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^fit miovttuttt Mttovtiu, 
 
 PROCEEDINGS AT A DINNER 
 
 GIVEN AT 
 
 The Lincoln House in Worcester, 
 
 ON 
 
 Wednesday, November 3D, 1897, 
 
 TO 
 
 FRANKLIN P'^^ICE, 
 
 IN 
 
 Recognition of Work Accomplished in the Development 
 
 OF 
 
 SYSTEMATIC HISTORY. 
 
.4* * ">J 1-^ <J 
 
THE DINNER. 
 
 For some time previous to the completion of the work 
 of editing and printing the Worcester Records, it had been 
 felt by certain friends of Mr. Rice and by others who were 
 interested in record preservation, that the occasion would 
 merit special notice, and that some formal recognition of 
 the service rendered, of the magnitude of the undertaking, 
 and of its influence as a pioneer and practical example in 
 this line, would be proper. While Mr. Rice fully acquiesced 
 in this view, he desired that the occasion might be passed 
 over with as little ceremony as would be consistent with 
 propriety, and he indicated the form most agreeable to him. 
 It was, under the circumstances, thought best that he should 
 have the direction of the plan and details of the affair, and 
 all arrangements were made in accordance with this under- 
 standing. The Lincoln House in Worcester was selected 
 as the place, and Wednesday, November 3d, 1897, ^t half- 
 past one o'clock in the afternoon, was the time fixed for 
 the gathering. The company assembled included Mr. Fred 
 L. Hutchins, President of The Worcester Society of An- 
 tiquity ; Mayor A. B. R. Sprague ; Robert T. Swan, Esq., 
 Commissioner of Public Records of the Commonwealth ; 
 Mr. Samuel S. Green, Librarian of the Worcester Free 
 Public Library ; Dr. George S. Adams of Westborough ; 
 Mr, Samuel E, Staples, Founder of The Worcester Society 
 of Antiquity; Mr. Edmund M. Barton, Librarian of the 
 American Antiquarian Society; Mr. Francis E. Blake of 
 the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston ; 
 Messrs. John C. Otis, William F. Abbot and Franklin P. 
 Rice ; and Mr. George Maynard, stenographer. 
 
 A full report of the exercises which followed the excel- 
 lent dinner is contained in the following pages. 
 
Stenographically Reported by George Maynard. 
 
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT HUTCHINS. 
 
 I congratulate myself that I am permitted, during the 
 period of my administration of the affairs of The Worces- 
 ter Society of Antiquity, to see the completion of that 
 work which has carried its name across the continent, and 
 I account it a very great pleasure to join with you in some 
 slight recognition of the service of our friend upon my 
 right. 
 
 He has been the prime mover and sole executor of this 
 truly important undertaking, which he has pursued under 
 trying circumstances, with an unflagging zeal for absolute 
 accuracy and typographical perfection. 
 
 It is his plodding industry and painstaking care which 
 have given us these nine volumes of Worcester's Proprie- 
 tary, Court, and Town Records. 
 
 Let us consider for a moment what this work signifies, 
 — not alone that this mass of well-indexed information is 
 accessible to all who desire to consult it, not alone that 
 these Records are found in both public and private libraries 
 throughout the country, but what is far more important 
 to us, that the absolute safety of these early Records of 
 Worcester, under the proprietary and town governments, 
 is now assured ; no mutilation or destruction, either mali- 
 cious or accidental, is now possible. 
 
 So it is eminently proper that some fitting notice be 
 taken of the completion of this work, which, in justice to 
 truth, it must be stated, lacks a few pages of the Records 
 and the index of the last volume, but through difficulties 
 
in arranging for this meeting later, it was thought best 
 not to await the completion of this small portion. 
 
 So it is well that this comprehensive work, more com- 
 prehensive, perhaps, than any other single example in the 
 State, should be appreciated by the Society whose chief 
 renown comes from having its name upon the title-pages of 
 these volumes ; by the City whose records are thus pre- 
 served ; by the State in which it was the pioneer example 
 and now stands as one for others to emulate ; and by those 
 who have been otherwise benefitted. 
 
 Mr. Rice, with characteristic modesty, shrank from any 
 formal public testimonial, but recognizing the propriety 
 of taking some notice of this mile-stone in Record work, 
 and being assured, by those who knew something of his 
 work and sacrifice, that some demonstration would be 
 made, he consented to this form with the condition that 
 he be allowed to direct it. 
 
 And so, gentlemen, we are here to extend congratula- 
 tions. First you, Mr. Rice, are to be congratulated in 
 that the inception of the plan was a new departure, in that 
 its carrying out has been so faithful under all the discour- 
 agements incident thereto, and last, but not least, upon 
 the perfectness and typographical beauty of your work. 
 
 We all await, with eagerness, your story of its inception 
 and growth. 
 
ADDRESS OF FRANKLIN P. RICE. 
 
 Mr. President, Mr. Mayor, attd Friends : 
 
 The completion of an undertaking which has required 
 the labor of several years, and the exertion of such ability 
 and energy as I possess, is an event which cannot be con- 
 templated with indifference. Nor, perhaps, can it be 
 characterized in ordinary terms. I trust, therefore, that I 
 shall be pardoned in the expression of whatever may savor 
 of elation or self-gratulation at the successful outcome of a 
 long-cherished purpose, and that due allowance will be 
 made, as my remarks proceed, in consideration of the 
 difficulty experienced by anyone in the attempt to de- 
 scribe his relation to an enterprise in which he has borne 
 the principal or the sole part, without exhibition of more 
 or less of what might seem to be egotism. 
 
 The example presented in the publication of the Worces- 
 ter Records, is, so far as my knowledge extends, the first 
 and at present the only one, in which the records of the 
 whole period of proprietary and town governments of a 
 place, together with all the recorded births, marriages and 
 deaths within that time, have been put in print. 
 
 The idea, now becoming general, of reproducing town 
 and other similar records in their minutiae, was not only 
 new, but in this particular instance original, when I began. 
 There were two or three sporadic cases of earlier date, but 
 of these I did not know at the time. 
 
