c~ ,0 . V C ' _ ' v-/. '';^-. ^-o>-' :^m: ^-^-.-f' =v^t. '^-o/ :0m > V 't' Worcester, England and Worcester, Massachusetts CARLTON ENGRAVING CO. HOTO BY T. C. WOHLBRUCK ARMOR USED AT THE BATTLE OF WORCESTER, 1051 Worcester, England and Worcester, Massachusetts by Samuel Swett Green, A. M. (Harvard) w With regards of the Mayor of Wor- cester, Massachusetts, and the Recep- tion Committee of Members of the City Council, and other Citizens. Please send acknowledgment to Mr, Samuel S. Green, Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. A. Press of F. S. Blanchard & Co. 1908 h^ji^* FOREWORD. This pamphlet has been prepared at the request of the Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, and the com- mittee of the City Government which made the arrange- ments for the reception of the recent gift of armor from Worcester, England. s. s. a. RECEPTION OF THE ARMOR. In a communication dated Elderslie, London Koad, Worcester, England, Oct. 12, 1908, Colonel Albert Webb, V.D., J.P., announced to the Mayor of Worcester, Mass., that he had been commissioned by the Mayor and cor- poration of the former place to bring to Worcester, Mass., two suits of armor which that body had voted to give to this city. Mr. Webb is a prominent citizen of Worcester, Eng- land. His father was Mayor of the city. He has him- self been for many years a member of the public board which has charge of the educational interests of his municipality, and is now chairman of the board. He has been a valued officer of the Volunteers, and in rec- ognition of his services in that organization received the decoration which bears the name of the late venerated Queen Victoria. On the 26th of October the Mayor of Worcester, Mass., sent a communication to the City Council sug- gesting the appointment of a committee from that body to make plans for the reception of Mr. Webb. The fol- lowing vote was passed: ' In City Council, Oct. 26, 1908. Ordered: That a committee to consist of four mem- bers of the Common Council, with such as the Board of Aldermen may join, be appointed to arrange for the reception of Mr. Albert Webb of Worcester, England, and that said committee be given full power to act. Received October 28, 1908. Approved October 29, 1908, James Logan, Mayor. A copy. Attest : W. Henry Towne, City Clerk. 6 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. President Louis H. Buckley of the Common Council appointed Councilmen Charles W. Stevens, Frederick Midgley, John A. Larkin and Frederick H. Lucke to rep- resent that board, and President George H. Coates of the Board of Aldermen appointed Aldermen Arthur B. Brunell (chairman), John P. Holmgren and Peter F. Sullivan to represent that board. The new committee began work at once, its first act being to add to its number two citizens not members of" the City Council, Mr. Nathaniel Paine and Mr. Samuel Swett Grreen, the latter librarian of the Free Public Library. Colonel Webb was the guest in this country of Mr. W. Edwin Thorpe, a prominent man of business in New York, of English descent, and for a long time an inti- mate friend of the guest and his family. Mr. Thorpe accompanied Colonel Webb to Worcester. A sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Brunell and Paine and His Honor the Mayor, was appointed to meet Colonel Webb and Mr. Thorpe at the railroad station and conduct them to the Worcester Club, where they were to stay while in the city as the guests of Mr. Na- thaniel Paine, an old acquaintance of Mr. Thorpe. The chairman of the committee, with Aldermen Holmgren and Sullivan, were made a sub-committee to consult with the Mayor and arrange the programme of enter- tainment and details for the formal reception of the armor and its bearer. It was voted to extend invita- tions to be present at the reception to members of the national, state and city governments resident in Wor- cester. The guests arrived in the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 5, and were entertained at dinner by Mr. Nathaniel Paine. At 9.30 o'clock Friday forenoon they were met by the members of the committee of the City Government at the Worcester Club and escorted to the Mayor's par- lor in the City Hall, where the suits of armor had been COL. ALBERT WEBB, V. D...I. P.. Worcester. En<;i.am>. Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 7 suitably displayed. At ten o'clock Alderman Brunell formally introduced Colonel Webb to the Mayor and a large body of officials who had come together to greet him and join in the ceremony of reception. The messenger from Worcester, Eng., before pre- senting the armor, delivered his credentials to His Honor Mayor Logan. These were contained in a letter signed by John Stallard, mayor of Worcester, Eng., and Samuel So^ithall, town clerk, and impressed by the seal of the city. It read as follows : Mayor of Worcester, Guildhall, Worcester, The Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of the city of Wor- cester and county of the same city in England send a hearty greeting to the Mayor and corporation of the city of Worcester in Massachusetts, and beg their acceptance, as a token of friendly remembrance, of the accompanying two suits of armor, forming part of nine suits, which, with a brass cannon, were presented to our city by a former member of the corporation as having been used by the soldiers of King Charles the Second at the battle of Worcester, September 3d, 1651, and we have intrusted Col. Albert Webb, V.D., J.P., a member of our corporation to make the presentation of the said suits of armor with a hearty assurance of our good will toward the city of Worcester in America. Given under our common seal this 16th day of October, 1908. (Signed) John Stallard, Mayor. Samuel Southall, Town Clerk. Colonel Webb then made the following remarks : ''Mr. Mayor: It is with great pleasure, I assure you, that I now turn over to your city this genuine testi- monial of the thorough and sincere good will which is borne by the city of Worcester, Eng., to the city of Wor- cester, Mass. It is a kindly remembrance of the friendly feeling that exists in our city towards this municipality, and it was with great pleasure that I suggested the mak- ing of this gift to our Mayor. He, in turn, made the 8 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. necessary motion in the city government, which motion was seconded by the high sheriff, and the vote was passed with much enthusiasm and many evidences of good feeling, thus making the gift possible, and placing upon me the very acceptable duty of bearing it hither and making the presentation. It was with notable evidences of good will and friendship that this gift was authorized by our city, and I should like to point out the fact that this is not a mere local testimonial, but a token of the good-will and high esteem that exist all over our country toward this great and powerful nation. "We hope that, as a stone thrown into a pool sends its ever-widening ripples toward the banks, be they ever so far distant, this incident will create an always-broaden- ing movement of cordial good feeling in America toward the mother country that will be felt even to the farthest confines of this continent. We wish it to be a token and a proof that only the best of good feeling pre- vails in England toward America, and we hope that the good-will which now exists, and is so essential to the peace of the whole world, will be welded into an unbreakable tie between us, ''I can assure you that the people of England witnessed with hearty accord and acclaim the result of your great national election this week. They were deeply gratified, I am sure, with the victory of Mr. Taft, not from any knowledge of the partisan feelings which must exist in a community of this size on such an occasion, but from the deep and sincere conviction that the result of the contest will redound to the prosperity of your country. It is the earnest wish of Great Britain that in all the great political contests of America your presidents and leading men may always be chosen, as they have been in the past, from the great and able men of your nation. '*It is the wish of my city and of the whole of Great Britain that our two nations may go on hand in hand doing a great work for the welfare of the whole world. HON. JAMES LOGAN. Mayor of Worcester. Massachusetts. Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachiisetts. 