CHRONICLE AND COMMENT

At the sixty-sixth annual meeting, held November 21, Mr. Burley was re-elected president for the coming year; Dr. Schmidt was reelected first vice-president, and Mr. Charles B. Pike was elected second vice-president to succeed Mr. George Merryweather. Mr. George W. Dixon was elected a trustee to fill the unexpired term of the late Frank Hamlin, and the following were chosen to serve the full term ending 1926: Mrs. Samuel Insull and Messrs. Joseph Adams, Edward L. Glaser, Frank J. Loesch, Charles A. Munroe, Henry J. Patten.

The following paragraphs are an extract from the minutes adopted as an expression of appreciation of the services of Mr. George Merryweather to this Society:

In taking leave of Vice-President George Merryweather after many years of devoted service to this corporation, his associates desire to put on record this evidence of affection and esteem.

Mr. Merryweather became a member of the Chicago Historical Society in 1899, a member of the Executive Committee and has so served from 1900 to 1922 inclusive, and was elected and continued Vice-President from 1915 to this day. During all these years he has been generous with gifts, and in his work has been watchful, resourceful and faithful to its welfare.

In granting him at his own request relief from the duties so worthily discharged for the Society, we desire to and do now:

VOTE Mr. George Merryweather an Honorary Life Member of the Chicago Historical Society, and direct the Secretary to forward to him a duplicate of these resolutions.

THE SITE OF FORT DEARBORN

A noteworthy event of more than local interest was the laying of the cornerstone of the new building being erected by the London Guarantee and Accident Company on the site of Fort Dearborn. The exercises were held on the afternoon of Sunday, December 3, under the auspices of the Chicago Historical Society. A Military escort of fifty-five soldiers from Fort Sheridan (the original number of the garrison of Fort Dearborn at the time of the massacre, August 15, 1812) acted as guard of honor. The exercises began with the playing of America, followed by the call to order by Mr. William H. Bush, who wielded a gavel made of a timber taken from Fort Dearborn. The Reverend John Timothy Stone, minister of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, delivered the invocation, and Mr. Clarence A. Burley, on behalf of the Society, greeted the guests. Remarks were made by Dr. Otto L. Schmidt on behalf of the Society, by Mr. John S. Miller, Jr., on behalf of the owners of the site, and by Mr. Thomas J. Condon on behalf of the Company. Then followed the three chief addresses of the day: "Fort Dearborn," by Brigadier General George VanHorn Moseley, Commanding Sixth Army Area; "Chicago", by Mr. Frank J. Loesch, Secretary of the Chicago Historical Society; "The Building", by Mr. Alfred S. Alschuler, the architect. Other speakers were Mr. Ferdinand Peck and Mayor Thompson, both of whom spoke in reminiscent vein of early Chicago.

The

cornerstone was laid by Mr. William R. Wood, of Omaha, Nebraska, a great-grandson of Captain John Whistler, the builder of Fort Dearborn. The Captain's great-great-granddaughter, Miss Katherine Joy of Marshall, Michigan, assisted at the ceremonies. Placed in the cornerstone were a blue print of Captain Whistler's plans of the original fort, a photograph of a letter he wrote at the fort on November 3, 1804, a cross section of a hand-hewn timber from the fort, a copy of the address delivered by John Wentworth at the unveiling of the Fort Dearborn tablet, May 31, 1881; and a copy of the book, "Chicago and The Old Northwest", by M. M. Quaife.

The Committee on Arrangements was composed of Mr. William H. Bush, chairman, Mr. Robert C. Fergus, secretary, Mr. William O. Goodman, Mrs. L. Hamilton McCormick, Miss Caroline M. McIlvaine, Mr. Charles B. Pike, Dr. Otto L. Schmidt, Mrs. Frank D. Stout, for the Society; and Messrs. John S. Miller, Jr., Mr. Frederick W. Lawson, Alfred S. Alschuler, and William T. Stevens.

COMING LECTURES

The Committee on Lectures and Entertainments is preparing a program which will maintain the high standard set by the previous entertainments of this season. The interest aroused by Dr. Warren K. Moorehead's investigation of the Cahokia Mounds makes timely a coming lecture by Dr. William Mills, secretary of the Ohio Historical and Philosophical Society, who will compare the mounds of Ohio and Illinois. Dr. N. W. Jipson of Chicago will probably speak on the folk lore of the Winnebagoes. It is also expected that Dr. M. M. Quaife will give a lecture on "Jefferson Davis in Wisconsin", Dr. William E. Barton one on "The Lost Grandmother of Abraham Lincoln," and Mrs. Eleanor Gridley, two lectures on Lincoln. The last will be primarily for high school students, and will be given in the afternoon. Definite dates for these and other lectures will be announced in due time.