 Vanity, which can be easily gratified, and often at 
 another's expense, was not an inducing element in this 
 
8 
 
 work. There is sufficient proof in the statement which 
 will follow, that, if at any time during the progress of the 
 undertaking, moderate expectations of pecuniary reward 
 were entertained, they were soon extinguished by the logic 
 of facts. Antiquarian taste did not prevail ; and with eight 
 lines of ancestry in this country too easily followed back 
 to the period 1629 to 1640, I felt little or no enthusiasm 
 in genealogical research. With these disclaimers the main 
 purpose should be distinctly stated. Briefly, it was to 
 make the original sources of history accessible and avail- 
 able for use, in accordance with a plan formed many years 
 ago. 
 
 The idea was very simple. If we could know all the 
 elementary facts, then we could begin to know history, 
 and not until then. History has been and is being written 
 from too few premises, and it is the rule rather than the 
 exception that the elaborate theory and logical conclusion 
 are overturned by the later bringing to light of facts un- 
 known to the ambitious narrator. Evidently the time to 
 %vvitc history is not in the immediate future ; the pre- 
 liminary work of accumulation and classification remains 
 in large measure to be done, and to the drudgery involved 
 in the performance of this service we, of the present gen- 
 eration, ought cheerfully to submit. And so I wanted to 
 see all the original material brought together in system in 
 public and central depositories, so that in a few minutes a 
 question could be settled, which, scattered and inaccessi- 
 ble as so many facts now are, cannot certainly be deter- 
 mined. Another great advantage would be the assurance 
 as to the existence or non-existence of desired information. 
 
 The real philosophy of history cannot be attained so 
 long as the sources of information remain undeveloped, 
 and in historical as in other scientific investigation, the 
 
effort now is to reach the obscure yet fundamental elements 
 which constitute the substance of the whole. The immense 
 mass of material in New England in the form of town, 
 county and other records, most of it hidden and unknown, 
 presented a rich mine to explore, and one from which the 
 most valuable and satisfactory results might be expected ; 
 and it was with the idea, at first crude and imperfectly 
 formed, of subjecting this material to minute classification, 
 that I entered into the work. I cannot take time now to 
 make an elaborate statement, or to detail the several 
 changes in method from the preparation of a general refer- 
 ence key to a stated locality, an index of selected subjects, 
 or abstracts of certain periods, until, finally, the determina- 
 tion was reached to print the original in its entirety, with- 
 out abridgment. It is enough to say that I regarded the 
 matter in its practical and scientific aspects, and, after the 
 plan expanded and developed, I originated and applied 
 the name SYSTEMATIC HISTORY to the accumulated re- 
 sults, a term which is now coming into use. That I have 
 not been able to accomplish as much as I expected, so far as 
 extent of territory covered is concerned, is admitted; but 
 human endeavor is so often restricted that this confession 
 is not an exceptional one. 
 
 There were subordinate reasons which influenced me. 
 The desire to do something for the Commonwealth and for 
 the City, and to identify myself with it; and later, the 
 purpose to gain a special reputation for The Worcester 
 Society of Antiquity for practical work. Selfish motives 
 operated to the extent that in all this I was doing what I 
 wanted to do. 
 
 My interest in, and investigation of these matters began 
 in 1869, and during the next few years I collected con- 
 siderable material which has since proved useful. In 1873 
 2 
 
lO 
 
 I set up a press for book printing, as this seemed to be 
 the only way in which to reach a tangible result, the 
 charges for producing this kind of work in regular offices 
 being at that time appalling and far beyond my slender 
 means. My first attempts were only in part worthy of 
 preservation, and most of the material has been worked 
 over. 
 
 One November day in 1 869 I was pleasantly accosted by 
 a gentleman with whom I was afterwards intimately asso- 
 ciated ; and in this accidental, and, at that time, appar- 
 ently insignificant circumstance, was the germ of The 
 Worcester Society of Antiquity. Mr. Staples manifested 
 an interest in my work, and comprehended its plan with 
 certain definite ideas of his own in the project for a society, 
 which we discussed a great deal for two or three years. 
 The matter was probably finally determined by a visit we 
 paid to the old Mechanic Street Burial Ground in October, 
 1874, after its upheaval had been suggested; and on that 
 memorable 23d day of January, 1875, the first meeting 
 of the new Society was held. 
 
 I was induced to cooperate in this movement by the not 
 very strong hope that such an association as was proposed 
 would sustain and carry forward the work which then 
 seemed too formidable for single effort. This expectation 
 was doomed to ultimate disappointment, but the desired 
 result has, to some extent, been realized in a different way. 
 
 After a period of doubtful consideration, the Society was 
 quickened to action by the advent of Clark Jillson, and 
 under his able direction the first publication was issued, to 
 be very soon followed by the second, which contained the 
 Burial Inscriptions. With this encouraging example and 
 outlook, I proceeded in the preparation of the first book 
 of Worcester Town Records, some assistance in the copy- 
 
II 
 
 ing and indexing — all that I ever received — being given by- 
 two interested members. But this was brought to a stand- 
 still when it was found that the debt contracted by the 
 Society in the printing of the last publication could not be 
 paid. This literally put a bar to further Proceedings. As 
 I remember, this was the general impression ; I, for one, 
 accepted the situation, and for a time turned my attention 
 in another direction, and even abandoned the thought of 
 Record publication in connection with the Society. At this 
 juncture Judge Jillson divulged his intention of insuring the 
 publication of the yearly Proceedings by affording such 
 assistance as might be needed until the affairs of the 
 Society would warrant it in going forward ; and we all 
 remember how faithfully this assurance was fulfilled. 
 
