The officers at present are: Frank J. Darrah, President: Miss Frances Lincoln, Vice-President; Miss Jeanie Lea Southwick, Secretary, and Samuel S. Green, Treasurer.

The Worcester Art Museum, although the youngest institution of an educational nature in the city, is without doubt destined to be one of the most important, and one that will exert a refining influence upon all classes.

The first meeting to take into consideration the founding of an art museum was held at the house of Honorable Stephen Salisbury on the evening of February 25, 1896, thirty or forty ladies and gentlemen supposed to be interested in art, being present by invitation. At this meeting Mr. Salisbury presented a plan which he had formulated for the establishment and maintenance of such an institution, and in order to carry it out offered to present a valuable tract of over an acre of land situated on Salisbury street, and $100,000 in money, $50,000 of this sum to be used for the erection of a building and the balance to be invested for the maintenance of the Museum. This liberal offer, which had been most modestly made, was received with hearty applause by all present at the meeting, and they expressed their desire to do all that was in their power to carry out the wishes of the donor.

Mr. Salisbury stated that it was his wish that a corporation, to consist of fifty ladies and gentlemen, should be formed to hold in trust the money and land he had given, for the "benefit of all the people of the city of Worcester," and at a subsequent meeting, held March 24, 1896, steps were taken to secure a charter. At this meeting by-laws were adopted and officers elected.

The first Board of Directors consisted of Daniel Merriman, President; Francis H. Dewey, Vice-President; T. Hovey Gage, Jr., Secretary; Lincoln N. Kinnicutt, Treasurer, and Charles H. Davis, Lyman A. Ely, George E. Francis, John G. Heywood, Thomas C. Mendenhall, Mrs. Helen B. Merriman, Miss Mary Perley and Nathaniel Paine, Directors. Very soon after the organization the directors took steps for the erection of a fire-proof building, and plans prepared by Messrs. Earle & Fisher of Worcester were adopted, and a contract was made with Norcross Bros. of Worcester for carrying out the plans at a cost of $90,000. Early in 1897 Mr. Salisbury made an additional gift of land in the rear of the proposed building, and he has also assumed the expense of grading and beautifying the grounds about the Museum. It was soon found that to meet the expense of the proposed building more money would be required, and an appeal was made to the public for a subscription of $50,000 additional, to be called the "Associate Founders' Subscription." Of this amount over $40,000 has already been subscribed, and it is confidently expected that the balance will be

obtained within a short time.

The subscriptions to the fund have been very general, all classes of our citizens taking part in it, the amounts. given ranging from five cents to $3,000.

The corner-stone of the Museum building was laid June 24, 1897, with appropriate ceremonies, His Excellency Governor Roger Wolcott and His Honor Mayor A. B. R. Sprague being present and taking part. in the exercises. It was completed and formally opened on the evening of May 10, 1898, with a loan exhibition of oil and water-color paintings, which had been procured and arranged by members of the Worcester Art Society.

Long before the completion of the building, several gifts of casts from antique statues had been made to the corporation, and many of these were on exhibition the opening night.

The first gift of this kind was from the Worcester Art Society, a fine cast of the Venus of Melos, and soon after the Worcester Woman's Club presented a cast of the famous statue of Nike (Victory) of Samothrake, since which between twenty and thirty more casts have been presented by various societies, clubs and other organizations of the city.

The Museum is open every afternoon but Monday; Saturdays and Sundays being free, and a charge of twenty-five cents the other days. Any person subscribing five dollars towards the maintenance of the Museum is furnished with a ticket giving admission to the exhibitions. for one year.

The Worcester Mycological Society was organized in 1895 for the study of fungi, with special reference to the edible and non-poisonous mushrooms of Worcester county.

Meetings are held during the summer and fall, at which specimens. are exhibited and classified, great interest being manifested by the members. Specimens are also exhibited at the weekly meetings of the Horticultural Society. George E. Francis is the president.

The Ridgway Ornithological Club was organized in 1889, for the study of the habits and structure of birds. It also assists the ornithological bureau of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in gathering material for its work. Oscar F. Dodge is its president, and H. B. Long, secretary.

In concluding this brief notice of the literary, scientific and historical societies of Worcester, it should be said that there are other organizations that might properly be mentioned under this head, for connected. with our schools and institutions of learning there are societies and clubs for literary or scientific study, but the limited space allowed for the subject does not permit of mention of them.

F

PUBLIC CHARITIES.

BY THE HONORABLE HENRY L. PARKER.*

EW cities of like population present a longer list of noble charities than the city of Worcester. They are designed to reach and alleviate almost every known form of human distress.

For those suffering from bodily injury or stricken with acute disease, and without financial means, free surgical or medical treatment is provided.

Families suddenly rendered homeless are sheltered and fed until they can provide food and shelter for themselves. Orphan children are furnished a comfortable home until they reach such maturity as to become self-supporting.

Trained nurses whose ministrations are gratuitous cheer and comfort. the last days of the indigent victim of cancer, or other incurable disease. Even the tramp finds a rest for his weary feet with food and a night's lodging, on compliance with a few simple rules of the institution provided for the purpose.

The charities of the city may be classed under the general heads of Hospitals, Homes and Organizations.

HOSPITALS.

THE CITY HOSPITAL, situated on Jaques avenue, was incorporated in 1871, and is under the management of nine trustees chosen by the City Council in concurrence.

This hospital has received from the estate of George Jaques, and from the gifts and bequests of many other citizens, a sum amounting in all to about $380,000.

It contains a lying-in department (a feature unknown to nearly every other hospital), called the Knowles Maternity Ward. It has also a Training School for Nurses. During the year ending November 30, 1897, out of 1,582 patients admitted, 1,442 received free treatment.

*See sketch in Biographical Department.