9 These two nations can never be in reality separated. Their interests are too closely interwoven for that. May they always move in equal pace and accord toward that high bright hill of progress and world-welfare toward which our faces are prayerfully turned. I hope that you may always see in the significance of this gift the guarantee that the two great English-speaking nations of the earth are indissolubly bound together by ties of blood and friendship that nothing can sever. Again I ask you to accept these gifts as tokens of our heartfelt good-will." Mayor Logan responded as follows : ''From 1651-1908 is two hundred and fifty-seven years, and two hundred and fifty-seven years is a long time as men count time, even in the life of a nation. Many of the men and women who landed at Plymouth Rock were still living. The seed from which was to grow the mightiest republic on earth had but just been planted in the new world. "In the providence of God this virgin soil had been kept until the time was ripe for planting the tree of lib- erty. That tree has been nourished by the blood of the men who fought on both sides at Worcester so many years ago. It would not be right, it would not be true to claim that the mother country or our own country has always been right, or that the acts of all their prominent statesmen have always been patriotic and unselfish, but were we to cut from the tree of liberty those branches that have been grafted into it by the English people and their descendants — grafts that have been bought with the blood of their noblest sons, the tree of liberty, which is spreading its beneficent shade over all the earth, would shrink to an insignificant shrub. "We need to remember that much of the injustice and inequality of the past is history and no longer exists, and it can truthfully be said that with all the shortcom- ings of both our native and adopted land, wherever the 10 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. blended crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Pat- rick, and the stars and stripes float, in the main life and property are safe, and the administration of govern- ment is both beneficent and righteous. ''During all these two hundred and fifty-seven years, by a devious path God has led the mother nation, from which so many of us sprang, often down through the dark valley of defeat out on the other side into the open beyond, where, with a vision clarified by sacrifice and suffering, they have been enabled to behold the larger truth and obtain a larger freedom; and thus in His own way and in His own good time there has been wrought out for them and us a larger victory. ''As a son of Scotland, when by my own act, as a young man, I became an adopted son of this the grand- est r,epublic on which the sun shines, in taking the oath of allegiance to my adopted country I had to forswear allegiance to the land of my birth, and the sovereignty of Victoria, her gracious ruler, but in so doing I did not forswear my allegiance to Victoria, the noble wife, mother and Christian queen of my native country. I could not have done that, for my father had taught me to love her, 'Victoria the Good,' the nineteenth century's noble example as she is the twentieth century's noble ideal of domestic virtue and stainless life. "She was strong in her virtue, with a splendid devo- tion to duty. She was beautiful in her womanliness and stalwart in her faith in God. She has passed from right, but not from our minds and hearts, but her work remains and the sweet incense of her noble life is like the fragrance from the alabaster box of precious oint- ment which fills the earth. To have lived long is well, to have lived well is better, but to have lived through a long and eventful life of service, under the fierce light which beats upon a throne, and to have so lived as to make that fierce light dim, by a purer, sweeter, diviner light that streamed forth from her private life and noble Worcester, England, mid Worcester, Massachusetts. 11 Christian character, so that she went to her grave loved and mourned by millions, is the richest compensation which earth affords. ' ' And why, do you ask, do I refer at such length to Vic- toria, the gracious queen I Because the men who fought at Worcester two hundred and fifty-seven years ago made possible her reign, with all its beneficent results. These men fought for us as well and made possible the day where, in a land far beyond the sea, a modern miracle was to be wrought when upwards of fifteen millions of freemen gathered from the four quarters of the globe, citizens by birth and citizens by adoption, should make choice of the man who was to be elevated to the highest position to which any man can attain, the presidency of the United States. Our chief magistrate rules not by divine right, not by the conquest of arms, but by the choice of his fellow citizens, and the battle of Worcester, so many years ago, was a contributing factor, as above stated, in making possible the scene enacted throughout the length and breadth of this land on Nov. 3d. "So, my dear sir, in behalf of this municipality, I accept at your hands from our sister city beyond the sea, these ancient relics of the days of strife, when valiant blows were struck for liberty. You will please convey to the honored Mayor of your city and the mem- bers of your municipal corporation our deep apprecia- tion of the thoughtfulness which prompts this kindly act of courtesy. . "We will give these relics an honored place in our city as a memorial of the men who fought for both you and us in Worcester, Eng., so many years ago." After the ceremonies attending the reception of the armor were finished. Colonel Webb and his friend, Mr. Thorpe, were introduced to many of the gentlemen who were present, and, after having been shown about the City Hall, were taken by the committee in automobiles to several points of interest in the city. Among the 12 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. places visited were the carpet works of Mr. Matthew John Whittall, which Colonel Webb was especially desirous of examining. At one o'clock the party reached the house of Mayor Logan, where, having been joined by Hon. Charles Grenfill Washburn, member of Congress from the Worcester district, it was lentertained at lunch- eon. Later the committee and its guests went in auto- mobiles to the Logan, Swift & Brigham division of the United States Envelope Company's works, on Grove Street, and afterwards visited the Worcester Art Mu- seum and the buildings of the Free Public Library. The incidents of the day followed one another prompt- ly and pleasantly. That they did so was owing to the admirable manner in which arrangements had been made by City Messenger, William H. Pratt. The festivities closed with a delightful dinner given to the guests, the members of the committee, and a few others by Mr. Whittall at his beautiful residence in South Worcester. After dinner, at the request of the host, Mr. Green opened a conversation, to which Colonel Webb and others contributed, by remarks concerning Worcester, England, in which he especially pointed out resemblances in the activities of the two Worcesters, and described a few incidents in the battle of Worcester. During the forenoon of the following day Colonel Webb visited the State Normal School and other places, including All Saints' Church, where he examined the fragments of the cathedral of Worcester, England, which form an attractive decoration of a wall of the porch. Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 13 Origin of the Name of Worcester, Massachusetts, and AN Account of Interchanges of Sentiments, Cour- tesies AND Gifts Between the Cities of "Worces- ter, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. The writer of this paper has had so intimate a connec- tion with late interchanges between Worcester, Eng- land, and Worcester, Massachusetts, that it seems proper that he should describe these before details are forgotten. His investigations enable him to give par- ticulars also regarding earlier exchanges. There is not likely to occur a more fitting occasion to perform the service which he thinks he ought to under- take than that which we are now celebrating in acknowl- edgment of the reception of two valuable suits of armor from the older Worcester, on the Severn. The gift is a very generous and important one, and awakens in resi- dents here feelings of profound gratitude, and reminds us pleasantly of the agreeable relations which have sub- sisted between the two cities. The General Court, at a session begun Oct. 15th, 1684, granted the request of the committee, Daniel Gookin, Daniel Henchman and Thomas Prentice, that their plan- tation at Quinsigamond be called Worcester. In a paper by Mr. William H. Whitmore, read before the Massa- chusetts Historical Society in February, 1873, "On the Origin of the Names of Towns in Massachusetts," the following statements may be found: "Worcester. A county in England. The battle of Worcester was Crom- well's 'crowning mercy,' and tradition states that the name was chosen here as a defiance to the king." The tradition is probable, as shown by the late George F. Hoar, United States Senator from Massachusetts, in his "Address on the two hundredth anniversary of Worces- ter, Massachusetts," delivered Oct. 14, 1884. "There is no reason," he wrote, "to think that either of the staunch old Puritans who composed the committee