MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS AND SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES

The Commercial Club has always exercised the greatest care in admitting individuals to its membership. "No man," says Glessner, "who has sought election for himself, by lobbying or otherwise, has succeeded in getting the unanimous recommendation of the Executive Committee necessary to present his name to the Commercial Club for its ballots; and so carefully has the work of the committee been done, that no man who has had that recommendation has failed of election."

There were two hundred and seventy regular meetings held by the Commercial and Merchants Clubs during the period from their formation to May, 1909. The subjects discussed at these meetings have covered a wide range of topics. More than fifty meetings have been devoted to the consideration of municipal affairs, at least a dozen upon taxation, and as many more about the City Plan. Other subjects engaging the attention of the club have been education, elections, national questions, foreign relations, and especially about the World's Fair during the period of its inception and continuance. "The speaking never has been confined to club members. On the contrary, the club has been glad to offer a forum for the expression of the views of statesmen and soldiers, professional men and men of affairs generally."

Mention of the meetings and subjects considered gives but a partial idea of the effective work done by the Commercial and Merchants Clubs. "Of the two hundred and seventy regular meetings, it is within bounds to say that each one has helped to forward some good end, and many of them have been the initial and moving causes of important achievements. It would be invidious and almost impossible to estimate the relative value of these meetings, or say which were the most important, bearing in mind that in any great permanent work the prime necessity is for forming public opinion before there can be any accomplishment.”

THE RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS

Some idea of the numerous public questions that have been the subjects of consideration by the Commercial Club are given in Glessner's summary of the club's work. "Perhaps the meetings from which the club's influence was most directly and speedily felt," he says, "were those that resulted in the founding of the Chicago Manual Training School; in presenting to the United States Government the site for Fort Sheridan, and to the State the site for the Second Regiment Armory; in the prosecution and punishment of certain county and municipal officials; in the original efforts for legislation for the Drainage Cana'; in its early advocacy and support of the World's Columbian Exposition; in raising endowment funds for the Illinois Manual Training School at Glenwood, and the St. Charles School for Boys; in presenting to the United States Government a site for the Naval Training School at Lake Bluff; in establishing a street cleaning bureau for the city; in presenting to the city a site for public playgrounds at Chicago avenue and Lincoln street; in establishing the First State Pawners' Society; in the inquiry into the city's accounting methods that resulted in new and improved systems; and, most recent of all, in its earnest efforts to amend the general school law to

provide improvements in the system of public education; and in the inception and development of the Chicago Plan.

"These and other philanthropic and public-spirited works of these two clubs (The Commercial and Merchants), now merged into one, have involved the collection and disbursement of more than a million of dollars, and have been potent in many reforms and improvements."

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES' POEM

"The property of the club consists chiefly of memories and aspirations." Such things as the club has bought have been given away "freely and joyously for the good they might do." But there is one memento of which the club retains the ownership-the poem of Oliver Wendell Holmes, given to President Doane for the club by the poet himself. The original manuscript of this poem, appropriately framed in pieces of the historic elm blown down in Boston Common, has been placed in the custody of the Chicago Historical Society.

The poem, dated June 14, 1879, is as follows:

DR. HOLMES' GREETING, BOSTON, JUNE 14, 1879

Chicago sounds rough to the maker of verse;
One comfort you have-Cincinnati sounds worse;

If we only were licensed to say Chicago!

But Worcester and Webster won't let us, you know.
No matter, we songsters must sing as we can;
We can make some nice couplets with Lake Michigan,
And what more resembles a nightingale's voice
Than the oily trisyllable, sweet Illinois?

Your waters are fresh, while our harbor is salt,

But we know you can't help it, it isn't your fault;

Our city is old, and your city is new,

But the railroad men tell us we're greener than you.
You have seen our gilt dome, and no doubt you've been told
That the orbs of the universe round it are rolled,

But I'll own it to you-and I ought to know best-
That this isn't quite true of all stars of the West.

You will go to Mount Auburn-we'll show you the track-
And can stay there unless you prefer to come back-
And Bunker's tall shaft you can climb, if you will,
But you'll puff like a paragraph praising a pill.
You must see-but you have seen-our old Faneuil Hall-
Our churches, our school rooms, our sample rooms-
-all-
And perhaps, though the idiots must have their jokes,
You have found our good people much like other folks.

There are cities by rivers, by lakes and by seas,
Each as full of itself as a cheesemite of cheese;
And a city will brag as a rooster will crow-—
Don't your cockerels at home—just a little, you know?
But we'll crow for you now; here's a health to the boys,
Men, maidens and matrons of fair Illinois !

And the rainbow of friendship that arches its span
From the green of the sea to the Blue Michigan!