Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/94

 News of the Society

Meetings

The speaker at the Annual Meeting on January 29 was Dr. John Donald Hicks, Morrison Professor of American History at the University of California; his topic was "The Roaring Seventies." In his interesting review of that decade Dr. Hicks gave an outline of the disturbed situation prevailing throughout the United States and indicated the forms it took in California—the conflicts between the railroads and the agrarian interests, the economic depression of 1873, ^^^ sand-lot meetings of 1877 i^ ^^^ Francisco, with Denis Kearney and the cry of "The Chinese must go," and the resurgence of the Vigilante spirit. The speaker recounted the development of the Workingmen's Party in 1878 and the Constitutional Convention of 1879, resulting in the adoption of California's Constitution of that year. Dr. Hicks indicated that what had been thought by many to be an incipient revolt had resulted in nothing more than development of a third party, which disappeared not long afterward, and a change in the Constitution of the State. Eighty members and guests were present.

Gertrude Atherton, famous California novelist, spoke on "The Pageant of San Francisco Society Through the Years" at our monthly luncheon meeting, in the Comstock Room of the Palace Hotel on Tuesday, February 16. One hundred and thirty-six members and guests were present.

In lively and witty manner, Mrs. Atherton sketched the life of the city's Society and the development of its social traditions from the time when Mrs. Hall McAllister was social arbiter, from the late sixties to the eighties, and thence to the period of Mrs. Eleanor Martin and our modern day. The social leadership of "Ned" Greenway in the nineties and the history of the Burlingame Country Club, one of the first country clubs in the United States, were pertinent parts of the delightful discourse, which abounded in personalities, with references to many socially prominent families.

The Annual Business Meeting of the California Historical Society was held on Friday, January 29, 1943, in the Comstock Room, Palace Hotel, San Francisco, pursuant to a notice sent to all members. Mr. Walter Starr, President of the Society, presided.

The Secretary presented the minutes of the Annual Business Meeting of January 2 3, 1942, but on motion duly made and seconded, the reading of the minutes was dispensed with.

The President, having appointed Miss Dorothy H. Huggins and Mrs. Jeanne Van Nostrand tellers to count the ballots for Directors which had