RECENT ACCESSIONS

For the Library

From the Author. "The Union Indian Brigade in the Civil War", by Wiley Britton, Kansas City, Mo., 1922.

From Miss Mary D. Carter, Upperville, Va. "Living Confederate Principles: A Heritage for all Time"; and "Davis, Lincoln and the Kaiser"; both by Lloyd T. Everett, Ballston Va., 1917.

From the Commercial Club of Chicago. "The Merchants Club of Chicago, 1896-1907", Chicago, 1922.

From the Community Shop, Highland Park, Ill. "The Edwards Papers", Chicago, 1884. From R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company. "Design and Typography,” Chicago, 1922.

From Mr. Julius Frankel. "Some Artists at the Fair", New York, 1893; A Short and Practical Treatise on Government", by B. A. Ulrich, Chicago, 1864; "Proceedings: Twenty-fourth Annual Banquet, Iroquois Club, in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, May 10, 1905"; "Niagara's Song", by Harriet Monroe, Sept. 4th, 1889, in manuscript; "An Ode", by Harriet Monroe .. sung at the dedication of the Auditorium of Chicago, December 9th, 1889.

From Mr. E. R. Lewis. "The Roll of Honor: Containing the Names of Soldiers, Sailors and Marines of all the wars of our country who are buried in the cemeteries of Cook County", compiled by E. R. Lewis, Chicago, 1922.

From the Nebraska State Historical Society. "Publications of the Nebraska State Historical Society", vol. XX, 1922.

From Mr. Joseph B. Oakleaf, Moline, Ill. "In the House where Abraham Lincoln Died", by Aaron Hardy Ulm; reprint by Joseph B. Oakleaf, appearing in the Feb. 11, 1922, number of "The Dearborn Independent."

From Mrs. Thomas Orton. "The Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser", August 20, 1773, Vol. 1, No. 1.

From Mrs. W. A. Pusey. "Sarah Bush Lincoln

.A Memorial", Elizabethtown, Ky., 1921. From This Week in Chicago Pub. Co. "This Week in Chicago", odd numbers, Chicago, 1920-22.

For the Museum

From the Commercial Club of Chicago. Collection of portraits of members of the Commercial Club, bound in three volumes; the result of the efforts of Mr. John J. Glessner, chairman of the Historical Committee.

From Mr. Julius Frankel. Photograph of President Roosevelt, as guest of the Iroquois Club.

From the estate of Mrs. Charles Hitchcock. Cow-hide covered chest, and black wood chest. From Mr. Theophile E. Leon. Phototype of Frank E. Brownell, Post 28, G. A. R.

From Mrs. Frances E. Mansfield (loan). Pike used by John Brown at Harper's Ferry.

From Mrs. John F. Mendsen, (who came to Chicago in 1854 at the age of 27 and has been a resident ever since). Portrait photograph of herself, family record of Abby F. Cook Mendsen, and photograph of the Willard Cook homestead, Haddam Neck, Conn.

From Mr. Henry L. Powell, in memory of Charles L. Allen. Diary kept by Colonel William H. Powell, 2nd Virginia Cavalry, while a prisoner in Libby Prison; also pin cushion holder, small case knife, and two napkin rings, all carved of soup bones by Colonel Powell at the same time.

From Mrs. William Ridgeway. Two mirrors, about 100 years old, from the home of her grandfather, Henry Eddy, the editor of the Shawneetown Gazette (the backing of these mirrors is a tin amalgam); also an early French color print, framed.

From the Rock Island Lines, office of the president (Mr. James E. Gorman). Medal Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Rock Island Lines, October 10, 1922.

From Mrs. Edward Stack. Sword from the battlefield of Spottsylvania Court House.

From Mrs. Evelyn Seavey Thomas. Program of the 22nd Anniversary of Dearborn Seminary, June 17th, 1880.

From Mrs. Glorvina Bennett Thompson. Miniature on ivory of Lieutenant Abraham B. Lindsley.

From Mr. George Underwood. Warranty deed from John Wentworth and Joshua Knickerbocker, to Ursula Wilson, dated Chicago, July 26, 1867.

THE COMMITTEE ON
PUBLICATIONS

Extracts from the report presented by the
Chairman, Dr. Otto L. Schmidt,

at the annual meeting.

The only publications during the course of the past year were two editions of the Society's membership list. On account of the rapid increase in membership, and the importance of knowing the additions, these lists are invaluable. They should be in the hands of every member, to remind him to secure every suitable individual as a new member.

