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cheerful report of the establishment of direct commerce with that far-away country, where the people hitherto had but confused notions about the new republic. This gave fresh impulse to every branch of industry, inspired general confidence, and opened new objects to all America.

About the same time, before the end of May, John Adams reached London to represent the United States at the court of Great Britain, and the incidents of his first interview with our recent enemy, George III., were published to the uttermost corners of the civilized world. Every intelligent American citizen breathed more freely, stepped with more dignity, and bore the burden of life with better grace thereafter. Spain also contributed her share toward this delightful sense of self-respect, by soliciting the friendship of the rising nation, and her ambassador actually arrived before congress adjourned for the summer. Autumn came with her bright-colored foliage when expectation was at its meridian concerning the coming of Sir John Temple, the first consul-general from Great Britain, whose commission had been executed in February. It was an impressive occasion when he arrived, on the 23d of November, two days less than two years after the British laid down their arms in the presence of their resolute conquerors and sailed for the mother country.

On the chilly evening of the 17th of November, five days prior to the arrival of Sir John Temple in New York, a meeting of singular importance was held at the house of Walter Heyer in Pine street, near Broadway. Twenty-two far-sighted and public-spirited mechanics and tradesmen assembled to perfect a broad scheme of practical philanthropy, which had been for some weeks under discussion. The chairman was Robert Boyd. The object in view was a society for mutual aid and encouragement, its special mission being to assist members in case of sickness or accident, and to care for the widows and orphans of those who should die without property. A constitution was considered, adopted, and signed, and "The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York" started in life. This was the continuation in a modified form of the kind of institution that grew up with the development of the mechanic arts in the various countries of Europe, known by the general name of guild. An initiation fee of sixteen shillings was paid by the members, and the monthly sum of one-eighth of a dollar thereafter. Thirty-one trades or handicrafts were represented, each to be considered a branch of the general committee, and each to elect its own delegate for that committee yearly. An iron chest with three locks was purchased, in which to deposit the funds of the society; and a certificate of membership was designed and engraved, which in the quaint style of the times tells its own story. Admission to mem

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bership was in every instance due to the testimonial furnished the society of the applicant's character for industry, sobriety, and integrity.

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These beginnings in the day of small things of an enterprise which has been doing its good work so unobtrusively for one hundred and four years,

and has proven itself such a blessing to the world, are the more strikingly suggestive and worthy of close study from their contrast with the present substantial character of the institution then founded for charity's sweet sake. It broadened its scope as time went on, took an active part in mechanical developments and educational matters, and acquired property of value. Its income has in some years been as high as $70,000; it is now, in 1889, nearly $40,000, some of its capital having been absorbed in the purchase and erection of buildings. Its assets are said to be nearly three quarters of a million dollars. All through it has been guided in its course by men of sound judgment and rare intelligence-men who fully understood what lay at the foundation of the prosperity of great communities. It has practiced the wisest of all charities-that of helping men and women to help themselves. Its power and influence have been exceedingly fruitful in results, and it has brought out many of our best and most trustworthy citizens. The mere outline steps in its significant progress read like summer fiction. It was founded, as we have seen, in 1785, four years before the nation's actual birth, and when there was a total absence of executive authority in the conduct of American affairs; was incorporated by the legis lature of the state, March 14, 1792; purchased the lot in Broadway, corner of Park place, and laid the corner-stone of its own Mechanics' Hall in 1802; founded the Mechanics' Bank, now at 33 Wall street, easily distinguished by the emblem of the society over its door, in 1810; established a Mechanics' School and founded the Apprentices' Library in 1820; opened instructive courses of lectures in 1833: founded a public reading-room in 1856, free to every one without any restriction whatever, fully supplied with daily and weekly papers and popular periodicals and magazines; and in 1878 removed to its new and spacious building, formerly the Suydam mansion, 18 East Sixteenth street, where in its enlarged sphere of usefulness its well-managed library of nearly eighty thousand volumes occupies a prominent place, and its evening schools of free-hand drawing, mechanical and architectural draughting, modeling, designing from objects of art, type-writing and stenography are in successful operation.

At the annual meeting of the society in 1787, John Campbell, one of its founders-the grandfather of Peter Cooper-was elected chairman, and he was re-elected the following year. He was succeeded by Anthony Post in 1789. After the election on that occasion the members dined together, and such was their appreciation of the influence of social gatherings that an annual dinner became one of the features of the institution. On the incorporation of the body titles were changed, and the presiding officer was henceforward called president. The initiation fee was increased

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to one pound eight shillings, and the president, treasurer, and secretary were required to give bonds for the faithful discharge of their duties. During 1792 the membership was more than doubled, the actual count in December being four hundred and thirteen. The presidents during the decade were Robert Boyd, Anthony Post, John Stagg, Gabriel Firman, Jacob Sherred, Seabury Champlin, James Tyler, Peter H. Wendover, Daniel Hitchcock, Abraham Labagh. The matter of buying property and having its own hall for meetings was agitated from year to year, until 1802, when the lot before mentioned was purchased of ex-mayor Richard Varick for £2,300, and the fine brick building of the sketch was erected, its front embellished with the "hammer and hand," and it was esteemed a great ornament to the growing city. It was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies, January 4, 1803, the same year that the corner-stone of the new city hall was laid upon the barren and uninviting common (now City Hall Park), and the annual banquet took place in one of its spacious apartments. The newly elected president was James Warner, the vice-president John Slidell, Jr. There were two hundred diners. present on this brilliant occasion, including the mayor of the city, Edward Livingston, and numerous invited guests of distinction. Upwards of twenty toasts were responded to, one of which was "Mechanics' Hall: may it ever stand firm as the principles on which it is founded;" and another, "Public schools: and all those institutions established for the mitigation of human misery." The volunteer toast by Mayor Livingston was, "The mechanics of New York: may industry and skill, patriotism and integrity be their characteristics." He made a clever speech, to the delight of every one present, disclosing his devotion to philanthropic projects, and saturated through and through with ready wit; it is said he never allowed an opportunity to pass for producing a pun, and if a good one did not come to his mind he made a poor one answer, laughing at it all the same.

Rooms in this new Mechanics' Hall were at once leased for business purposes, and for many years the political headquarters of the Federal party was under its roof. But the society itself entirely ignored party politics of every description. When Hamilton, the great financier who had practically established the public credit of the country, fell in the duel with Aaron Burr in 1804, the year after the new edifice was opened, the society met and solemnly agreed to wear mourning for six weeks. It is interesting to note that in 1870 this property was leased to the Security Insurance Company, and the present handsome iron building was erected thereon. In February, 1883, the society purchased the building for $55,000, and it is now the source of a large part of its income, the annual rental

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