 To what extent or in what manner this circumstance 
 operated in reviving the Record publication, I will not 
 assert. The fact is significant that the first book was 
 within a few months issued from the press, and this was 
 followed in quick succession by the second book, the 
 Proprietors' Book, the Revolutionary Records, and the 
 Records of the County Court of General Sessions from 
 1 73 1 to 1737. These volumes were published in ten 
 parts under the seal of the Society, which received seventy- 
 five copies of each part for its exchange list free of ex- 
 pense. Four years and three months were spent in their 
 production, and the lowest estimated cost was $4,300. 
 With one exception no direct assistance was given the 
 work in money, but members and others subscribed for 
 copies at a nominal price, an investment which has paid 
 more than compound interest, for the numbers were very 
 soon in demand at two or three times the price originally 
 paid, and the editions were exhausted. The total amount 
 which I received, including four hundred dollars' worth 
 
12 
 
 purchased by the City, was $986. At this point, publica- 
 tion was suspended for obvious reasons, but with the firm 
 intention to resume under circumstances more favorable 
 in a pecuniary way. 
 
 During the next three months I prepared and published 
 a book on my own account which returned me $400. With 
 this sum I began to copy the Records of the Inter-Charter 
 period, at the State House in Boston, with the intention of 
 including them with the Collections of The Worcester 
 Society of Antiquity ; but this project encountered remon- 
 strances in certain quarters of such a nature that I aban- 
 doned it after some progress had been made. About this 
 time I prepared a plan and suggested the passage of an 
 Act by the Legislature to require the printing of their 
 records by the towns in the State in such yearly portions 
 as would not be burdensome until all to the year 1850 
 were printed. This, in 1884, was premature.* 
 
 I want to say a word here to forestall criticism to the 
 effect that this work had been pursued thus far with a 
 degree of enthusiasm which common wisdom would not 
 justify nor business principles maintain. I know that the 
 performance of such service is sometimes, in consequence, 
 followed by neglect of the common proprieties as well as 
 evasion of the more serious responsibilities of life. Deeply 
 as I was interested I did not forget the duty I owed to 
 society and to myself. John Randolph's injunction, "Pay 
 as you go," was always in mind, and if this undertaking 
 had interfered with other obligations I should at once have 
 
 *The objection to this plan advanced by Mr. Swan — that forcing 
 action through legislative power would result in many cases in 
 throwing the preparation into incompetent hands — is, I think, a 
 valid one. 
 
13 
 
 abandoned it. I had other resources with which to sus- 
 tain it; and, of course, a different pecuniary result was 
 anticipated. One thing made the task easy: the close 
 and cordial feeling and unity of purpose which animated 
 the Society during this period. 
 
 At the time that the printing of the Worcester Town 
 Records was resumed, in 1889, with the intention of com- 
 pleting the work to 1848, I had what I considered satis- 
 factory assurances that at least seventy-five per cent, of 
 the cost would be provided, and I felt willing to assume 
 the remaining twenty-five per cent., as a portion of the 
 edition would remain in my hands to be sold. The esti- 
 mate presented for the consideration of the City Council 
 in asking for appropriations to the amount of a nominal 
 half of the expense, assumed that the remaining Town 
 Records from 1784 to 1848, together with the Births and 
 Marriages from the earliest recorded to the last named 
 year, could be included in five printed volumes of three 
 hundred pages each, the City Council to vote the money 
 in five annual instalments, a volume of Records to be issued 
 each year. This arrangement was carried out, the several 
 City governments from 1889 to 1893 cordially responding, 
 but so much more matter than was estimated had to be 
 printed that a volume could not be completed within a 
 year. This plan was adopted because, after consultation 
 with the City Finance Committee, it was thought doubtful 
 if even this amount would be voted ; and further, in order 
 that the Society might publish the volumes, which it would 
 not be allowed to do if the City could by any means be 
 induced to defray the whole expense. Of the three hun- 
 dred copies printed, one hundred were for the use of the 
 City, and eighty copies were to supply the exchange list 
 of the Society ; and as the latter had received the benefit 
 
H 
 
 of the first series of these Records, it was thought just and 
 proper that it should contribute something towards the 
 cost of the later volumes. As the Society had at that time 
 no funds, it was understood that a special canvass of the 
 members was to be made, and also, that certain interested 
 citizens were to be applied to for direct money assistance ; 
 and, as I have said, with these assurances I felt safe in 
 going forward. I could not foresee the difficulties which 
 afterwards developed in consequence of the unexpected 
 proportions of the matter to be printed, and of the suddenly 
 assumed hostile attitude in a quarter from which, in view 
 of the greatly increased labor and expense to be incurred 
 under the new conditions, the most helpful encouragement 
 should have emanated. 
 
 As the work progressed it developed that a serious mis- 
 take had been made in calculating the amount of matter 
 the manuscript would make, the difference in the hand- 
 writings not being apparent at first glance. Furthermore, 
 so many deficiencies were discovered among the Births 
 that I voluntarily made a thorough revision by which over 
 eleven hundred names not on the town books were sup- 
 plied, and many errors corrected. In addition to this, it 
 was thought that the recorded Deaths from 1826 to 1848, 
 should be included in an appendix, all of which was done 
 at the editor's expense. As the result, instead of 1,500 
 pages in the five volumes, there are 2,133, or consider- 
 ably more than one-third increase. Perhaps if this fact 
 had been properly appreciated, the efforts to unduly has- 
 ten the undertaking, so unreasonably persisted in, would 
 have ceased. This interference only had the tendency to 
 induce a state of distraction in the editor's mind, when he 
 needed all his powers to overcome the difficulties in the 
 work itself. Notwithstanding: these troubles I made little 
 
15 
 
 complaint, and I felt that I was in honor bound to com- 
 plete the volumes under the arrangement. 
 
