me. I feel the need of all the eloquence of an Everett, all the historical lore of a Bullock, all the fire and originality of a Slack, all the statistical accuracy of a Wilson, all the fervid imagery of an Emerson, to meet the exigencies of this occasion.

Living in an age of unexampled progress, we seem to be, at the present time, in a grand focus of discoveries. and inventions.

When the last exhibition of this Society was held in 1874, it seemed to many, no doubt, as though the limits. of invention had been reached. Two years ago, at Philadelphia, we saw still greater onward steps, but within the last two years some of the most marvellous and apparently impossible inventions have astonished

the world!

The most cursory glance at the exhibits in the various departments of this building could but have satisfied. the least attentive visitor of the great advance that has been made in almost every field of work, but a close study of the numberless branches of industry here represented fills the mind with admiration and wonder, and prepares us for the almost limitless possibilities of the future.

The silver-tongued orator of Massachusetts has held thousands upon thousands entranced and delighted with his story of the Lost Arts, the marvellous visions which his matchless word-painting has raised, thrill and excite the imagination until the dim haze of remote antiquity is irradiated with dazzling achievements, such as the dull inhabitants of this lack-lustre age can never hope to parallel, much less surpass.

But, if once infused with the enthusiasm of the PRESENT, he should persuade himself to illustrate, with his wonderful powers of delineation, the New Found Arts, with whose mysteries we have been standing face to face for the last two months, he would weave a tale

of picturesque romance and splendor that would almost delude us into believing it was a story of some happier and more enlightened sphere than this poor world. of ours.

I cannot but feel assured that the multitudes that have passed in and out among the crowded spaces of this vast building must have been deeply impressed, not only with the degree of perfection to which the various branches of mechanical art have been brought, but also with the boundless opportunities and possibilities that lie before us.

What human mind can pretend to look into the dawning light of what is to be, and compass with his dull comprehension the developments of the open day? Rather do we stand hushed in awe, and wait with bated breath, the inevitable victory of mind in its perpetual struggle with matter.

To whom do these visitors, from all parts of our common country, owe this opportunity of studying the advances made in work and art?

An Association of mechanics, whose original purpose was the promotion of certain objects affecting their general welfare, was formed in this city in the year 1795. Its history is very like that of all Associations that have a vital principle within them; difficulties and opposition met with courage and determination, misunderstanding and doubt met with demonstration, and all powerful success secured at last ample recognition and the respectful admiration of all classes in the community. The progress of time, and with it the advance and growth of thought, widened its possibilities, and the wisdom of its managers saw still greater good to come than the first restricted purposes which prompted its foundation.

Having successfully established these first vigorous roots of their infant organization, they soon felt stirring

within them the sap of progress, and every year saw fresh shoots and branches from the parent stem.

There has been no season which could fairly be considered a time of stunted growth, but rather continual advance, and as "nothing succeeds like success," the encouragement of society has cheered and strengthened it until to-day we stand in the glowing sunlight of its noontide beneficence, and reap and enjoy the results of its persistent efforts for the advancement of the Mechanic Arts.

To this Association of workers, society owes many of the improvements which add to the amenities of life, and will continue to owe them; for as in the past its field of usefulness and its fostering care have spread in every direction, so in the future we can but feel that its radiating and protecting arms will never shrink into useless members, but constantly extend and strengthen, blessing the unfortunate with its charity, protecting and encouraging all the useful arts that benefit and advance mankind.

Consider with me, if you will, some of the more important points of interest which have been offered here for our instruction and enlightenment.

Among the thousands of objects of interest and value to each and every individual, there must, of necessity, be some few which affect us in a larger way, and which are of wider scope than our immediate and particular good. Of such objects as these, which affect the mass of society the world over, the use of electricity as light, is, to my mind, one of the most important. Early in the century, the idea of producing light from electricity was experimented upon, and, in 1813, Sir Humphrey Davy is said to have formed a continuous arc of light between carbons. From that time to the present day, it is surprising to find how much time and money has been expended in following out the idea, the research proving

all the more fascinating as the object to be gained eluded the grasp of the experimenter.

That light could be continuously produced has long been a demonstrated fact, but the great obstacle seems to have been the cost of production by the galvanic battery, and the apparent impossibility to divide the light. In spite of these difficulties, the electric light was made practical use of twenty-five or thirty years. ago, in various parts of the world, more particularly in mining and tunneling, and it is a curious fact that Spain, a country which we have been accustomed to consider very much behind the age, has been most active and enterprising in researches and experiments in this direction.

It would be impossible, in the limits of this short mention, to follow, at all accurately, the various advances made by Saxton, Pixie, Wheatstone, Siemens, Gramme, Jablokoff, Wilde, and a hundred others, whose names have become familiar to those who have read and studied this interesting subject. Our particular interest centres upon the discovery of the principle which has made possible the production of the light by a convenient and economical method, avoiding at the same time the disagreeable acid fumes caused by the use of the powerful galvanic batteries necessary in the old method.

In 1859, Mr. Moses G. Farmer, of Boston, familiarly known to our city as the inventor, jointly with Dr. Wm. F. Channing, of our present system of fire-alarm, now consulting electrician of the U. S. Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, first conceived the idea of using full electro magnets in a dynamo electric machine, thust making the production of the necessary force of electricity dependent solely upon the machine itself.

In 1866, he had carried his idea to successful completion, and though he was soon followed by others with

machines of a similar nature, to him, and to him alone, belongs the credit and honor of first discovery.

There are many interesting facts connected with subsequent experiments which I find it impossible to speak of for lack of time, the result, however, of the various improvements made, has been witnessed by you all, as shown in this building by two different methods during the Fair, and the merits of the light have been amply discussed.

The production of light by this great agent is but in its infancy, and there is, in my mind, not the least doubt that the coming years will see the present difficulties overcome, and the electric light in use throughout the world.

Other wonderful applications of this most subtle of Nature's forces demand almost equal attention, and we cannot but feel a thrill of delight and admiration as we hold that little instrument in our hands which transmits with such accuracy the very words spoken miles away. Simple in its construction and working, it seems strange that it was never thought of before, and yet, singular paradox, strange that it should ever have been thought of at all.

What a revolution this great invention has made; already from office to factory, from place of business to the home circle, to departments of public protection, from friend to friend, these silent yet eloquent wires extend, making the impossible of yesterday the possible of to-day. The pecuniary advantage to business of this discovery is simply inconceivable, while the convenience and security of domestic life is enhanced, and the opportunities for friendly communication multiplied equally beyond computation.

The importance of the telephone, in all its manifold. applications, cannot be over-estimated; but before we have hardly begun to recover from our surprise and