158.87-a splendid showing, for which the Connecticut Daughters cannot be too highly commended.

I believe every Chapter in the State reports increase in membership, and progress along such lines of patriotic and commemorative work as each has undertaken. We all rejoice with the Ruth Wyllys Chapter in the culmination of the splendid enterprise which has so largely absorbed its energies, and held the interest of all Daughters for the past two years. Before another annual report is made, the old "Burying Ground" in Hartford will have been completely restored-the rookeries and the filthy alley which flanked it will have been wiped out, and a broad and handsome boulevard from Main Street to Bushnell Park will have taken its place. Through the efforts of the Chapter the sum of $27,000 has been raised ($15,000 of it being contributed by the Chapter itself) to meet its share of the expense of rescuing this historic burial place from its long-time disgraceful condition.

This is a noble achievement, one of which all are proud, and for which we are grateful to the energetic Daughters of Hartford.

A few hundred dollars only remain to be secured by the Elizabeth Porter Putnam Chapter for the final payment on the property which includes the famous Wolf Den, and the entire indebtedness will, doubtless, be paid off by January, 1900.

Each Chapter has some item of interest to add to the history of our year's work, and if time permitted I should be glad to give them all in detail. A few examples must, however, suffice for this report. The Hannah Woodruff Chapter has presented to the National Daughters of the American Revolution. Library a copy of Timlom's History of Southington, and it is proud of the fact-as we all are-that Miss Alice Tuttle, one of the Chapter members, gave her services in answer to an emergency call, in caring for the sick soldiers in the New Haven Hospital.

The Eunice Dennie Burr Chapter has completely restored the old stone powder mill in the town of Fairfield, and I take pleasure in noting the fact that after the issuance of my war circular No. I, this was the first Chapter in the State to place

itself at my service, and ask what it could do to help on the war relief work.

The special work of the Mary Silliman Chapter is the restoration of the Stratford Revolutionary Burial Ground, and the care of the grave in Wallingford of its Patron Saint.

The Wadsworth Chapter has celebrated, during the year, the one hundredth birthday of one of its "Real Daughters." and many Chapters, notably, the Mary Silliman, the Abigail Phelps, and the Elizabeth Clark Hull, are caring wholly, or in part, for the needs of such "Real Daughters" as are on their membership rolls.

The Mary Wooster, Mary Clap Wooster, and Anne Wood Elderkin Chapters are constantly adding valuable articles to their collections of Colonial and Revolutionary relics.

The Mary Clap Wooster Chapter is also greatly interested in the career of one of its members, Miss Esther V. Hasson, who entered the United States service at the opening of the war, and is now, with one exception, the ranking nurse in the service.

The Norwalk Chapter is especially interested in the Historical and Memorial Library Association, of Norwalk, which has recently been organized chiefly through the efforts of its Regent, Mrs. Weed.

Individual members of the Sarah Riggs Humphrey Chapter have copied more than one hundred years of the earliest Records of the First Church of Derby, and are now engaged in copying Town Records, which date back to 1661. The original marker for the grave of the Rev. John Bowers, who died in 1687, after serving the town of Derby as minister, schoolmaster, and town clerk, was recently found three or four feet under the sod, and having been embedded in a block of polished granite, it has been re-set over the grave. But for the careful research and tireless efforts of the Chapter Regent, Mrs. Pinney, the Colonial and Revolutionary history of Derby would probably be lost beyond recall within the next quarter of a century.

The Abigail Wolcott Ellsworth Chapter has placed a fine granite boulder, suitably inscribed, on the spot where the first English settlers erected a house in the town of Windsor.

In addition to important improvements on the old Stone Monument House, of Groton Heights, the Anna Warner Bailey Chapter has collected a number of old historic and contemporary documents and other appropriate objects, to be laid away in "a sealed box" which was placed under the stone door-sill of the reconstructed, fire proof house. These will (presumably) be uncovered a hundred (or two) years hence by a generation which will have taken our places. By midsummer, this Chapter will have paid the entire expense of $815.59 for all improvements on the Monument House-of which it is the custodian. The Chapter's Flag Committee has, throughout the year, been steadily at work perfecting the artistic "working model" of the flag for the State's future use, which is now in the Capitol at Hartford, and has also presented several valuable large water colors, and expensive photographs to the military in the State as required; and has distributed artistic colored photographs to many Libraries and Societies at a total cost of upwards of $250. The Chapter voted last April to compile a "Cartoon History of the War," and it now possesses several large volumes of superb cartoons, and its Historian is only waiting the signing of the Treaty of Peace to close the last volume.