 Before work on the first volume had progressed very far, 
 Mr. Salisbury's offer to the Society of a building lot was 
 made, and on its acceptance he supplemented it with a 
 gift of $5,000. All the energies of the Society were now 
 properly directed to the purpose of erecting a building ; 
 and, as it was thought that efforts in soliciting subscriptions 
 for the Record work would interfere with raising money 
 for the structure, I, at the request of the building fund 
 committee, acquiesced in the abandonment of that part of 
 the plan for the time being, although by so doing I was 
 assuming a serious responsibility. I was told that I would 
 be helped in one way or another after the building was 
 assured, and I proceeded with the printing as rapidly as 
 possible. After the fact transpired that the first volume 
 would be largely increased over the estimate, the necessity 
 of some assistance became apparent. A room which it 
 was proposed to devote to the publication work had, with- 
 out suggestion or solicitation on my part, been included in 
 the plan of the building; and, of this, after serious con- 
 sideration, I accepted a lease for five years, which was 
 unanimously voted by the Society upon the recommenda- 
 tion of a committee which had been appointed to confer 
 with me. The members of this committee were to under- 
 take the raising of a specified sum yearly for four years. 
 This and the use of the room were to be considered as so 
 much assistance towards the reduction of the large deficit 
 which was to be met. These conditions have, it is well 
 known, been fulfilled only in part. During the present 
 year the energetic efforts of President Hutchins and Messrs. 
 John C. Otis and William F. Abbot, have resulted in the 
 carrying out, in greatly reduced measure, of the original 
 intention. 
 
i6 
 
 In going to the building I was influenced largely by the 
 advice of prominent members of the Society, who esteemed 
 it a great advantage to the association to have its publica- 
 tion work conducted on its own premises. That they were 
 not alone in this opinion is attested by the fact that about 
 this time I received proposals from two other Worcester 
 institutions to enter into similar connections, but my place 
 was with The Worcester Societj* of Antiquit\'. Another 
 strong inducement was in the opportunitj" which it then 
 seemed was about to open to greatly expand the work of 
 printing original material under the auspices of the Society. 
 This was embodied in a proposition to undertake the 
 preparation and printing of the Probate Files of Worcester 
 County, — not in the form of a simple index to leading 
 names, to which the publication now in process by the 
 Count)' Commissioners will be confined, and which, I am 
 convinced, will in course of time, with the advance of sen- 
 timent and a clear understanding of the subject, prove 
 inadequate and unsatisfactory ; but in comprehensive ab- 
 stracts of the wills and estates, giving the names of all 
 parties concerned, with other necessary particulars — a com- 
 pilation intended to relieve the investigator of nine-tenths 
 of the labor of research now necessar\'. This project came 
 about in a manner that was, in itself, proof of confidence 
 in the power and perseverance to carry it successfully 
 through, and means to sustain its execution were to be 
 forthcoming as needed. Of course, this implied the assist- 
 ance of additional hands, and a modification of former 
 methods, and in contemplation of this I began to fit up 
 the room at the new building. But instead of expanding, 
 I was compelled, by the train of singular circumstances 
 that followed, to contract ; and, after a period during which 
 the printing of the Worcester Records was suspended, in 
 
17 
 
 doubt whether to issue them further as Societ}' publica- 
 tions, to carry them on independently elsewhere, or to 
 abandon them altogether, the work was resumed with a 
 somewhat limping gait, and has proceeded to the end.* 
 
 I do not intend, Mr. President, with the tangible proof 
 before us that all adverse conditions attending the produc- 
 tion of these nine volumes have been overcome, to enter 
 into a recital of the strange occurrences which took place 
 after the removal of the Society^ to its new quarters. The 
 frantic demonstrations which seemed to have for their 
 object the sinking of identity, and obliteration of all 
 memory of former purposes and methods ; and the violent 
 attempts to disrupt the ties which had previously bound 
 the members together in a common interest, although 
 firmly resisted by a solid phalanx, could not but have 
 their elTect upon this undertaking. Probably the sacrifice 
 of the Record work was hardly considered in comparison 
 with the field of enticing possibilities in other directions 
 which an ecstatic vision presented. Notwithstanding this 
 serious crisis the Worcester Records are in print. 
 
 *The purpose to compile and publish the Probate Records 
 was entertained for several years, but the difficulties to be over- 
 come in the printing of the Worcester Records, the long financial 
 depression, and the distrust felt by members and others who were 
 interested in practical work in regard to the future policy of the 
 Society, prevented any approach to a realization of this project 
 until the year 1S97. At that time, so rapidly had public sentiment 
 advanced, it was found that the County Commissioners had au- 
 thorized the printing of an index to the Probate Files. It was, 
 therefore, decided to apply the means offered to the development 
 of other material. The possibilities of this movement with the 
 aid of the Systematic Historj' Fund can at present only be con- 
 jectured. 
 3 
 
i8 
 
 In other quarters where the most cordial and intelHgent 
 cooperation should have been given I was met by queru- 
 lous criticism, and a disposition to obstruct or to stop the 
 progress of the work, in attempts at interference which, 
 had they not been resisted, would have seriously disar- 
 ranged my plans, and subjected me to additional expense 
 and trouble; as the only instance in which I, through 
 courtesy, yielded, fully proved. Time is an essential ele- 
 ment in matters of this kind if accuracy and completeness 
 are desired ; but haste in production was insisted by those 
 who forgot that they had neither proprietary right nor 
 supervisory control. I properly refused to increase the 
 stock of Brummagem wares in this line, and kept the tenor 
 of my way as best I could under circumstances which were 
 at times particularly irritating and depressing. 
 
 Probably the most serious difficulty with which I had 
 to contend was in the endeavor to keep on good terms 
 with myself; and here the proverb, He that ruleth his 
 spirit is better than he that taketh a city, applies. I can- 
 not claim a large share of that magnanimity which belongs 
 to a great soul, and, undoubtedly, there were times when, 
 if I had been left to myself, I should have brought the 
 undertaking to a sudden stop. I never for a second 
 doubted my ability or strength of purpose to carry it to a 
 successful termination if I only considered the amount of 
 labor, the length of time, or the financial difficulties, singly 
 or combined ; for these could be surmounted. But when, 
 in addition, I had to meet indifference, neglect and hos- 
 tility, unaccountable, resolution and courage could not 
 always be relied on. Wise counsel, which impressed not 
 only the importance of completing the work, but also the 
 inportance of completing it in the Society's name, fortu- 
 nately prevailed. I speak of all these things because they 
 
19 
 
 had a powerful efifect in delaying progress, and in adding 
 many figures to the wrong side of the balance sheet ; and 
 also because no true account could be given if mention of 
 them were omitted. 
 