had 14 Worcester, Englayid, and Worcester, Massachusetts. the slightest connection with the city or shire of Wor- cester. Prentice is believed by his descendants to have learned the art of war under Cromwell. Gookin was its most important member. He may be called the founder of Worcester. He was the companion and protector of the regicides, Groffe and Whalley, on the one hand, and an earnest advocate for justice to the Indians on the other. Goffe and Whalley came over in the same ship with him in 1660. While the foundation of Worcester was in progress, they were dwelling in Hadley, in a hid- ing-place of which he knew the secret. Whalley was own cousin of both Cromwell and Hampden. He had beaten Prince Rupert at Naseby, and led the horse in the army which compelled him to the surrender of Bris- tol. The loyalists of the English Worcester surren- dered that city to him in 1643." It was on the 10th of September, in the year in which Worcester was named, that news reached Boston that judgment had been given- in the English Chancery vacating the charter of the colony of Massachusetts. ''This," adds Mr. Hoar, ''was the darkest day in the annals of the Common- wealth." Under these circumstances it seems highly probable that the name of this place commemorates the battle of Worcester rather than the city which was faith- ful to the Stuart kings. This being the case, it is particularly gratifying to the citizens of Worcester, Massachusetts, to receive from Worcester, England, such splendid relics of the great battle of Worcester as the two suits of armor which have been preserved as reminders of the contest. The first correspondence between the two Worcesters of which I find a record related to the famous Oregon controversy in the forties of the last century. The two great issues in the presidential contest of 1844 were the question of the annexation of Texas and the demands which should be made by the United States upon Great Britain for territory in Oregon. The cry of the Demo- Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 15 cratic party was "Fifty-four forty, or fight!" In the early part of the year 1846 there was very great danger that Great Britain and the United States would go to war on the .question of the Oregon boundary, and at that time international friendly letters were sent from differ- ent towns in England to different towns in the United States urging us to work in behalf of peace between the two countries. Those letters were sent to Elihu Bur- ritt, and he saw that they were forwarded to the places to which they were addressed, and some of them he car- ried himself. Eeplies were made to the British letters. Mr. Burritt carried some of these across the Atlantic himself; among others the reply from Worcester, Mas- sachusetts, to Worcester, England. He went to Eng- land in May, 1846, in the same steamer that carried the news of the settlement of the Oregon question. The dom- inant party had concluded that the country's interests in Texas would suffer if it persisted in demanding the boundary which it had contended for between Oregon and British territory, and Mr. Buchanan, then Secretary- of -State, had joined in a treaty that the line should be forty-nine degrees north latitude, a conclusion which was satisfactory to both parties in interest. Some of the addresses which Mr. Burritt carried abroad were presented at public meetings in the towns to which the communications were addressed, among others the address between the two Worcesters. The above statement is taken in substance from remarks which the writer made at a meeting of the American Antiquarian Society held in Worcester, Mass., Oct. 21, 1904, in connection with the presentation of a copy of a letter written to him by Elihu Burritt April 16, 1874. The original letter is in the possession of the Free Public Library, and is as follows : New Britain, Ct., April 16, 74. Samuel S. Green, Esq. My dear Sir: I am very happy to hear that the dear 16 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester of ray love and pride, where my public life was born, is going to revive the pleasant communion and fellowship with the old Worcester of Mother Eng- land with which I was somewhat connected nearly thirty years ago. During the Oregon controversy in 1846, when it was assuming a serious aspect, Joseph Cross- field, a Quaker of Manchester, originated a kind of direct interchange of sentiments on the subject between English and American towns through friendly inter- national addresses. A great number of these addresses were sent from various towns in England and Scotland to our principal cities. These were all sent to me, or my care, and I had them printed on slips, and posted to several hundred newspapers scattered over the Union. One of these was from Edinburgh to Washington, bear- ing the names of Dr. Chalmers and the first men of that city. I took this on to Washington myself, and among others showed it to John C. Calhoun, who was deeply interested in it. At the same time I took with me an address signed by 1600 ladies of the city of Exeter, Eng- land, to the ladies of Philadelphia, who sent a response to it, signed, I believe, by over 3000 of their number. When I went to England in 1846 I took with me this response, and also that of our Worcester to the mother Worcester in England. Both were presented at public meetings convened for the purpose, and excited the live- liest interest. I have copied out of the Christian Citi- zen, volume for 1846, both communications of the two Worcesters, which will show you the spirit which they breathed and inspired. I do not know what has become of the original address from old Worcester. It ought to have been preserved in the archives of the city. I do not know if you have a copy of my last book, ''Ten- minute Talks on all Sorts of Topics," in your library. I have described this friendly international address movement in my autobiography. Hoping these facts will suffice for your object, I am yours truly, (Signed) Elihu Burritt. The communication which was received from citizens of Worcester, Eng., was as follows : Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 17 The Inliabitants of Worcester, Eng., to their Brethren of Worcester, Mass., U. S. A. Friends and Brethren: It is with pain and deep sor- row that we have viewed the probability that the peace between your government and ours may be broken. War under any circumstances is a dreadful calamity. Still more especially would it be between two countries so intimately connected as are England and America. It would bring disgrace on our profession of Christian- ity, and must be attended with disastrous effects to both nations in respect to the disturbance of our growing commercial and political relations. We entreat you to remember that God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth in peace and concord; and be it ever commemorated that the advent of our Saviour was ushered into the world with "Peace on earth and good- will towards men." May you and may we respond to this heavenly language in word and deed. Let our common Christianity and our consanguin- ity unite us in a firm bond which no adverse circum- stances or comparatively petty interests may be ever suffered to sever. With a firm belief in the pacific dis- positions of both nations, and that their respective gov- ernments will yet be enabled to settle the controversy in a manner at once just and honorable to all parties con- cerned, we look forward with hope to the future, and now subscribe ourselves Your Friends & Wellwishers Signed by William Lewis, Mayor, and 630 others of the Inhabitants of Worcester, Old England. The reply of citizens of Worcester, Mass., was as fol- lows to the citizens of Worcester, Eng., read and presented to them at a public meeting" in that city, July, 1846, by Elihu Burritt: Brethren: We, citizens of Worcester, in New Eng- land, received with great pleasure the expression of your hope for peace between our country and yours. We reciprocate that hope most cordially. We cannot forget that God has made us and you of one blood, that we are 18 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. followers together of the same Eedeemer. Your letter to us recalls gratefully the thought of our close national sympathies. The name of our home has reminded you that though personally strangers to each other, we all own a common origin. And while you address us in a language which is our language, the hopes and prayers you express are ours also. We know that the unity of spirit which thus connects us is the true bond of peace. And thus the assurances of sympathy which you send us give us new confidence that the bond of our brotherhood will not be rudely severed. We know so much of the horrors of war; we deplore the calamities inseparable from it so sincerely; we have enjoyed so long the bless- ings of profound peace, and we trust so earnestly in the