Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-02
THE PIONEERS CONVENTION.

: ter, held meeting at Pioneer Hall last ever
e ing. A. q. Hastings of San Francisco wa
J. called to the chair, and James McCleery {
d Sacramento was elected Secretary.
S After briefly considering the object of th
d meeting, William I'll. Mills was upon motto
t invited to address The Convention In con
: plying with the request he reviewed the lif
e and benefactions of General Suffer at length
! and in conclusion suggested that no more ~
r propriate monument to his memory could
! erected than 'Sutter Memorial Hail.
W. +. Swasey of San Francisco addresse,
the Convention in favor of the appointment
5 OF committee to memorabilia the Legisla
ture to make an appropriation for the cree
ton OF a statue of General Suffer. He of
tered the following preamble and resolutions
WHEREAS The memories that throng and cluste
around the size Of "SutteI's Fort render that spot
to the Pioneers, classical and hallowed ground, an,
should be preserved by them, Tor their posterity,
nearly as possible, in its primitive condition there
fore
ReSolred, That it is the duty of the Pioneer or
CARNATIONS, of all classes throughout the State
California to unite in the purchase and acquisition
OF the grounds including the site of Sutteri
Fort and TO erect thereon a suitable building TO b.
utilized as pleasant home aud resng-place for oul
aged, decrepd and INDECENT brother Pioneers; thai
I
home to become partially self-sustaning by raising
vegetables, milk, butter, chickens, eggs etc. thai
the expense of its m intenance should be betrayed
by an equitable assessment apOn said organizations
In support of the resolution Mr.. Swasey
said ne had conversed with number of pi-
oneers from different parts of the State. and
In every instance this proposal met with a
hearty Endorsement. In carrying out its In
tentions they can rely upon our brother
Pioneers Of New York for material aid, as
he believed they originated the idea of &C.
quiring said property, and have volunteered
assistance in the matter. He thought the
lack of some such proven as is contem-
plated in the resolution, on the part of the
Pioneer organizations, has been a subject of
frequent reproach and unfriendly criticism
In his opinion the number of Pioneers who
would be likely to avail themselves of such
hospitality would be Insignificant compared
to the amount of good that would result, and
he doubted if the number would ever exceed a
score at any one time. The expenses, to be
betrayed by pro rata tax upon the different
societies of the State, wonld be light upon
each, and could not become burdensome upon
any. He was also In favor of the building
being so constructed as to afford temporary
accommodation for any or all of the Pioneer
organizations of the State, who might desire
to hold an annual reunion upon the spot that
should ever be to US consecrated ground.
L. J. Hardy, Jr., of San Francisco was in
favor of obtaining, if possible, sufficient
appropriation from the Legislature at its
present session to erect a suitable monument
to the memory of General Suffer. He was
also in favor of purchasing so much Of the
Suffer Fort property as should be necessary,
in order to preserve the Old fort as a relic.
This would be monument which would con-
meet the pre- sent and the future, He was not
in favor of the entire grounds being pur-
chased and building erected for a home for
| INDECENT Pioneers. He thought the several
organizations could take care of any INDECENT
members of theirs better and with less ex-
pense than in the manner proposed by the
resolutions submitted.
Mr.. Swasey spoke in favor of the PROPOSE
ton to build the home as fulfilling the
obligation due to those whom it is proposed
to benefit, and also as the best way to aid
and relieve such as may come within its pur-
pose.
E.O.F Hastings, of San Francisco, thought
some line Of action should be determined
upon in this matter. As the first action to
be taken to bring the matter before the Con-
vention, he moved as the sense of the Con-
vention, that it is deemed advisable to pur-
chase two blocks of the old fort, for the pur-
pose of erecting thereon memorial to
General Suffer. This was to be subject to
the provisions contained in the report here
tofore made, which was to the effect that if
the ground at the fort could not be pur-
chased for a reasonable sum, then that such
memorial be erected in the East Capitol
grounds.
After some further remarks by various
members of the Convention, George Cad
walader moved that the resolutions offered
by Mr.. Swasey be referred to the Committee
on Site.
John S. Miller stated that at the time of
General Suffers death committee was APP
pointed to examine as to the title to the
grounds upon which the Suffer Fort is To-
Gated, and he was not aware that definite in
formation had been obtained.
Mr.. Cadwalader stated what action had
| been taken i'll reference to the matter, and
that the owner at Chicago had been written
to upon the subject,
j. Ii. McKune thought special commit
tee should be appointed to look into the mat
ter of purchasing the site then to deter.
| mine whether a monument or building should
be erected upon it, and then to carry out that
plan. He moved that such an executive
committee be appointed by the Chairman of
this Convention, with q member from each of
the California Pioneer Societies upon the
committee, both of those in this State and
elsewhere.
The Chair stated he would entertain this
motion as an amendment to the motion to re-
fer the resolution to the Committee on Site.
The motion of MIR. McKune was submitted
to a vote and lost.
A p. Catlin favored referring the resolu-
tions to the Committee on Site; also the
purchase of the two blocks where the fort is
located. He said the owner of the Suffer
Fort property owned six blocks in that vicin-
ity, and had at one time offered them all for
50, COO At that time he also asked 81, GOO
for the two blocks at the fort, but he was
willing to have a gentleman who resides at
| San Jose set value upon them, and he
would accept whatever that gentleman said.
The motion of Mr.. Cadwaladerwas adopted.
Mr. Hastings then withdrew his motion in
favor of purchasing the Suffer Fort grounds.
/ !. \. Hoag, Secretary of the State Agri-
cultural Society, being called upon, stated
4 that the present pavilion and lot upon which
| it stands are owned by the county of Sacra-
mento The building has been found made
quate fer State Fair purposes. It has been
proposed on this account that a larger build
! ing be provided The Supervisors of the
county have been consulted in reference to
disposing of the building and erecting another
on the east Capitol grounds in connection
with aid from the State. The sale OF the
pavilion to Sacramento has been talked Of
for a city hall, and later, that it be purchased
as an arsenal for the State National Guard.
In the event of its sale it has
been proposed that the proceeds be sp-
Piled towards erecting q fine large
memorial hall or pavilion in the center of the
east Capitol grounds, in which the portion OF
the State Fair now heldin the Pavilion, would
be better accommodated, and for which the
State, it was believed, through the Legisla-
ture, could respond in aid OF its erection.
General Suffer was in early days largely
engaged in agriculture, stock raising, and in
the general industries of the State, which are
represented in the State Fairs, and hence a
memorial to the memory of General Suffer
| could be erected in no place so appropriate as
in such State Agricultural Hall. For this
reason it is suggested that should such new
building be determined upon, the Pioneers
join in erecting the same. and place in it a
monument or memorial to the memory of
General Suffer, perhaps in the form of a
miniature fort, in the center of the building.
Mr.. Cadwalader moved that committee
of hve be appointed to confer with the State
Board of Agriculture, and report to an ad-
journed meeting of the Convention.
Mr.. McKune was opposed to the motion,
because he regarded the proposition for the
Pioneers to join in such plan as impracti-
cable, and not in the interests of the pur.
pose for which the present Convention was
called.
Mr. Swasey was in favor of the motion, if
the proposed plan can be carried out and a
memorial of some kind also be erected at