The Republican., 1900-10-04
OAKLAND CLUB.
First Annual Meeting of the Organization
Held Monday Night.

night of this week at the rooms OF the
organization on Second street, at
which Mr.. Percy Proctor, the Presi-
dent, read a paper which set forth
the things already accomplished by
the Club and the things which the
Club hopes to accomplish within the
next year or two. Mr.. Procter's paper
is as follows:
After several improbable business
years many citizens of Oakland felt
that something should be done to add
to the prosperity, and in September,
1899, meeting was called to form a
Board of Trade, which should work
towards securing the location in this
vicinity of manufacturing and other
enterprises. At this meeting it was
decided to try the experiment of a
regular club, with rooms open every
day all the year round, and to divide
up the membership into committees
who should look after various inter
ests of the community, not alone try
ing to secure the location here of fac
tories, but also working to make Oak
land a pleasant place of residence.
The Oakland Club was incorporated
September 80, 1899, under the laws of
Maryland, by Edwin L. Mitchell,
Austin Brown, w. A. Daley, John
W. Hart, John E. Legge, j. G. Ped
dicord, A. D. Naylor, S. 7. Jones and
Percy Proctor, who subsequently
were chosen as the Board of Man.
ayers under the constitution of the
club.
The second floor of the Fringer
building, Main street, was rented and
was divided into private office, read
ing and writing room, assembly hall,
coat room and wash room. These
were appropriately furnished and
equipped with electric lights at an
expense of several hundred dollars.
Nineteen leading periodicals were Sc
cured regularly, books and games
were bought or given by friends, sew
eral pictures were presented and club
stationery was purchased. One hun
dred and fifty copies of pamphlet
containing articles of incorporation,
list of members, constitution and by
laws and special committees, were
printed for free distribution. The
rooms were first opened for lnspec-
tion by ladies of the families OF mem
bers and were put in use by members
regularly on November l, 1899. These
rooms have been open every day from
one o'clock until eleven o'clock.
Meetings of the club have been
held once month at which reports
from special committees were made.
These reports necessarily were OF
suggestive character as the club aims
rather to create public sentiment
than to take action, but some of the
reports show that the committees
have accomplished results. The meet
ings have been strictly informal, so
as to encourage free expressions OF
opinion by the members in more or
less conversational way.
The Oakland Club has been in ex-
istence one year and in this brief
period it's members have organized a
creditable brass band, have secured
the promise of conventions to meet
here, have had the fish and game
laws amended, have made valuable
suggestions for Improvements, have
had the mail facilities increased, have
awarded prizes for the best kept prl-
vate premises, have had the town Or
dinances codified, have issued an IL
lustrated guide, and have advertised
Oakland in Cincinnati, Baltimore,
Pittsburgh and Washington news
papers. The club also has provided
attractive and comfortable rooms in
which it's members have conducted
correspondence, read the magazines
and periodicals, played games, smok-
ed and talked. Not the least valua-
BILE and pleasant influence has been
the better acquaintance in a social
way of members who hitherto had
business relations only with each
other. The year just closed has been
one of the most prosperous-lf not
the most prosperons-ln the history
of Oakland. This prosperity has not
been confined to few, but has been
enjoyed by the community as whole.
Never before have so many people
been in this town for a period OF
three months as were here from the
middle of June until the middle OF
September. The accommodations foI
summer visitors were not equal tC
the demand.
So much for the past and present
now for the future. The band should
be encouraged in every possible way
The training the members receive is
valuable to them and their time thus
spent is well employed. The music
they furnish is source of continua
pleasure and as an organization they
advertise Oakland greatly. A weekly
course of entertainments from Janu-
airy to April, given by local and i'm
ported talent, should be provided
And next summer should see in Oak
land good base ball club, golf course
and tennis grounds.
= Now that there is possibility o.
some money being available for street
improvements the town authorities
should be urged to spend some of il
on the streets on which people live al
well as on those streets on which they
transact business. And the practice
of digging bitches alongside walks
that fill up after a heavy rain should
give place to the shaping of roadway
which drain themselves. The mum
Der of prizes for best kept and mos
improved private premises should b'
increased.
A systematic effort should be made
to secure the location here of col
lege or some other institution of learn
ing. Oakland is well situated fo1
such. If after the summer visitor
began to leave in the fall there wa
- ;.d,,v ~ sorarol I1 N drad taa n ar