 Of the friends of this enterprise I cannot say too much, 
 but I must content myself with a very inadequate acknowl- 
 edgment of their great kindness, encouragement, and sub- 
 stantial aid. Foremost was Clark Jillson, whose loyal 
 support, unqualified commendation, and firm defence in 
 times of emergency, are fully appreciated now that he has 
 passed into the hereafter. His contributions to the pub- 
 lication work of the Society amount to a very large sum, 
 and, undoubtedly, saved the institution from dissolution. 
 Of the late Honorable Stephen Salisbury a pleasant mem- 
 ory remains. His genuine interest in these, the annals of 
 his native town, was, more than once, unmistakably mani- 
 fested.* The uniform courtesy and ample generosity with 
 which the several applications in behalf of the second series 
 of the Records have been received by his son and succes- 
 sor, the present Mr. Salisbury, I will not enlarge upon in 
 any Worcester gathering. His attendance here to-day 
 would have greatly increased my satisfaction, and I regret 
 
 * In justice to truth I will say that this was not in the way of 
 direct pecuniary assistance to the Record work, which Mr. Salis- 
 bury would have given if it had been requested. I did not solicit 
 aid in this way for the first series, which comprised four volumes 
 and included the Proprietary and Court Records, and the Town 
 Records from 1722 to 1783. Mr. Salisbury and Mr. Curtis each 
 purchased several copies of two of these volumes. What I par- 
 ticularly remember was Mr, Salisbury's intelligent and broad- 
 minded view of the work. To the second series of the Records 
 the present Mr. Salisbury subscribed seventy-five dollars for each 
 of the five volumes. 
 
20 
 
 that an important business matter has interfered to prevent 
 it. Another good friend in the early times was our ven- 
 erated townsman, Albert Curtis. I am indebted to Doctor 
 Charles L. Nichols, Henry P. Upham of St. Paul, Minne- 
 sota, William H. Sawyer, Francis E. Blake of Boston, and 
 Herbert Wesby, for large direct contributions ; also to John 
 C. Otis and William F. Abbot, for their more than friendly, 
 and partially successful, exertions to carry out the inten- 
 tion of the committee of 1891. To all others who have 
 in any way encouraged, approved or assisted the under- 
 taking I now express my heartfelt appreciation. Last, 
 but not least, the earnest efforts of President Hutchins to 
 efface unpleasant memories, and the more material assist- 
 ance he has afforded, deserve my sincere thanks. 
 
 And now a few words about the printed Records. They 
 are comprised in nine volumes, one containing the Pro- 
 prietary Records from 1667 to 1788, with all the plans; 
 six the Town Records from 1722 to 1848 ; one the Births, 
 Marriages and Deaths ; and one the Records of the Court 
 of General Sessions of the Peace during the first seven 
 years of the County organization. Combined they make 
 3,425 pages. With the exception before mentioned, all 
 the copying, indexing, and printing has been done by my 
 hands, and every page has passed through the press under 
 my supervision as editor. As to the quality of the work 
 I will not affirm. I have never held to the utterly imprac- 
 ticable notion that in the percentage of purity in our lives 
 or of perfection in our works we can attain the full 100. 
 But accuracy has been the chief consideration in the pro- 
 duction of these books, whatever degree of success may 
 have been realized, and this accounts in part for the large 
 deficit. About ten years' labor has been given to the work, 
 but the first part appeared nearly twenty years ago. 
 
21 
 
 In regard to the financial part, it seems to me that it is 
 sufficient to say that this undertaking has been carried 
 out, as the result before you shows. But a promise has 
 been exacted that I would make a statement of the cost, 
 and of the amount which I have received in return. In 
 making this statement I use the figures of the Commissioner 
 of Public Records, given in his second report published in 
 1890, the example being the first volume of Dedham 
 Records, edited by Don Gleason Hill, Esq. This book 
 contains 286 pages, and the total cost of making copy, 
 index, comparing proof, editing, and printing one thousand 
 copies was $964. Reducing this to pages gives $3.37 as 
 the cost per page. Allowing for the difference between 
 one thousand and three hundred copies, the last being the 
 number of the Worcester Records printed, which is the 
 cost of paper and press-work of seven hundred copies, we 
 have $3.06 per page ; and 3,425 pages give, with $400 
 additional for engraving, etc., the total cost of these nine 
 volumes of Worcester Records: $10,880.50. 
 
 I have received : from sales of first series, $986 ; from 
 the City appropriations in aid of second series, $2,500; 
 direct contributions, $950; sales, second series, $383; 
 allowed for room in Society's building, (say) $500. Total: 
 
 $5,319. 
 
 Several causes contributed to this result, some of which 
 I have detailed. An aversion on my part to the task of 
 raising money by solicitation (from which I feel that I 
 should have been relieved), and the long business and 
 financial depression, were others. 
 
 My interest in the development of Systematic History 
 is as strong as ever, and I hope to be able to exert my 
 efforts still further in this direction, to add something to 
 what has already been accomplished. 
 
22 
 
 And now, Mr. President and Mr. Mayor, with the words 
 of another I will close : 
 
 "No honor or reward, however great, can be equal to 
 that subtle satisfaction that a man feels when he can point 
 to his work and say, ' See, now, the task I promised you 
 to perform with all loyalty and honesty, with might and 
 main, to the utmost of my ability, and God willing, is to- 
 day finished ! Say, is it well and truly done?' And when 
 the employer shall confess that ' it is well and truly done,' 
 can there be any recompense higher than that to one's 
 inward self ? " 
 
 MAYOR SPRAGUE, 
 
 who was obliged to leave the company early on account 
 of important public business, said that he would authorize 
 Mr. Samuel S. Green, the librarian of the Free Public 
 Library, to express for him his congratulations and hearty 
 appreciation of the Record work, in behalf of the City of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Hutchins: — This meeting has been called for 
 congratulations, and certainly the great Commonwealth of 
 Massachusetts is to be congratulated upon the amount of 
 Record work that has been done in it since this under- 
 taking was started. The interest in this matter is evidenced 
 by the presence here of the Massachusetts Commissioner 
 of Public Records, Robert T. Swan, Esq., whom I now 
 have the pleasure of introducing. 
 