The Committee has had in hand for two years a manuscript by Dr. Charles A. Ingraham, of Cambridge, Mass., on Colonel E. E. Ellsworth, the Zouave leader who won fame in the early days of the Civil War. His fine career as a military organizer and instructor was largely made during his residence in Chicago and Springfield. He accompanied Lincoln to Washington, then raised and trained a company of firemen in New York, and on May 24, 1861, was shot while on his way to the roof of Jackson's Hotel, in Alexandria, Va., to remove a Confederate flag.

The Committee also has on hand a manuscript by Dr. N. W. Jipson, on the Chippewa Indians, a tribe that had its abode in Wisconsin, especially along the Rock River, and whose name is intimately bound up with all the early history of Wisconsin and Illinois. This manuscript contains the only known vocabulary of the Chippewa language. By experts it is said to be very accurate and of great value to scientists, but it is also consulted frequently by people for the meaning of Chippewa place

names.

A third publication is contemplated. The Rev. Paul B. Jenkins, a well-known Milwaukee clergyman, has written a charming history of Lake Geneva and the surrounding country. This book, although not strictly Illinoisan, comes close to many Chicagoans; through railroad connections this region has been closer to Chicago than to Milwaukee.

The Executive Committee of the Society has voted the sum of $1,000 toward the expense of publishing Dr. Ingraham's book on Ellsworth. The balance of the expense, together with the entire cost of publishing the two other books, must be defrayed by funds still to be raised by the Committee on Publications.

GENERAL DEARBORN'S

COMMISSION

The dedication of a new building on the site of old Fort Dearborn lends special interest to a document in the Society's collection. It is the original commission of Henry Dearborn as major general of Massachusetts militia. Its full text follows:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

By his Excellency
SAMUEL ADAMS, ESQ.

Governor and Commander in Chief of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
To Henry Dearborn, Esq., Greeting:

You being appointed Major General of the Eighth Division of the militia of this commonwealth, by virtue of the power vested in me, I do by these presents (reposing special trust and confidence in your ability, courage and good conduct), Commission you accordingly: You are therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of a Major General in leading, ordering and exercising said Division in arms, both inferior officers and soldiers; and to keep them in good order and discipline: and they are hereby commanded to obey you, as their Major General. And you are yourself to observe and follow such orders and instructions, as you shall from time to time, receive from me or your superior officers.

Given under my hand, and the seal of the
said Commonwealth, the nineteenth day of
June, in the year of our Lord 1795, and in
the nineteenth year of the independence of
the United States of America.
SAMUEL ADAMS

By his Excellency's Command,
JOHN AVERY, Jun., Secretary.

THE FIRST PATENT

About a century ago an employ in the Patent Office resigned, because (so he said) all possible inventions had been made and the office must go out of existence in a year or two, he thought it wise to secure a position elsewhere. That man might be called a poor guesser. Patent No. 1,000,000 was issued in 1911, and patents are still being issued at the rate of about 35,000 per year.

The Patent Office is one of the oldest branches of the Federal government. It was provided in the Constitution itself. Congress created the first Patent Commission in 1790, but it was three months before an applicant appeared. He

was Samuel Hopkins, who had invented a new process for making pot-and pearl-ashes. The original patent given to Hopkins is now in the possession of the Chicago Historical Society. The document does not bear the number 1, but it is nevertheless the very first patent granted by the United States. Here is the full text:

THE UNITED STATES

To all to whom these Presents shall comeGreeting.

Whereas Samuel Hopkins of the City of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania hath discovered an Improvement not known or used before such discovery, in the making of pot-ash and pearl-ash by a new apparatus and process; that is to say, in the making of pearlash: 1st, by burning the raw ashes in a furnace, 2nd by dissolving and boiling them when so burnt in water, 3rd, by drawing off and sett. ling the Ley, and 4th by boiling the Ley into salts when then are the true Pearl-ash; and also in the making of Pot-ash by fluxing the Pearl-ash so made as aforesaid; which operation of burning the raw ashes in a furnace, preparatory to their dissolution and boiling in water, is new, leaves little residuum, and produces a much greater quantity of salt: These are therefore in pursuance of the Act, entituled "An Act to promote the Progress of useful Arts," to grant to the said Samuel Hopkins, his heirs, administrators and assigns, for the term of fourteen years, the sole and exclusive right and liberty of using, and vending to others the said discovery, of burning the raw ashes previous to their being dissolved and boiled in water, according to the true intent and meaning of the Act aforesaid, In Testimony whereof I have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of the United States to be here affixed. Given under my hand at the City of New York this thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety. G. WASHINGTON

City of New York, July 31st, 1790:

I do hereby Certify that the foregoing letters patent were delivered to me in pursuance of the Act entituled "An Act to promote the Progress of the Useful Arts", that I have examined the same and find them conformable to the said Act.

EDM. RANDOLPH

Attorney General for the United States.