spread of Christ's kingdom which must end war, that we join fervently in the Christian's prayer to God that the peace between us may be interrupted no more. Our earnest wishes for it are not ours only, but are shared with us by our countrjmien. We learn with joy from you that there is a like pacific disposition among yours. We cannot doubt that your government will second and carry forth the promptings of that noble sentiment. On our part, we rely fully on the system of our republic, which is based on a desire for peace, and aims only to reflect the best wishes and attain the best objects of our people. And thus we believe that the two administra- tions will be able to adjust all differences, and establish on an honorable and secure basis the friendly relations between the two countries; that in kind feeling, in last- ing peace, and in all Christian etfort, the two may be one. Signed by 816 citizens of Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. A., June 4, 1846. A copy of the last two letters in Mr. Burritt's hand- writing is to be found in the Free Public Library. They were printed in the Christian Citizen of June 20, 1846. That is a paper which was established in Worcester by Elihu Burritt. At the time of the publication of the above letters it was issued by Elihu Burritt & Co. The editorial containing the letters was signed by ''T. D." These letters undoubtedly represent the name of Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 19 Thomas Drew, who was for a long time the able assist- ant of Mr. Burritt in publishing and editing the Chris- tian Citizen. Eeference may also be made, if desired, to the communication made by the writer to the Ameri- can Antiquarian Society, the date of which is given above. Mr. Burritt also gives an account of the initia- tion of the correspondence in England in his ''Auto- biography" in "Ten-minute Talks on All Sorts of Top- ics" (page 19), published by him in 1874. In addition to the two letters given above the original copy of a third is contained in the Free Public Library. This letter was written by friends in Worcester, Eng., during the Mexican War, which followed the annexation of Texas to the United States. It is as follows : To the Superintendents, Teachers and Friends of Sab- bath Schools and Religious Education in Worces- ter, Mass., America. Respected Friends : We beg to acknowledge the receipt of the address which you have so kindly forwarded to us, and to thank you most sincerely for those expres- sions of fraternal love and good-will which it contains. We are gratified to fiind that our fellow Christians in America are throwing the silken cord of Christian love across the great waters, and we doubt not, if Christians are true to their principles, that they will be able to lengthen and strengthen this bond of fellowship until it shall become long enough and strong enough to reach round the globe and bind the hearts of its inhabitants in one compact mass of love. This we believe to be your design; this shall be ours; and as union is strength let us embrace every opportunity of cementing ourselves together so that we may the more effectually attack the enemies of our common cause. The subject to which you wish to direct our attention we feel to be an important one, and believe it contains principles which must eventually be acted upon by the rulers of all nations. But we feel assured that the time will come when the strong nations afar off shall be rebuked, and when they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks, 20 Woixester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, yet obstacles great and numerous stand in the way which will require the diligence, perseverance and self- denial of Christians, and especially of Christian teach- ers, to remove. What but the spread of correct Chris- tian principles can eradicate from the human mind those feelings of hatred, jealousy and revenge which lead to wars ? Our position as instructors of those whose minds are not yet strongly prejudiced in favor of this evil is pecu- liarly advantageous, and if we are determined to instill into their hearts a detestation of war, and perseveringly inculcate the spirit of peace and love, we doubt not that God's blessing will rest upon our labors, and make them successful to the pulling down of the strongholds of the enemies of peace. This spirit we believe to be in perfect accordance with the gospel of peace ; for this we continually pray ; for this spirit we are looking, and are anticipating the time when it shall pervade the whole earth. What shall we do for its diffusion? How can we successfully oppose it to the potent antagonistic principle! Only, we think, by the gradual, slow but sure method of diffusing information. God only knows how short or how long the period which is to elapse before this desirable reign of peace shall be realized, but it is sufficient for us to know that the time' will come when the Prince of Peace shall reign uni- versally, for the government is upon His shoulder, and of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. We know, too, that the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. Having these and very many other predictions of God's word to support and encour- age us in this good work, how can we despair of success? We cannot; but as our eye runs over and as our heart ponders the beautifully sublime, prophetic portions of Scripture on this subject, we are greatly encouraged, our hopes are enlarged, our zeal is stimulated, our faith is strengthened, and we are ready to wonder how it is that Christians cannot agree on this subject. It is with heartfelt sorrow that we witness the opera- tion of the war spirit in your country at the present time. Its attendant evils will not be few; its influences are of the most demoralizing character. We pray that your Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 21 country may be preserved from them. Your exertions will be required to nullify the pernicious influences which will be brought by your northern men, by whom we understand the war has been carried on principally. Men returning from the seat of war to recount their deeds of blood will excite the worst feelings of our fallen nature, and thus create a desire in others to participate in the glory of conquest. Those who have been engaged in this war will probably be unwilling and unfitted to settle down in their peaceful homes again; so different are the quietness of home and the bustle and turmoil of the field of battle that home becomes too tame and monoto- nous for the warrior, therefore he is ready to go forth again to devastate and destroy. But we trust you will be ready to apply the antidote to this poison; that you will exert all your influence to oppose its spread, and stem the torrent of vice and wickedness which naturally result in such cases. With assurances of our concurrence in your desires, and of our assistance in the diffusion of the peace princi- ples, we conclude for the present, hoping at some future time to address you again, and earnestly desiring that the peace of Grod may dwell in your hearts richly, and bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, which are sown in peace a/c them that make peace. We remain, Yours in Christian brotherhood, (Signed by 368 names.) Worcester, Eng., Aug. 12th, 1847. In the Free Public Library there is the original of a communication from the Mayor and other residents of Worcester, Eng., to citizens of Worcester, Mass., in praise of temperance and expressive of appreciation of our townsman, the late John B. Gough, the distinguished temperance orator, and Mr. F. W. Kellogg. It is as fol- lows: To the Members and Friends of the Temperance Cause and Citizens Generally of Worcester, Mass. Respected fellow laborers in the great cause of social and moral progress : It is with feelings of sincere pleas- 22 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. ure and hearty sjTnpatliy that we, the members and friends of the Hope Temperance Society, and other citi- zens of this ancient city of Worcester, Eng., stretch forth the hand of friendship to you, inhabitants of the younger Worcester. We are pleased to call to your recollection former times, when words of friendly greeting and fraterniza- tion have passed between the two cities, and rejoice that on the first occasion, when we were visited by your renowned fellow townsman, Elihu Burritt, and on the second occasion, when we were assisted by the labors of your talented temperance advocate, F. W. Kellogg, such sentiments were interchanged as will not readily be for- gotten by us, knowing as we do that you have amongst 3'ou many champions for the truth, and devoted laborers in every field of social usefulness, we are proud of this third opportunity of expressing our warmest sympathies with you whom we may now call our old friends and fel- low laborers in the cause of progress. John B. Gough, by whose hands we send this, was welcomed to this ancient Worcester very early on his first visit to this country,^ and not the less so because he came from your city, which has the honor of being his moral birthplace, to plead with us in an eloquence so startling, the great cause of temperance. He has made frequent visits to this city, and has always met with the most enthusiastic reception, and now leaves behind him a large circle of friends, won no less by the Christian virtues of his char- acter than by his marvelous talents. In all parts of the country his career has been one of the greatest useful- ness. He has demonstrated the truths he advocates in circles which had never been approached before, and has established for the temperance movement a broader basis than it has ever previously possessed. Like every great and good man, however, he has not been free from persecution. Calumny has assailed him. Foul slander has tried to blast his character, but we cannot allow this occasion to pass without saying that after the most com- plete and painful investigation into the whole matter from beginning to end, we send him back to you entirely innocent of the vile charges imputed to him, whilst to us his character has shone brightest when viewed in con- > 1853. Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 23 trast with that of his slanderers. He has, indeed, come forth from the fire of persecution and calumny as gold thoroughly purified. He now returns to his adopted country, and bears with him the good wishes of his numerous friends, with their sincere prayer that all his endeavors to ameliorate the condition of his fellowmen may be eminently successful, and in the exercise of an unswerving faith in the direct- ing hand of Providence, we know that "he will defend the right." We yet hope that ere long our friend will see his way to return to this country, and whenever that may be he will be welcomed not only by all who are old laborers in the cause of truth, but also by thousands who have been saved already through his instrumentality from a drunk- ard's grave. And now, respected friends, allow us to congratulate you upon the progress our glorious cause has made in your great republic, and to add an earnest prayer that in our own island home, as well as on your vast continent, the laborers for the removal of intemper- ance and of every vice that afflicts humanity may ever feel a consciousness of the support and presence of Him who has said, "I will never leave you," and though the clods of the valley may be gathered over our heads ere the monstrous evils we seek to abolish are no more, we may still be enabled to appreciate the high honor of being permitted to labor as pioneers in this holy crusade, ever trusting in the ultimate triumph of truth and right- eousness. Signed by Wm. Haigh, Mayor of Worcester, and others. Recent interchanges of civilities began in Worcester, Mass., in the spring of 1874. It having been learned by the librarian of the Free Public Library that the late Hon. John Davis Washburn was about to visit England, he proposed to the Board of Directors that he be empow- ered to get together a few volumes relating to our city to be transmitted to the City Council of Worcester, Eng. The board sanctioned the proceedings, and a few books, such as a set of the annual reports of the departments of the city, a city directory, and Lincoln's History of Wor- 24 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. cester, were collected, properly bound, and given into the hands of Mr. Washburn to present, in the name of the library, to the city of Worcester, Eng. Accompanying the gift was the following letter, which was written by Rev. William R. Huntington, at that time rector of All Saints' Church, Worcester, Mass., but at present the dis- tinguished head of G-race Church, New York city : To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councilors of the City of Worcester, Eng., the Directors of the Free Public Library of Worcester, in New England, send greet- ing: On three several occasions during the past fifty years, once in 1846, and twice since, expressions of kindly feel- ing have been interchanged between your citizens and our own. In each of these instances the first word has come from you, and the response from us. Encouraged by the mem- ory of these friendly advances, we have thought the pres- ent not an unfavorable moment for renewing, by a vol- untary act of our own, an acquaintance which we value and should be sorry to see forgotten. We feel sure that you cannot be wholly uninterested in the fortune of your oldest, if not your only namesake on this side of the ocean, and that you will rejoice to know how God has blessed her with an abounding pros- perity. We, therefore, take advantage of an opportunity given us by the proposed visit of our fellow townsman, Mr. John Davis Washburn, to your country, to send you cer- tain books and documents relating to our local history and affairs which we judge may possess an interest for you. We beg you to receive Mr. Washburn as our accredited representative, and we leave with him the duty of expressing, by word of mouth, more fully than in this brief address it is possible to do, those sentiments of respect and affection which we desire to have accom- pany our gift. The circumstances of our respective communities are in certain important points not unlike. The books and papers now transmitted will show you Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 25 at a glance how much the two Worcesters, yours and ours, have in common. Both cities are centers of a busy agricultural life, both possess manufacturing and com- mercial industries in sinuglar variety, and both have it for their boast that notwithstanding the pressure of these material interests, they have not suffered them- selves to forget the claims of sound learning and true religion. May your ancient city prosper and increase. For our own we ask no better fortune than that she may deserve the title yours has borne so long without dispute, "Civitas in hello et in pace fidelis." Worcester, Mass., U. S. A., April 28, 1874. (Signed) Thomas Leverett Nelson, President. Caleb B. Metcalf, Henry A. Marsh, Nathaniel Paine, William R. Huntington, Charles 0. Thompson, Charles H. Morgan, Thomas E. St. John, Charles H. Doe, John J. Power, George E. Francis, Edward Earle, Samuel S. Green, Librarian. Mr. Washburn discharged his duty most satisfactorily, and the following friendly letter of acknowledgment was received from Worcester, Eng. : To the Directors of the Free Public Library of Worces- ter, in New England, we, the Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of the city of Worcester, in England, in Common Council assembled, send greeting: We have received with feelings of the liveliest pleas- ure and gratification your graceful expression of the good-will you entertain towards us, and of the kindly in- terest you take in the welfare of our ancient city. We cordially reciprocate your kindly feelings, and rejoice in the knowledge that though divided from you by the vast expanse of the Atlantic, we are drawn near together by community of origin, of name, of interests, and of all that makes a people great, prosperous and happy. We rejoice at the tidings of your prosperity, and sin- cerely hope that this prosperity will continue to increase more and more. 26 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. The books and papers you have sent us reflect the greatest credit on your city and its inhabitants. We accept with gratitude your valuable presents, and assure you that the volumes you have sent will form an accept- able addition to our civic library, and the information they afford as to the conduct of your municipal affairs will prove a source of interest to us. We confidently trust that the interchange of friendly greetings you have now renewed in so well-timed and graceful a manner may result in a continuing bond of amity between 3"our city and our own, and awaken and keep alive a mutual interest in each other's welfare. Given under the common seal of the Mayor, Alder- men and citizens of the city of AVorcester, this 12th day of October, 1874. (Signed) H. Gr. Gouldingham, Mayor (L. S.) Accompanying the letter was a copy of Dr. Nash's val- uable and expensive work entitled, "Collections for the History of Worcestershire," in two volumes folio, and the * ' History and Antiquities of the City and Suburbs of Worcester," in two volumes quarto, by Valentine Green. Mr. Washburn himself brought us on his return a copy of Thomas's "Survey of the Cathedral Church of Wor- cester. ' ' Our messenger, besides conveying our letter to the civil authorities of Worcester, Eng., made the acquaint- ance of ecclesiastics connected with the cathedral, and secured a few fragments of that building which had been dispensed with during its restoration. These have since been built into one of the