SALISBURY MEMORIAL.

The Hon. STEPHEN SALISBURY, for eighteen years President of the American Antiquarian Society, died at his residence in Worcester after a short illness, on Nov. 16, 1905.

A special meeting of the Council was called for 3.30 P. M. on the day of the funeral, Nov. 20.

A quorum was present, but as many members of the Council were still in attendance at the interment, the meeting was adjourned without formal action.

The Council met again at the Hall of the Society in Worcester on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 2.30 P. M.

Hon. SAMUEL A. GREEN, LL. D., the Second VicePresident, occupied the chair.

Dr. GREEN said:

It is on rare occasions that special meetings of the Council of this Society are ever called; and then only to pay a passing tribute to the memory of an officer who has been closely identified with its work and its welfare. Not long ago a similar meeting was held in this room to testify our respect for the memory of Senator HOAR; and now we are called together again to show our loving regard for the graceful and modest officer who presided on that occasion.

STEPHEN SALISBURY will be greatly missed at the meetings of the Antiquarian Society, on which he spent so much time and thought in order to make them both instructive and attractive. His personality was so pleasant

that the members will long bear in mind the impression he made on them not only as the presiding officer of the Society, but as the gracious host of many social gatherings in his family mansion. In this respect he was only following the example set by his father, which in no degree was lessened by the son. I was often a guest under his roof, and less than a month before his death I enjoyed his hospitality; and I find it hard now to realize the fact that he is gone, and forever. Born to great wealth, as his father before him was, he knew the responsibility of riches, and duly appreciated the trust. After leaving college he had many inducements to lead a life of ease and leisure, but he never yielded to the temptation, as he was not built that way. He then passed several years in foreign travel for pleasure and study, and afterward took a full course at the Harvard Law School, where he learned the technical intricacies connected with the management of a large property. A member of many learned societies, a director of many corporations and financial institutions, a manager of many charitable and educational organizations, his civic duties were manifold, but his ability and readiness to work and his willingness to serve the public were great enough to include all these responsibilities in his care and attention. To the Worcester members of the Council, who are so familiar with Mr. Salisbury's activities in this neighborhood, I leave the duty to deal with the more special analysis of his character.

The following communication was received from the Rev. EDWARD E. HALE, D. D., first Vice-President:

At the annual meeting of the Society in October, no member present seemed in better health or spirits than our President. There was the same thoughtful and cordial welcome for every one, the same real interest in every subject presented, the same intelligence in those private discussions which give the life to our meetings, and the same quiet hospitality in his own house which made every one of us regard him as a personal friend. Personally, I like to say that as I went and came in Worcester, I was greatly touched to see how generally men looked upon his death, each as a personal loss in his first thought, speaking afterwards of the great loss of such a life to the community.

The years of his connection with our Society will always be noticed by its friends as prosperous and successful.

The administration of his father marked a signal advance in the work of the Society. Our late President himself, entered with spirit into such work when he was quite young, and after his father's death of course he was chosen President, and it became the central pleasure of his life to set forward the work of the Society.

His early interest in Central America was increased by his intelligent visits to Yucatan and other provinces, and every year brought to our cabinet and to our library and to our transactions new results of his personal interest in the antiquities of those regions. But he did not by any means confine his antiquarian studies in one direction. From one meeting to another he would occupy himself in the wide range of historical interests which are so well represented in the membership of our society, and he would take care that at each meeting and in each publication a sufficient number of such interests should be represented. The papers prepared and read at his request during his short administration fully justified our founder in taking the large continental name of America for the Antiquarian Society. Mr. Salisbury would not leave it to the hasty special work of a few days to prepare for a semi-annual meeting. On the other hand, whenever he read or whenever he talked, he had us in mind and was asking himself or asking somebody who would prepare a fit paper on such a subject or such a subject in which he thought the Society had a concern.

In a review of the work of the Society since he was a member, the simple list of his own suggestions and contributions has a special interest to-day. The munificent gifts which he has made to the Society would of themselves have furnished a fit memorial of his life and service. But there was no need of such a memorial. His administration itself would be always remembered by any who have joined in our work or shared in the interest which it involved.

The wide range of Mr. Salisbury's interest in the welfare of all around him is shown in the remarkable list of his benefactions to individuals and to societies.

Mr. NATHANIEL PAINE said:

Mr. Chairman:-As one of the oldest members of the Antiquarian Society, may I be permitted to say a few words in addition to what has already been said of our late president.

Mr. Salisbury was one of my oldest and best friends, and what I shall say will be largely of a personal nature. My acquaintance with him goes back to my school days and for the last twenty or more years I have been very closely connected with him in the affairs of this Society and otherwise. Speaking from this experience I can truly say that no member has been so faithful in his duties and constant in working for its good. He has always manifested a most practical interest in its welfare; in season and out of season he always had its interests at heart and was always ready to give up other business and cares to consult and advise with those associated with him in its management. Months before the regular meetings, it was his custom to plan and prepare for them by securing some one to write the reports of the Council and to read papers upon antiquarian or historical subjects, that the meetings might be successful. Very few of our members, I think, knew of the great amount of time and thought he gave to the Antiquarian Society and its objects, and I fear it will be a long time before we shall find one who will fill his place in this regard.

He was constant in his visits to our rooms to look after details of management and to encourage by his presence those who were employed there. That he was most generous in his financial help as shown in the large addition to our Building Fund founded by his honored father, we all know, but of his smaller contributions made most quietly and without thought of any thanks, we shall never know. His very generous thought of the Society has been shown since his death by the liberal bequest in his will. Of his quiet and unostentatious method in helping other educational and charitable institutions of Worcester, it is not necessary to speak at this time; suffice it to say they have been most timely and generous and highly appreciated by those directly interested.

I have not words at my command at this time to express my personal admiration of him as a man and a citizen.

We all know and admire his great modesty where he himself was most concerned. He was most democratic in his intercourse with all men. He was a gentleman of the old school who thought more of a good character in his friends than of any financial or social distinction. Although a man of great wealth, the humblest of his friends were never made to think of it when in his presence, and were always treated by him with the same courtesy and consideration as was manifested by his honored father. His charity and appreciation of the good deeds of others was a prominent trait of his character. One rarely heard him speak ill of anyone; he was more ready to defend than to criticise and find fault with his fellowmen. To his near friends he was most loyal and had ever in mind their welfare and he was always prompt to extend his sympathy in time of trouble, and to rejoice with them in any good fortune that might come to them. A man of strong feelings and perhaps somewhat decided in his own views, he was always thoughtful of the views of others and ready to hear them with patience even if not agreeing in their conclusions.

I wish that some fitting and appropriate memorial of our late president might be displayed in our Hall, some lasting memento of one so long active in promoting the best interest of the Society.

As one of my best and trusted friends, one to whom I could go for advice or counsel in the full assurance of his sympathy, I could not let this occasion pass without expressing, even if very inadequately, my grateful and loving tribute to the memory of our honored President and to express my high appreciation of the great loss we have sustained by his untimely removal.

Mr. SAMUEL SWETT GREEN said:

Mr. President, There was conspicuously displayed on the temple at Delphi an inscription which characterized Mr. Salisbury. It is "Nothing too much." He was never extreme in his opinions, but always conservative.

His position in Worcester was such and his connection with institutions of different kinds and with business corporations so manifold that his influence was very widely felt. His presence was everywhere sought, and he had to perform somewhat perfunctorily many of the duties