the assets now in or that may hereafter come to the treasury of the Society from members' dues or interest upon investments shall be used for the purchase of land or for the building; and it is further Resolved, That this Committee shall continue until it shall have accomplished the purpose of its election, or until it shall ask to be discharged; and that it shall have power to fill vacancies or increase its membership. Mr. Morris K. Jesup died very soon after his election to the Committee. The other members accepted their election. Mr. A. Barton Hepburn has been added to the Committee. Mr. Morgan died last March. In discussing the project with members of the Society two questions were almost invariably asked, and no progress seemed possible until they could be satisfactorily answered. 1st: Where are the plans of the proposed building showing the purposes for which it is to be used, and 2d: Where is it to be located? The Committee was without money to pay for plans, but Mr. William Welles Bosworth, one of the foremost architects of this city and a member of the New England Society, very generously prepared tentative plans and elevations without any charge whatever to the Society. These plans and elevations have been exhibited and explained to the members of the Society at its annual meeting. To the second question, "Where is the building to be located?" it was believed that it should be well uptown, following the trend of population, and not far from Fifty-ninth Street. With this in view, every available piece of property was visited by members of the Committee, in many instances accompanied by real estate experts, who were members of the Society, who gave their time and expert opinions free of expense. The history and conditions of every successful club in the city were examined, and the cause of the failure of the non-successful clubs was inquired into. The conclusions were that the history of small clubs was one of failure and that only large clubs had attained success, and the larger they were the more successful they were. From this it is believed that the plot of ground should be 100x100 feet, and that $1,000,000 should be raised by voluntary contributions. In the opinion of the Committee the conditions of business have not justified the beginning of a campaign for securing the contributions required. Business has continually grown worse until it seems there must soon be a change and improvement. One of the important purposes of this Home is to provide a meeting place for the young men coming from New England and for others who do not feel able to pay large dues. To accomplish this it is necessary that the land and building shall be owned by the Society free of incumbrance, and that the only expense shall be its maintenance. Under any other plan it is believed the money could not be raised, and if raised and interest paid upon it, the whole project would be a failure. Careful consideration has so fixed my opinion upon this matter that I would be very glad to give $20,000 to the fund, but I would not be willing to contribute anything if any form of security is to be issued. Some at least are of the opinion that there still exists enough of the true spirit of New England, of which we like to talk so much, to secure this amount without very great difficulty as soon as business conditions improve. When the time arrives it is the purpose of the Committee to greatly increase its membership and make a vigorous and exhaustive effort. When secured it will permit the erection of a building furnishing every comfort and facility for serious work and purpose that is possessed by any club in this city. The following is a general outline of the features and plan: The building, consisting of fifteen or more stories, would be of steel skeleton construction and fireproof throughout. The entrance floor would contain vestibule, reception-room, ladies' reception-room, elevators, etc., aside from its main features, which would be the Library and Hall of Relics. Auditorium Floor. The next floor would contain an auditorium capable of seating fifteen hundred people. The auditorium would be one of the most vital parts of the building, and would provide a suitable place for general meetings, lectures, discussions, etc. State Floor. It is the purpose to provide suitable accommodations for the societies of the six New England States, together with a moderate-sized banquet room. University Floor. None of the New England colleges, excepting Harvard and Yale, are able to support a building of their own, and it is intended to divide this floor into rooms of suitable size for their use. This idea has appealed so strongly to the presidents of some of the colleges that they are of the opinion that contributions of a considerable amount may be obtained from the alumni and friends of these institutions. Dormitory Floors. Several floors will be divided into dormitories. It is well-known that the demand for rooms in the different clubs exceeds the supply, and that the revenue obtained from them is very great. Dining-rooms. The main and private dining-rooms would occupy one or more of the upper floors of the building. The size of the building would furnish space for a roof-garden of great attractiveness. No attempt at detail is being made in this report, but it may be understood that the building will provide ample accommodations for games, amusements, bathing, gymnasium, etc., also suitable reception and dining-rooms for ladies. The membership can readily be increased to six thousand resident and non-resident, and the dues need not exceed $30 a year, and may be as low as $10 a year for young men. Success from every standpoint should be greater than that of any club in New York City, and the New England Society may at last find itself in a suitable home, where the purposes for which it was established may be fostered and its usefulness stimulated and greatly increased. AUSTIN B. FLETCHER, Chairman. It was voted that the report be received and the Committee continued. The President announced that at the conclusion of the meeting the members of the Society and their guests would be addressed by Mr. George H. Tripp, on the subject "Whaling Ventures and Adventures." The meeting then adjourned. HARRY A. CUSHING, Secretary. At the conclusion of the business meeting the President spoke as follows: PRESIDENT HEPBURN: The Public Library of New Bedford has complete data relating to the whaling industry, statistical, historical, romantic; it includes records and logs, fully presenting the commercial aspects of the industry, its hardships and its dangers. The collection includes all available pictures from brush or lens, some quaint and interesting in the extreme, and also includes all works of romance or fiction whose groundwork involved this industry. The collection of this most valuable library is largely due to the efforts of the distinguished scholar who will now address us. I have pleasure in presenting Mr. George H. Tripp, the Librarian of the New Bedford Free Public Library. |