The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-02-28

Annual Meeting

stitution of this Society at TIE next amman
meeting.
The President, Mr. Murray, then submit
ted the following report and rcso utIons
which were accepted:
To the members Of the La Sale County Ag-
,ieu!tural, Horticultural and Industrial
Society
Believing it will prove conducive to thc
welfare of the Society that short but writ
ten report should annually be presented TO
you by the Executive Board we hope to in
troduce the custom by submitting for Your
consideration an exhibit of the condition OF
the Society as found by the present Board;
a statement Of what has been done BY the
Board during the past year; the cond ton
of the Society pecuniarily and materially.
together with a few suggestions for your
future action, and Of its prospects.
When the present Board came into Office
they had been preceded by orc Of re,narka
bic energy and efficiency, the result of whose
labors had been 10 give fern and shape to
what previously was nearly chaos. They
had secured from the liberaiity of Messrs.
Hoes & Swift perpetual lease of ten acres
Of land near the city limits, and from that OF
other friends the means TO enclose It with
board fence feet high and 20 erect the
skeletons for 112 stalls and partially COM
plete an Exhibition Building. They left in
the treasury Si42 10 besides balance Ct Z
good subscription list, uncoilected, of 8.
We should be glad if We could feel that
their successors, ourselves, had accomplished
as much We frankly say we have not. -
Tho exciting political contest thr- ugh which
the country has passed has absorbed time
from members which they would have de-
voted to the Society. The great demand for
labor when the preparations were being
made for the Fair made it matter of diff
Guilty to get work done at the Fair grounds
where Iaborers had to walk so long distance
to it. Nevertheless, this Board may surely
hope that the past year has not been with
out its progressive mark. The exhibition
buildings have been completed; movable
fence, sufficient for the exhibition yards and
for one-h half Of the horse-ring has been pre-
cured; the Rock Basin excavatcd; the low
ground about the exhibition building filed
in the pipe for introducing water from the
canal purchased; a commencement made in
setting cut eyergreens, and satisfactory
Fair held.
The means for doing this have bean de-
rived from second contribution by friends
to the Society of s., and the ordinary re-
ceipts at the gate, and from eating establish
ments, $s09.05. Nothing has been received
from the State this year, as the Safe Urea
surer justly construed the law only to make
an appropriation for the year 1895.
There have been received the past year
from the Patent Office and Hon. j. o. Nor
ton 90 volumes Of the Patent Ofi:e Reports,
and from The State Agricultural Society
volumes Of their " Transactions" for the
wears 1861, ali Of which are nov on hand
subject to disposition. They are suitable
for premiums and would be highly priced As
such since they difficult 80 procure aud
cannot be purchased here The Secretary
has expressed to Mr. Norton their obligations
for his remembrance, aud also desire 70
record them here.
1t is understood from the papers that lie
Legislature have made permanent apTro-
priation OF one hundred dollars yearly TO
each County Society, and have passed very
stringent law against opening eating %
drinking establishments in the vicinity {!
Agricultural Fair grounds. y tie i.;rC-
duction and passage of these Two important
measures W. a:e indebted to lir. Davis, d
the House, and iIr. Adams, OF tie Senate,
both from Stephenson county. The thanks
Of every IA u.-r are due ~ them.
A Society Ike 9.rs, gentlemen, cannot te
stationary. il must progress or retIcgra!e,
and il rests with the nseulberS, more than ,
the mana ers, 10 decide w.i-! shall be tie .
destiny CT ours. Its ultimate object Is lis .
ameiioratIOn Of the condition OF men. It's &
means are exhibitions Tor displaying what 5 /
already accomplished; prizeS, a. Incentives .
to bring IN articles .cr exhibition and 10 .
greater exertions Essays 10 instruct Us h0w
TO exert ourselves, and apartments which .
Tend 10 deye.ope those hidden crets OF nl
ture which surround the profession Of the
agrcuturiSt. Il is to be hoped the day viii
come when n Collegiate Institution Shall
lead us and Cooperate with Us in the t:O
latter Of these measures. Between the a.!
;ernatives before us we must not hesitate.
This Society must advance. he end OF
another year must shew il better organized
and better equipped than 81 present. u
would suggest tor your consideration tb"t
the name of the Society bs simpIiii j ~ as
10 read The Ia Sale County Agricultural
Society ;" that the premium list be carefully
scrutin!zed and systeuai d that pcrIna
nent plan fog laying out and Improving tie
Fair grounds DC decided upon, which shall
ornament the grounds with such trees aud
shTubbery as lEey VIII sustain aIl also
Scunteract the annoyance arising from thcr
sandy nature; that measures Cs taken -
lIy the foundations for & library, a inuseg;u
and sinking fund. CThis we tIelicve 10 be
especially measure oi prudence a, a. stormy
ETY. in Bankruptcy And last bat not least,
tia; An address lie sent to the Governor 81
the State asking him to use his influences in
the establishment and maintenance O! ala
agricultural College as Il State institution.
The following resolutions were adopted:
l,esoic6d That al, Claims for premiums
must DC made within thirty days after tHe
closing of the Fair. TIE officers OF the So
ciety are directed torcgard all premiums not
called for within that time IS contributions
made TO the treasury o. the Society and 10
deposit thrm with the Treasurer.
Resoired, That Patent Office Reports and
State Agricultural Transactions shall here
after be dIstI ibuted for premiums after re-
serving one cory of each for the library o!
the Soci-ty.
Ies9ieed, That the plan for the improve
ment OF the Fair grounds this day approved
by the Society be entered by the Secretary
on his books as adopted.
Etsotred, That the Executive Board Of
this Society be instructed to address the
Governor soliciting his influence in procur-
ing the establishment and maintaiIance or
an Agricultural College as a State iEsiiiu-
ton.
The Society then proceeded to the election
OF oihceIs tor the ensuing year, and the fol-
lowing officers were unanimously elected
BRONSON MURRAY, President.
": W. ARMSTRONG, LIST Tice President.
WV. SIRAwN, I'd
WV. CoGSwELL. 81 =.
IN: Vas DoHEs, Rec9riing Secretary.
DIR '. U. HARMS, corresponding :.
ErecHtise ComBiitlee-Henrv Moore Of
Erection; Jarus Lawrence. opnir; Joseph
PIatt, Dayton; Joel W. Arns,ronc ~
PARK Isaac L. Van Doren, Farm };iIgc
ON. u. True, E. VI. Cham5cr.in. OuatSs
Saul. Il Lewis. Grand Rapids; Pni!o i
Diunick, Deer Park.