The Committee on Science and the Arts has again assigned to me the most agreeable duty, or rather conferred upon me the privilege, of presenting to you the distinguished scientists and inventors whom The Franklin Institute desires to honor by the award of the highest recognition at its command, the Elliott Cresson Medal, and who are honoring the Institute by personally appearing at this meeting to receive it from your hands.
"A recent writer in one of our scientific magazines, in commenting upon the wonders of the modern world, calls attention to the fact that most of the great inventions and achievements are the results, not of the labors of individuals, but rather of some general element of modern progress. "While it cannot be denied that this is true of the majority of scientific discoveries, useful inventions, and engineering feats, it must also be conceded that in nearly every instance the culminating achievement can be connected with one or a few great names.
" "Thus one of the most marvellous of modern inventions, the one that received the second largest number of votes in an international ballot on "The Seven Wonders of the 2Vfodern World "--I refer to the telephone--was not the practical and useful device it is to-day when it first came from the