John Woolman Memorial Association, 1920

70BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY. We are, with great esteem and regard, Your obliged Friends and very humble Servants, Thos. & Isaac Wharton, Jona: Browne, Gilbert Barkly. To The Hon'ble the Court of Directors of the United East India Company, London. JOHN WOOLMAN MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION, 1920 The fourth annual meeting of the John Woolman Memorial Association was the occasion of a remarkable gathering in Mount Holly, N. J., on the afternoon of October 16, to observe the bicentenary of the birth of John Woolman. Although the actual date was the nineteenth, the week-end was chosen to permit a larger attendance. For this occasion the Women's Burlington County Historical Society and the Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia joined in issuing invitations for a special celebration at the meeting house on Garden street. The day proved remarkably fine and a very large number of persons attended. The meeting, at 2 P.M., was opened by a few words of greeting on behalf of the Memorial Association from the president, Amelia M. Gummere, who then introduced the speaker of the day, Dr. Elbert Russell, Director of the Woolman School at Swarthmore, who held the close attention of his audience for three quarters of an hour, while he eloquently spoke on the life of John Woolman and its significance to the world. He declared that John Woolman set himself one task—" to know the will of God, and to do it perfectly, so far as possible." He touched on Woolman's versatility as " tailor, merchant, conveyancer, minister , social reformer and saint." Woolman's opposition to slavery was but one of the many reforms for the evils which sorely afflicted his soul. Emphasis was laid on his work in the direction JOHN WOOLMAN MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION.71 of social enlightenment, and of his insight far into the future, declaring " The luxury of men is the means of oppressing the laborers," and parallels were drawn between Woolman, St. Francis of Assisi, and Buddha. Dr. Russell was followed by Mrs. Mary Schenck Woolman, formerly of Columbia Teachers' College, New York, now of Simmons College, Boston. Her husband was a direct descendant of John Woolman's brother, Jonah. She is an authority on certain economic questions of the day. She spoke on the times in which Woolman lived and on the occupation of the weaver, an employ in which the Journalist's family had been engaged for several generations, and from which it is likely the family name is derived . The exercises were closed by an appreciative tribute to the life and services of John Woolman by Dr. Rufus M. Jones, of Haverford College, who dwelt on the higher degree of understanding of Woolman's life work shown in England, not only among the Quakers, but others. The change in England's labor problems he declared was in an unappreciated measure due to the work of Woolman. Announcement was made of the start of an Endowment Fund for $25,000, for which somewhat more than $2000 were subscribed , to be collected during 1921. A call for all who were direct or collateral descendants of John Woolman brought 41 persons to their feet, and the number later reached over 50. Tea was then served in the tea room of the meeting house, for guests who could not linger, but most of those present adjourned to the Memorial Cottage on Branch street, where between 200 and 300 were served with tea and coffee in the garden and a delightful social hour was passed. Ivy from Woolman's grave in York, England, brought over and presented by C. Walter Borton, was planted. A brief business session in the garden sufficed for the re-election of the present trustees. The fact that 1600 persons from all parts of this country and England have visited the little cottage during the past season, should convince the most skeptical of the widespread interest felt in the Memorial. 72BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY. The editor of the forthcoming edition of John Woolman's Journal has regretted inevitable delays. The MS. is now nearly ready, but no one can tell the further obstacles in printing, to which books are now increasingly subject. Biographical notes and a family...