walls of the vestibule of All Saints' Church, Worcester, Mass., on which there is also a brass plate showing where the stones formerly belonged. In addition to the official acknowledgment of our greet- ing, and the present of books, by the Mayor of Worces- ter, Eng., the following letter, of which the original is in the Free Public Library, was sent by the town clerk of the latter city to Mr. Washburn : Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 27 Gruildhall, Worcester, 14 December, 1874. John Davis Washburn, Esq., Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. America. Dear Sir : The address from the Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of this city to the directors of the Free Library at Worcester, New England, which was handed to you by the late Mayor of this city, had to be laid before the Council with a view to its being entered on the min- utes of their meeting, and I have the pleasure of inform- ing you that the reading of it was received by our Coun- cil with many expressions of approval, and of satisfac- tion at the good feeling existing between the two cities. I was not aware, until a very short space of time before you left Worcester, that I should not have the opportunity of speaking to you respecting the books which Mr. A. C. Sherriff had provided for presen- tation to your library. If the opportunity had been afforded me, I should have liked to ascertain your wishes as to having in them some inscription by Mr. Sherriff of the presentation of these books ; and I shall be obliged by your now informing me whether you would prefer to have such an inscription in the handwriting of Mr. Sher- riff, or in gilt letters on a leather label, to place on the inside of the cover of the books. On your informing me your wishes in this respect, I shall be happy to get what is requisite done, and to send same to you. I am, dear sir, Yours truly, (Signed) Thos. Southall, Town Clerk. It appears from this letter that the books which accom- panied that of the Mayor were the gift of Mr. Alexander Clunes Sherriff, a member of Parliament from the city of Worcester, Eng. The formal opening to the public of the Worcester (Eng.) Public Library and Hastings Museum, which had just been founded, was celebrated on the 16th of March, 1881. Our ambassador at the Court of St. James, James Russell Lowell, performed the opening ceremony. Believ- ing that the occasion should be recognized here, the libra- 28 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. rian of the Free Public Library had a special meeting of the Board of Directors called, and proposed to it to send a cable dispatch to the Mayor of Worcester, Eng. He was authorized to send the following message : Mayor, Worcester. The Heart of the Commonwealth greets the ever- faithful city on opening Free Library. Directors Free Library. This dispatch was received when the procession had passed from the Guildhall to the library building, at the moment when Mr. Lowell was unlocking the door. In an account of the banquet in the Worcester (Eng.) Daily Times, March 17, 1881, a copy of which is pre- served in the Free Public Library, Mr. Lowell is repre- sented after a few other remarks as speaking as follows : '*! prefer much rather to refer to that connection between the city of Worcester in England and the city of Worcester in Massachusetts, which was brought so vivid- ly to me by the telegram received by the Mayor as we were on our way from the Guildhall to the library. The city of Worcester in Massachusetts is a city of about the same number of inhabitants, as well as I can remember, as the city of Worcester in England, and I do not think that the daughter has done any discredit to the mother. (Hear, hear.) The city of Worcester is the seat of the American Antiquarian Society, founded some eighty or more years ago, and one of the most respectable of our literary societies, which has now published a series of volumes of proceedings of great historical and scientific value. It also has one of the best city free libraries, and it is rather distinguished, I think, by having a particular- ly intelligent librarian, who has done a great deal towards reducing the cataloguing of books to a more scientific method. So that in regard to Worcester I think you may well be proud of having such a daughter, as I have no doubt she is, of her mother. (Applause.) Your Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 29 Worcester dates from the Romans, as its name implies. It has a long past behind it. Our Worcester is now 140 years old, I suppose — not older than that certainly — and has a great future, perhaps, before it. I really at my time of life am sometimes doubtful which is best (laugh- ter), to have a comfortable past behind you, all settled and arranged, or a future before you, with all its possi- bilities, it is true; perhaps with all its probabilities (hear, hear), but with some great contingencies also, which sometimes affect the imagination with considerable ap- prehension. (Laughter.) I won't detain you any longer, further than to thank you in the warmest man- ner for the kindness with which my name has been received, and which I should be a great deal more foolish than I consider myself to be (laughter), if I should apply personally to myself. I like it vastly better as an expres- sion of feeling towards the country which I represent. (Hear, hear.) I should be, indeed, unworthy to represent her if I could stand here and take to myself what was meant for her, and I certainly, in her name, can recipro- cate that friendly feeling which, I am glad to say, I meet with everywhere in England." (Loud applause.) A great public meeting was held at the skating rink in Worcester, Eng., in the evening. In speaking of the occurrences of the opening day, the first report of the Worcester Library and Hastings Museum states that: ''Not the least gratifying incident in this day's proceed- ings was the receipt by the Mayor (Alderman Towns- hend) of a telegram from the public authorities of Wor- cester, Mass., congratulating the faithful city upon the opening of the library. A reply to this interesting mes- sage from 'beyond seas' was approved at, and dispatched from, the public meeting in the skating rink. The com- mittee have since had the pleasure of receiving from, and returning to, the authorities of the Public Library in Worcester, Mass., further courtesies and marks of mutual interest and regard." 30 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. The wording of the reply by cable is : Mayor, Worcester, Massachusetts. The old Worcester gratefully receives the greeting of its namesake and wishes it all prosperity. Mayor. In the same year in which the public library was opened in Worcester, Eng., Mr. Henry Willis, an alder- man in Worcester, Eng., also an ex-mayor and justice of peace, visited our city. He was accredited to our Mayor, Hon. Frank H. Kelley, by an official letter from the Mayor of Worcester, Eng., and was received and enter- tained as a guest of the city. While the friends of the late Samuel Foster Haven, for many years librarian of the American Antiquarian Society, were assembling at the Worcester railroad station to escort his remains to Mt. Auburn after the funeral on Sept. 9th, a message came from the Mayor to Mr. J. Evarts Greene, president of the Board of Directors of the Free Public Library, and to Mr. Samuel S. Green, librarian, announcing to them that Mr. Willis would arrive that evening, and ask- ing them to make arrangements for his entertainment in behalf of the city. Upon their return from Mt. Auburn they engaged a suite of rooms for Mr. Willis at the Bay State House, and later met him at the station and con- ducted him to his apartments. Their first act after greet- ing the visitor was to find out his wishes. Arrangements were made to carry out these during the following day. An admirable account of the way in which the day, Saturday, Sept. 10th, was spent may be found in the Worcester Daily Spy for Monday, Sept. 12tli, presum- ably written by Mr. J. Evarts Greene, the editor of that paper. It is as follows : A VISITOR FROM WORCESTER, ENGLAND. The city's guest, Henry Willis, Esq., an alderman of the old English city of Worcester, on the Severn, spent a busy day on Saturday in visiting some of the public insti- - -^.ftr 't t««c Worcestery England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 31 tutions here, and in receiving the attentions paid him by officials and other gentlemen of the city. Mr. Willis is an active business man at home. He deals extensively in leather, is interested in the potteries, for which his city is famous, and is at the head of a very large glove- making business. He is, besides, a director of the county bank, a justice of the peace, an office of more dignity there than it is here, and one of the committee of visitors of the charitable institutions of Worcestershire. The occasional