23 
 
 RECORD COMMISSIONER SWAN. 
 
 M7\ President and Gentlemen : 
 
 It is a great pleasure and satisfaction to be here, and to 
 add my testimony to that of others who have known of 
 this work of Mr. Rice. 
 
 I should almost hesitate to say anything before a com- 
 pany of gentlemen who are older than myself in these 
 matters, were it not that in the position I now hold I have 
 had occasion to visit the town and city headquarters, and 
 to see the records and the officers, and to see the interest 
 and the lack of interest pervading the various places. My 
 office has become a sort of clearing-house for these mat- 
 ters, and people come to me for advice. It brings in 
 experts like Mr. Rice, who come and bring me informa- 
 tion that I am glad to disseminate. And I am sure that 
 in relation to this edition of records, there is nothing supe- 
 rior, and, I think, nothing equal in the extent which it 
 covers. As Mr. Rice says, it is hard to say just when it 
 commenced, but I think there can be no doubt that it was 
 the first of its kind. The work shows careful editing. 
 
 Some of the town records have been printed, and these 
 range all the way through good, bad and indifferent. Many 
 of them had better never have been printed, and the best 
 of them fall short of what should have been done. If you 
 take up these records you will find that one editor begins 
 with the religious life of the town, and another with the 
 military. 
 
 But a person taking up records like these reads between 
 the lines, and sees the history for himself as he goes along. 
 This kind of work is the only sure foundation to go upon. 
 The great mistake in publishing town records is in looking 
 
24 
 
 upon it as a business enterprise. I get many inquiries 
 about the price of copying records. I usually reply that 
 the copying of a single word is often worth more than the 
 cost of a page. Since I have come here I have had inti- 
 mation of other contemplated work in this line. I hope 
 that it will not be done at present, until we have trained 
 people to be experts. An expert must not only be a man 
 who can decipher the ancient chirography, but he must 
 be familiar with the early terms used in the records. A 
 man to be an expert must be one who does not think he 
 knows it all. I have cut out from one of my reports some 
 entertaining remarks from one of the other kind. Speak- 
 ing of some ancient records he had copied, he says: "In 
 justice to myself, I could not copy such bad spelling. I 
 have, therefore, corrected, tJiroughoiU the whole, the bad 
 language iti these records, and I have in many instances, 
 abridged the records.'' [The italics are mine.] To author- 
 ize a man to make such a record as that, is a piece of in- 
 excusable folly. 
 
 Now in regard to these particular volumes, perhaps I 
 can appreciate one of them at least, more than you, gen- 
 tlemen, possibly can. And that is the record of Births, 
 Marriages and Deaths. There is a bill now before the 
 General Court to provide for supplying the deficiencies in 
 such records; but Mr. Rice anticipated any bill of this 
 kind, and has done what others would have been glad to 
 do. I think the great amount of labor which he has done 
 can be appreciated only by those who have had experience 
 in this line of work. It entitles him to the gratitude of 
 everyone who shall find their names in these volumes. 
 
 I have said that experts were necessary, but an expert 
 must have something more than mere ability. He must 
 have his heart in his work. Mr. Rice has never faltered 
 
25 
 
 in his undertaking, but has carried it through, and has 
 made a monument to his name which will last for all time. 
 I think there is a large field in the Commonwealth for Mr. 
 Rice. I have not wanted the towns to do this work them- 
 selves, because in some cases they do it so poorly. 
 
 Mr. Hutchins : — Wherever our Records go through 
 the country, in all the great libraries of the land, they are 
 examples of Worcester's handiwork. The librarian of our 
 Free Public Library, Mr. Samuel Swett Green, is widely 
 known by his interest in these matters. We shall be glad 
 to hear from Mr. Green. 
 
 CITY LIBRARIAN GREEN. 
 
 Mr. President: 
 
 I am sure that everybody in the City, who knows any- 
 thing about this kind of work, feels grateful to Mr. Rice 
 for the great amount of disinterested labor which he has 
 performed. And I know that we all feel proud when the 
 Commissioner of Public Records, who has common cogni- 
 zance of such things, says, in a hearty and unreserved 
 manner, that this work is of the highest excellence, and 
 that it has set an example to the towns of the Common- 
 wealth. 
 
 I find that I have unwittingly been helping along the 
 work of Mr. Swan. I find that I have often to go to dif- 
 ferent towns to make suggestions as to how this and simi- 
 lar work can be better done. And almost invariably I 
 have to make the suggestion that everything bearing upon 
 the subject shall be gathered for the public library, and 
 that all materials in manuscript shall be carefully preserved. 
 4 
 
26 
 
 The reports of institutions and societies should be collected, 
 and the library should be made the centre where all the 
 materials for the history of the town shall be preserved. 
 Thus they can have a collection which it will be necessary 
 for anyone to consult if he wants to know anything about 
 the history of that town. The first thing is to collect the 
 material. Mr. Swan and Mr. Rice have been putting it in 
 permanent form, so that it will never be destroyed. 
 
 It is very interesting to see what changes have been 
 taking place in the methods of studying history in this 
 country. Everyone now wants the original materials of 
 history, and it is of the utmost importance that such mate- 
 rials as town records be preserved. Therefore they should 
 be properly arranged, so that you can find out anything 
 you wish about the history of the town. 
 
 It seems to me that a great influence has been exerted 
 by the Johns Hopkins University. The purpose there 
 appears to have been to have the pupils go back to the 
 original sources of history. There seems to have been a 
 great amount of interest excited in this work. 
 