Under the direction of the Katharine Gaylord Chapter the work of restoring the "Hill Green" has taken definite shape, and considerable progress was made during the summer. It is hoped that this work will be completed within the next year or two, and it is certain when finished, the "Old Hill Green" will be a thing of beauty and a joy for many generations.

Several Chapters, among them the Susan Carrington Clarke and Ruth Hart, of Meriden, have made valuable gifts of historical and genealogical works to the public libraries in their respective towns, gifts which fill a long felt want, and are greatly appreciated by the public.

Two Chapters have been organized during the year-the Judea Chapter, of Washington and Litchfield, and the Martia Pitkin Wolcott Chapter, of East Hartford. It is possible that a few more Chapters may yet be organized in Connecticutthere is much historic ground still to be covered, but local conditions have not, and perhaps will not favor the organiza

tion in their midst of Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution. We may, therefore, regard the organizing work in Connecticut as practically completed. We have one or more Chapters in every county-a total of forty-one, and that is a very large number for so small a State. It is also an interesting and unusual fact that every Chapter in the State has its Charter from the National Society. We shall, doubtless, continue to grow-but slowly after this-the phenominally rapid growth of earlier years can no longer be expected.

In my last annual report I alluded to the literary ventures of several of the Connecticut Chapters. This year I am happy to record the publication of "Katharine Gaylord-Heroine," the prize essay, written by Mrs. Muzzey, of Bristol; a volume of stories of revolutionary days, written by Miss Sarah Prichard, and published by the Melicent Porter Chapter, of Waterbury, and a pamphlet, treating of local history and called "Who Built the Forts?" written by Miss Mary E. Benjamin, and published by the Anna Warner Bailey Chapter, of which Miss Benjamin is a member. Miss Mary P. Root, of Bristol, is compiling from material furnished by the Chapters, a volume of sketches of our "Patriots' Daughters" and "Patron Saints." The volume will be profusely illustrated, and it is hoped that it will prove a valuable, as well as interesting addition to the historical literature of the day.

It is a pleasure to report that I have recently appointed Regents for Chapters to be formed in London, England, and in Ottawa, Canada. These Regents-Mrs. Hugh Reid Griffin, a resident of London, and Mrs. Charles E. Turner, a resident of Ottawa-are Connecticut women, and both have been members of the Melicent Porter Chapter, of Waterbury, from which each resigned in order to accept the responsible position of Chapter Regent in a foreign land.

The Melicent Porter Chapter must, therefore, be given full credit for having instigated a (more or less) direct blow at a monarchical government, by suggesting a plan, and furnishing the material with which to lead off in an effort to colonize the Mother Country with Daughters of the American Revolution! In addition to its colonization efforts and its publication of Miss Prichard's book of Revolutionary stories, the

Melicent Porter Chapter gave to the service of our country a distinguished nurse, Miss Cherrie French, who is here today as a member of the Eighth Continental Congress, Daughters of the American Revolution.

Our proposed memorial to the Connecticut women of the Revolution, appeals strongly to the Connecticut Daughters. It seems to be a duty, and should be regarded as a privilege, for us to make evident in some tangible, permanent, and beautiful form, our belief that the American Revolution would and never could have succeeded but for the women of '76.

In prose and poem, in eulogy and song, in granite and bronze, ample justice has been accorded the forefathers, in commemoration of their high courage, their sacrifices, their far-sighted wisdom, and fidelity to the principles and purposes of the mighty issues with which they were confronted.

But what has been said or done for the foremothers? Practically nothing. And is it not due to the equally fine courage, the far greater sacrifices, and the noble devotion of our foremothers to Home and Country, that with united hands and hearts, we officially and generously acknowledge the indebtedness-of Daughters to Mothers-and in granite or bronze perpetuate the memory of the spirit of the women who aided. in achieving American Independence.

There are sixty-nine living "Patriot's" Daughters on our rolls to-day, and the total number of such Daughters credited on the National Society's books to Connecticut is seventynine. Three hundred and forty-eight copies of the AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE are taken by our Chapter members. In Chapter fees and dues we have this year sent to the treasury of the National Society, $3,801.

The necrology for the year includes several "Patriot's" Daughters, also the Registrar and Historian of the Freelove Baldwin Stow Chapter; the Registrar of the Sarah Ludlow Chapter, and the Historian and much lamented ex-Regent of the Hannah Benedict Carter Chapter.

The total number of deaths reported for the year is thirty

seven.

In the first report made to the National Congress after my election to the State Regency, I stated that the National