interchange of civilities between the two cities of late years had given him a strong desire to visit our Worcester, and his arrival having been announced some days in advance. Mayor Kelley, with commendable cour- tesy, had made arrangements to entertain him hospitably during his stay, and to afford him every possible facility for gratifying his curiosity in regard to whatever he might find here of interest. Mr. Willis's previous arrangements allowed him to remain here only one day, and, though he would have liked to visit some of our man- ufactories, he gave the preference to the public institu- tions of the city. As his time was short, his visits were of necessity brief and hurried, but he is a close and intelligent observer; his familiarity with municipal and other public business at home is such that he recognizes at once the points of likeness or difference, and his ques- tions are so pertinent and searching that he gets at the marrow of a subject very promptly. Starting early in the forenoon, accompanied by a gentleman to whom the Mayor had deputed the pleasure of escorting him, he drove for an hour or two about the city. He thought the street wide and handsome, the dwellings and private grounds attractive, with an air of prosperity and com- fort, and the whole aspect of the city and the scenery about it very pleasing. During the forenoon he visited the Worcester Free County Institute, the City Hall, where he inspected the several departments of the city government, receiving and giving much interesting information as regards the points of difference in the organization and working of our municipality and that of the old Worcester; the Public Library, where he was received by members of the city government and a few other gentlemen who had been asked to meet him, and a few minutes were spent in general conversation ; and All 32 Worcester, England, mid Worcester, Massachusetts. Saints' Church, where he was greeted by the rector and church wardens, and was shown the fragments of stone from the cathedral of Worcester, presented by the dean, and built into the wall of the porch of All Saints' Church. At one o'clock a handsome lunch was served at the Bay State House, at which the Mayor presided, and Mr. Al- derman Marsh and the heads of departments at the City Hall were present. After lunch Mr. Willis started again, visiting in the afternoon the high schoolhouse, the State Lunatic Hospital and the City Almshouse. At half -past six a small party, invited by the Mayor, enjoyed an ele- gant dinner at the Bay State House, and the day was closed by another visit to the library. "This," said Mr. Willis, as he parted with his friends late in the evening, ' ' has been one of the notable days of my life. You have worked me very hard, but I have enjoyed it all." Four things impressed him especially — the high school, the Free Institute, the Lunatic Hospital, and the Free Library. He expressed himself as delighted with the city and his reception, and cordially urged the Mayor and the other gentlemen he met to visit Worcester if they should ever cross the ocean, assuring them of a hospi- table reception, and of his personal endeavors to make their stay agreeable. A letter dated Dec. 5, 1881, was received from the town clerk of Worcester, Eng., when transmitting the vote of the city government of Worcester, Eng., thanking us for the courtesies shown to Mr. Henry Willis on his recent visit. The letter is as follows : Guildhall, Worcester, 5 December, 1881. J. Evarts Greene, Esq., President of the Free Public Li- brary, Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. A. Dear Sir : I have the pleasure of sending you herewith an extract from the minutes of the meeting of the Coun- cil of this city, held on the 15th ultimo, from which you will see that Alderman Henry Willis has reported to the Council his recent visit to your city, and the kind manner in which he was received and entertained, and that the Council of this city have passed a resolution acknowl- edging such kindness, and expressing their thanks to the Directors of your Free Public Library for their kind 'Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 33 present of books and the good feeling entertained towards your city. I am, dear sir, Yours truly, (Signed) " Thos. Southall, Town Clerk. The letter from the Mayor containing the vote, which the letter of the town clerk accompanied, is as follows: Guildh'dl, Worcester. At a special and adjourned quarterly meeting of the Council of the City of Worcester, acting as such and as the urban sanitary authority for the said city, holden at the Gruildhall, in the said city, on Tuesday, the 15th day of November, 1881. The Mayor in the Chair. Present of books from Worcester, Massachusetts : Alderman Willis stated that he had recently visited the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, and had been treated with great hospitality and kindness, and had been requested to present to the corporation a letter from the Mayor of that city and an address from the Directors of the Free Public Library there, and the books therein referred to. The letter and address were ordered to be entered on the minutes. It was moved by the Mayor, seconded by Alderman Thomas Eowley Hill, M. P., and resolved unanimously: That the Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of the city of Worcester, England, in Common Council as- sembled, desire to tender their best thanks to the Mayor and other authorities of the city of Worces- ter, Massachusetts, for the very kind and hospitable manner in which they received Alderman Henry Wil- lis on his recent visit to that city, and also to tender their thanks to them and to the Directors of the Free Public Library of Worcester, Massachusetts, 34 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. for tlie very valuable books which they have en- trusted to Alderman Willis to present to ihis Coun- cil and to the Public Library of this city, and cor- dially reciprocate the expressions of good-will towards this city contained in the letter from the Mayor and in the address from the Directors of the Free Public Library of Worcester, Massachusetts, accompanying such gift. (Signed) William Stallard, Mayor. A communication was received dated April 13, 1882, from the Chairman of the Library Committee and Hon- orary Secretary of the Worcester Public Library and Hastings Museum in acknowledgment of greetings and a small gift of books from our Free Public Library. As a part of this communication, the resolution of the Library Committee was received. The letter and resolution are as follows : Worcester Public Library, and Hastings Museum, 13 April, 1882. Gentlemen: On the other side we have the honor to send you a copy of a resolution passed some two or three months since by the Public Library Committee in reply to the gracious and kindly salutation which you were so courteous as to send to the authorities of this institution by our fellow citizen, Mr. Alderman Henry Willis. The transmission of this resolution has been delayed during the preparation of a small parcel of books of local interest which Alderman Willis has been good enough to undertake to convey to you for the use of your Library. On behalf of the Library Committee we have now the pleasure to ask your kind acceptance of the resolution and books with this letter as additional evidences of the good feeling and sjmipathy which the citizens of the old Worcesier, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 35 Worcester trust may always unite them with the people of Worcester in the new world. We have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient servants, (Signed) Francis Dingle, Chairman of the Library Committee. Chas. M. Downes, Hon. Sec'y- The Directors of the Public Library, Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. Resolution, on the other side of the letter : That the warmest acknowledgments of this Commit- tee be conveyed to the Directors of the Free Public Li- brary of Worcester (Massachusetts) for the gift of an interesting series of reports and records illustrative of the historj^ and present position and character of the sister city of Worcester in the States, and of the rapid growth, efficient management and beneficent influence of the Free Public Library of that city, and that this Com- mittee desire to accept these suggestive donations from "beyond seas" not so much for their value as an addi- tion to a section of their Library, which is already looked upon with much interest, but rather as embodying those sentiments of sjTnpathy, kinship and international cour- tesy which they rejoice to feel have always united the twin cities in a bond of mutual pride and emulation, and which they trust may continue to find increased develop- ment in the wider relations of the two peoples, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Directors of the Free Public Library of Worcester (Massachu- setts) by the Chairman and Honorary Secretary. In a letter dated May 24, 1882, to Mr. Samuel S. Green, Mr. Henry Willis announces the dispatch of parcels of books to our Free Public Library and certain citizens of Worcester. The letter is as follows : Pitmaston, Worcester, England, May 24th, 1882. My dear Mr. Green : I have at last succeeded in making up the little parcel I promised to forward to you and my kind friends at Worcester, on the occasion of my visit in the autumn of last year. 36 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. The box will be taken to New York by a friend, Mr. H. Caldicott, who is visiting the States, and he will for- ward it to Worcester in due course, upon his arrival there. The contents of the case are as follows : For the City Free Library. One parcel of books from the Worcester Free Li- brary Committee. Two books from the author, Mr. Alderman Noake. Books and pamphlets from myself. One parcel each for — The Honorable Dr. Kelley, late Mayor. The Honorable S. Salisbury, LL.D. The Honorable Ed. E. Davis. The Honorable Gr. F. Hoar. The Honorable W. W. Rice. The Honorable P. C. Bacon. Rev. Dr. Hamilton (Huntington). Colonel J. D. Washburne. Alderman Marsh. J. E. Greene, Esquire. Professor Thompson. Albert Marble, Esq. N. Paine, Esq. Caleb A. Wall, Esq. The Publisher of Business Guide. The Publisher of Photo News. And last, but certainly not least, your worthy self. As the larger parcel is for the Library, I have ad- dressed the box to you, and would respectfully ask you to kindly distribute the several parcels to the gentlemen to whom they are addressed, as a small token of my respect and esteem and in remembrance of my enjoyable visit to your city, and the very hearty reception I received at the hands of yourself and leading fellow citizens. Is there au}^ chance of your coming to England this season! I shall be delighted to see you, and promise you a genuine, hearty welcome. With all respect and kindest regards, I am, very sincerely yours, (Signed) Henry Willis. S. S. Green, Esquire. Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 37 A letter dated Oct. 1, 1884, was received from W. B. Williamson, mayor of Worcester, Eng., regretting his inability to accept an invitation which had been extended to him to be present at the celebration of the 200th anni- versary of the naming of Worcester, Mass., which was to take place the 15th of that month. It is as follows : Guildhall, Worcester, Old England, 1st October, 1884. To Charles G. Eeed, Esq., Mayor of the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. A. My dear Mr. Mayor: I am in receipt of yours of the 17tli ultimo, for which I am obliged. I feel very greatly honored by your kind invitation to visit your city, either in person or by deputy, on the 15th instant, but as I have many engagements during this month, and right up to the 9th of November, when my term of office expires, I cannot see how it is possible for me to leave England. If it had not been for those circumstances, nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to have taken the next steamer for New York, and from thence to have gone to Worcester, to be with you and join in your festivities on the 15th instant. It is pleasing and gratifying to my fellow citizens and myself to know that there exist between the citizens of Worcester in the new country and those of Worcester in the old comitry such cordial feelings of respect and good- will. Indeed, I may say, on behalf of my fellow citi- zens, that they esteem, with feelings of atfectionate re- gard, the people over whom you have the honor to pre- side as Chief Magistrate. It must be gratifying to you to be Mayor of Worcester, in a year when so interesting an event is to take place as that of celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of the founding of so important a city as yours. I heartily reciprocate the good feeling and kindness which have prompted you to offer me, or a representative of Worcester, hospitality on that occasion. Several of my fellow citizens who have visited you during the past few years have reported your generosity and kindness to them whilst sojourning with you. Could I or a representative avail ourselves of your 38 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. kind invitation, I feel sure that you would greet us with. a most hearty welcome. With you, Mr. Mayor, I sincerely hope that those kind relationships which have subsisted between the two cities for so many years may continue to increase and be strengthened by the manly ties of true friendship. Wishing you and your city every success and pros- perity in the future, with feelings of great respect, I am Your worship 's obedient servant, (Signed) W. B. Williamson, J. P. Mayor of Worcester, Old England. The following also was received from Mayor William- son: Guildhall, Worcester, 10 October, 1884. The Worshipful the Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts. Dear Mr. Mayor: I have the pleasure to inform you that the recent correspondence between us, with refer- ence to the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of your city, was laid before the Council of this city at their meeting on the 7th instant, and that the following resolution was unanimously passed thereon : That this Council tender to the Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, their thanks for the very cordial invita- tion given to the Mayor of this city to be present at the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. This Council also desire to convey to the Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, their congratulations upon so interesting an occasion, and an assurance of their great interest in the progress and prosperity of the important cit}^ over which he presides, a city which so worthily rep- resents in another hemisphere the name borne by this city for more than 1200 years. With feelings of great respect, I am your worship's obedient servant, (Signed) W. B. Williamson, Mayor of Worcester, England. Mr. Williamson, having passed the chair while still an alderman of Worcester, Eng., visited Worcester not long Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. 39 after and was received as a guest of the city during the mayoralty of Hon. Francis A. Harrington. Occasionally other citizens of Worcester, Eng., have visited Worces- ter, Mass., where they have always been heartily wel- comed and joyfully entertained. Among these was Col. William Stallard, cousin of Mr. John Stallard, the pres- ent Mayor, and cousin and brother-in-law to Colonel Webb. He brought with him an interesting volume as a gift to the Free Public Library. The writer of this paper had hoped to continue the courtesies which had been exchanged between the two cities when he visited Worcester, Eng., in the summer of 1902. Mr. Fletcher, who was at that time Mayor of Wor- cester, Mass., had offered to give him an introduction to the Mayor of Worcester, Eng., in order that he might convey to the government of that city expressions of the hearty interest of the younger city in everything that pertains to the life of the older municipality. He took a suite of rooms at a hotel in Worcester, Eng., and awaited the arrival of the communication which was to be sent to him. It miscarried, however, so that he could not, as he intended, present publicly our felicitations and good wishes for the elder city. He was, however, royally entertained by Mr. S. T. Button (Mr. Willis and Mr. Wil- liamson having died), who conducted him and his party about the city and took them to his beautiful house in the suburbs for luncheon. Mr. Button remembered with pleasure a visit which he had recently made to Worces- ter, Mass., where he was entertained by the writer. I should not fail before ending this paper to state that Berrow's Worcester Journal, one of the principal news- papers of Worcester, Eng., has been sent regularly to the Free Public Library since 1875, the gift of Mr. Charles H. Birbeck. The volumes of this paper have been bound and placed upon the shelves of the Reference Bepart- ment. It should also be mentioned that Mr. Williamson, after 40 Worcester, England, and Worcester, Massachusetts. his return home, sent us two beautiful albums of photo- graphs of members of the Corporation of Worcester, Eng., Jubilee Year, 1887, and two large framed photo- graphs, one being a collection of smaller pictures of the members of the corporation in the same 3^ear, and the other a full-length photograph of Mr. "Williamson in his official robe. ^ ?? ?^ ^<^' vT. ° ' A ^ ■'V- ''^> ^"^ •• - ^ ,-^^ . ^^ .0^ ,-Jy^\'''"° ^^-n^ ,40, •"' >^ ^^ "^ .<&^ o_ ■-.''■^v^: ^^ . < • o A\])%' -^^ ^ v^lp^*' ^ '^ ^\ ■0^ ^oV ■* -•■ 'n; o ■?"„ ,.'0' ♦ >^ »- > 0^. .<&' .> .^■ <*, ,V' ^. ■^ c ° " " -» <^ -^-^0^ ♦1 O ^^ .., ^-^ '"* ^ -.^^Ul/-^^ ^"^ o ^'*-^\^/ <-^ ^p °f//tfC\\V^ .Vw -^ ^ ^0 . ' * "To 'o^.T* 'V <^ -TXT* ,G^ %3 4"^ "-^ ^«^( v.