 Now, supposing that anyone wants to know anything 
 about the police department or the fire department in any 
 town, or the support of the paupers there. How can any 
 accurate information be obtained unless we refer to the 
 town records, and how unlikely we are to find it, even then, 
 unless they are put into print. You all realize that there 
 is no better way of awakening interest in the study of his- 
 tory in general than through local history. Supposing 
 you are interested to find all you can about one of your 
 ancestors. You find out all about what he did in the 
 Revolution ; and then you are led to get a general view of 
 that part of our history. And it is so in regard to any 
 portion of the history of our country, or that of France or 
 
27 
 
 England. Any man is doing a great work who makes it 
 comparatively easy for the people of a town to make in- 
 vestigations in the history of that town, not only in insur- 
 ing a better position of our own history, but in awakening 
 interest which will lead to a broader interest in the history 
 of the state and of the country. And it pleases me very 
 much to notice that the officers in different educational 
 institutions are of this mind. I find that where students 
 of Harvard University are studying American History, 
 they are very soon set to making these investigations, and 
 a student coming from a certain town is given something 
 to investigate about his native town — perhaps, for instance, 
 it may be about the water-works of that town. And, gen- 
 erally speaking, I could hardly tell you how many of the 
 students of Harvard College have come to me to ask for 
 assistance in looking up the history of this town. And it 
 is very certain that in this way they get up an interest in 
 the history of the town, and also of other places ; and thus 
 it is, that work like this of Mr. Rice is of the greatest ser- 
 vice to any town. 
 
 I should be very sorry indeed if there was not more of 
 this work done. With the excellence of this work that 
 Mr. Rice can do, it seems to me that he ought to be em- 
 ployed during the rest of his life. There is still a large 
 field left in Worcester and Worcester County, and it would 
 seem that with a little exertion on the part of his friends, 
 he might be employed all the time. He ought to be well 
 paid. He ought to have liberal payment for all he does. 
 I hope sincerely that he will be kept at work. He is an 
 expert whose services should be worth a great deal. 
 
28 
 
 Mr. Hutchins : —Mr. Rice has spoken of his regret at 
 not having Mr. SaHsbury here, but he has sent a letter. 
 Letters from others who take a deep interest in this work 
 have also been received, and these I will now read. 
 
 LETTERS. 
 
 From HON. STEPHEN SALISBURY, 
 
 President of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester. 
 
 Worcester, October 30, 1897. 
 Franklin P. Rice, Esq., 
 
 My dear sir: — I regret very much not to be able to accept 
 your kind invitation to dine on November 3d, more particularly 
 because I shall lose an opportunity for highly commending your 
 work as shown in the nine volumes of Worcester Records which 
 you have published so accurately and in so readable a form. The 
 nearly four thousand printed pages show how much labor was 
 required in their preparation, when the damaged and imperfect 
 state of some of the original Records is borne in mind, especially 
 when compared page by page, copy with original. 
 
 When we remember that the work represents nearly ten years 
 of labor and that not more than half the value of the time occu- 
 pied was paid for, we can realize the debt which citizens of 
 Worcester owe for this unremunerated service. The pioneer 
 work was undertaken in 1873 and since that time has been fol- 
 lowed in other places. This and much more should be stated 
 when considering this well executed and public-spirited work. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 Stephen Salisbury. 
 
 From HON. SAMUEL A. GREEN, M. D., 
 
 Librarian of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston. 
 My dear Mr. Rice : 
 
 I am glad to learn that the work of printing the Worcester 
 Records is nearly completed. I know by experience that such 
 undertakings never pay from a money point of view, but your 
 
29 
 
 reward comes from knowing that it is a good thing for the City 
 of Worcester, and that future antiquarians and historians will ap- 
 preciate the work. The series of publications which you have 
 edited with so much care will be an enduring monument to your 
 industry and zeal. I am led to make these reflections from know- 
 ing how little the average citizen of any town cares for the critical 
 labors of historical scholars, among whom I rank yourself. 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Samuel A. Green. 
 
 From JAMES F. D. GARFIELD, ESQ., 
 
 Secretary of the Fitchburg Historical Society. 
 
 I am glad to know that the printing of these Records is so 
 nearly completed. I have been interested in watching the progress 
 of their publication, and as the several volumes have appeared 
 have noticed with pleasure the painstaking care and accuracy 
 with which the work has been carried forward. 
 
 The increased interest in the preservation of municipal records, 
 owing to the many losses by fire and the ravages of time, has 
 resulted in the printing of more than one hundred volumes in 
 various towns of New England, and nearly all of these have ap- 
 peared since you commenced the publication of the Worcester 
 Records. No doubt your example has largely influenced the 
 publication of records in other places. Indeed it was a suggestion 
 made by you which led to action by the Fitchburg Historical 
 Society which resulted in the printing of the Fitchburg and 
 Lunenburg Records. Yours very truly, 
 
 James F. D. Garfield. 
 Franklin P. Rice, Esq. 
 
 From RICHARD O'FLYNN, ESQ., 
 One of the original members of The Worcester Society of Antiquity. 
 My dear Mr. Rice : 
 
 Comparatively few of our citizens are aware of the splendid 
 and lasting service you have rendered the City in rescuing from 
 
30 
 
 possible destruction or decay the early Records of the Town. I 
 do not hesitate to say that there is not another man in our City 
 better qualified to undertake the work, which requires patience, 
 perseverance, and a knowledge of ancient orthography — qualifi- 
 cations which your work abundantly proves that you possess. 
 
 You were a pioneer in the field, and led in the path which so 
 many are now following. Yours very truly, 
 
 Richard O'Flynn. 
 
 Mr. HutchinS: — Mr. Don Gleason Hill, of Dedham, 
 expected to be here, but found yesterday that it would be 
 impossible for him to come. He says in his letter, how- 
 ever, that he hopes some other occasion will occur, and 
 he will make it a point to attend and give his testimony 
 to the value of the work. 
 
 I may mention the fact that the four men who started 
 The Worcester Society of Antiquity are all still alive ; and 
 we have with us to-day the one who coneived the idea of 
 it. I have no doubt he will be glad to say something on 
 this occasion. I refer to Mr. Staples. 
 
 MR. SAMUEL E. STAPLES. 
 
 Mr. President and Gefitlemen : 
 
 I hardly think it should be necessary for me to say 
 anything. We all are proud of what has been accom- 
 plished. I feel that it is an honor to have been one of the 
 original members of The Worcester Society of Antiquity. 
 I have always taken a deep interest in the welfare of that 
 Society. I am especially gratified that the early Records 
 of Worcester are in print, and safe from all danger. It is 
 a pleasure to belong to such a Society. I am glad to 
 express to Mr. Rice my thanks for what he has done, and 
 hope he may be permitted to do much more like work. 
 
31 
 
 Mr. Hutchins : — The Worcester Society of Antiquity 
 is under deep indebtedness to Mr. Barton, the Hbrarian of 
 the American Antiquarian Society, who is present with us. 
 I will now call upon Mr. Barton. 
 
 MR. EDMUND M. BARTON. 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemefi : 
 
 I wish to say that Mr. Rice's work has merited much 
 from us, on account of the conscientious manner in which 
 he has performed it. And this remark applies not only to 
 his larger productions, but also to the lesser works which 
 in a similar way are of use to every student. His Dictionary 
 of Worcester is a production of that kind. His work has 
 been done quietly, without noise. Worcester is a city 
 not much given to foghorn music or bugle-playing, — a 
 city in which workingmen go quietly to their labors. 
 
 I have been more than thirty years in my line of busi- 
 ness at the American Antiquarian Society's rooms, and 
 ever since I have known Mr, Rice it has been a great 
 pleasure to have him come there, as it is to have all the 
 members of the local Society. Whether Mr. Rice has 
 been engaged in his special pursuits, or on other matters, 
 we have been pleased to have him in our building. I 
 always think that we are in some degree responsible for 
 Mr. Rice's work. 
 
 I simply rise for the purpose of extending my congratu- 
 lations personally. I feel proud of all the good work that 
 is done in Worcester, but I know of nothing which has 
 given me more satisfaction than that which Mr. Rice has 
 done. I have always felt that typographically he bears 
 the name of Franklin well. 
 
32 
 
 MR. JOHN C. OTIS, 
 
 was introduced, and said : I must ask to be excused from 
 making any remarks, owing to the lateness of the hour, 
 but my presence here is sufficient evidence of my interest 
 in this work. 
 
 Mr. Hutchins: — Mr. Francis E. Blake, of the New 
 England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, has proved 
 his interest in this work in the past and by coming here 
 to-day. I will call upon him for remarks. 
 
 MR. FRANCIS E. BLAKE. 
 
 Mi\ Cliairman : 
 
 It is too late to detain you. I can only state that 
 among the publications most in demand in the historical 
 libraries, most assuredly these works of Mr. Rice are 
 looked upon as the very best. I have admired one thing in 
 Mr. Rice, — and I want to use a word which is not, perhaps, 
 in the dictionary, — his stick-to-it-ivcncss. He has had the 
 grit to carry the work through under great difficulties ; 
 and I am glad if at any time I have been able to render 
 him any assistance. As for Mr. Rice, I don't know but 
 that he would like to go all over it again. 
 
 I came here with very peculiar feelings to-day. I hardly 
 knew whether it was to be a wake or a wedding. I believe 
 I have never been to the former, but I have always under- 
 stood that it was customary to have something inspiring 
 on such occasions. And if this is a wake, it is certainly 
 one of the inspiring kind. If this work of Mr. Rice is 
 completed, we may know that it lives forever, from the 
 
33 
 
 spreading of the printed copies ; and we trust that further 
 inspiration may come to him, and that he may go on do- 
 ing this kind of work in the future, and that he may have 
 a sufficient encouragement for his toil. 
 
 Mr. Hutcphns : — There is one gentleman here who has 
 been quite close to Mr. Rice in all these years, and who 
 knows the difficulties under which he has labored. I have 
 no doubt that he would be glad to add his testimony to 
 what has been said. I will call upon Mr. Abbot. 
 
 MR. WILLIAM F. ABBOT. 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen : 
 
 This is a very happy occasion to me, to know that 
 my friend, Mr. Rice, has at last come to the end of his 
 great work. It has been my privilege to become quite well 
 acquainted with Mr. Rice, and the difficulties which have 
 come in his way. I think that there can hardly be too 
 much said of his stick-to-it-ivencss . 
 
 I know that Mr. Rice has at times felt very despondent; 
 but he has persevered. That is the kind of pluck and 
 spirit I admire very much. He has done a work which, 
 if it could be done in the other towns and cities in this 
 State, would be of inestimable value in the future. There 
 are places in the State, particularly in Essex County, 
 where such work is greatly needed. I have been here in 
 this city so long that Worcester history becomes interest- 
 ing to me ; and I am glad to know that my children, who 
 are natives of this place, will have its history well pre- 
 served if they wish to consult it. 
 5 
 
34 
 
 I do wish to congratulate Mr. Rice most heartily on the 
 completion of this work, which has occupied his mind 
 and his heart so long, and which will make everyone who 
 wishes to look up points in the history of Worcester his 
 debtor for all time. 
 
 Mr. Hutchins : — I hope an influence will go out from 
 this meeting that will encourage this kind of work, and I 
 hope that Mr. Rice will be properly reimbursed for future 
 labors in which he may engage. The trouble with us is, 
 that we cannot find words to rightly characterize the mag- 
 nificent work which he has done. I suppose Mr. Rice will 
 like to say a few more words. 
 
 Mr. Rice feelingly expressed his appreciation of the 
 kind words which had been said, and thanked the gentle- 
 men for their presence. The company separated with the 
 feeling that the affair had been a great success in regard 
 to its influence upon future record work. 
 
noi4 1 1 f ^^4 
 
 \4