V s-a 9 3^5 6\l Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries ! https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniacoun03unse_ INDEX. V s , I Page - . s • ■ . ] Page . £ J Page1 ■ . ? - '■ - ■' '"r * ' i -- ; L ____ _J H t- _ :i. T U V w 7]' ___1 f.-—"I \ nzr.- __ ■ % w w XYZ desoiution—That any person signing the constitution and paying his ad¬ -r times! mission fee of twenty-live cents shall lie- b- considered a member. * 36 JUS r ED EVERY MORNING, Fifth Resolution—Officers neglect’ng to it (SUNDAYS EXClil-TED,) attend a meeting of the Society at the hour ie appointed shall pay a fine of twenty five ' DOWN-TOWN'OPXCE: cents for every such neglect. Times Building, 115 and 117 Liberty St Sixth Resolution—That two-thirds of the members in attendance at any meeting can ' r alter or amend this constitution. UP-TOWN OFFICE: i- w/ • In accordance with the foregoing the .e r . j No. 70 Fifth Avenue, Room 3. following persons were duly elected officers 7 of the Society for the year, viz.: d ROBERT P. NEVIN, Samuel McCaslin, President. ;e Editor and Proprietor. :-.J Robert Wallace, Vice President. L6 Thomas S. Hart, Corresponding Secre¬ 1- tary. SATi/kDAY, JANUARY 29, 1881.^ Charles Anderson, Recording Secretary. John Herron, Treasurer. HISTORICAL SKETCH The loregoing preamble and resolutions were subsequently adopted with amend¬ Of the Agricultural Society of Allegheny ments at a meeting held in the court house County. in January, 1852. In the Pittsburg Gazette, of the 23d day BY HON. JOHN E. PARKE. of November, 1819, appeared a very inter¬ [Hon. .John E. Parke was lately ap esting article on the subject of agriculture pointed liy the Allegheny Agricultural generally, and fervently urging tbe forma¬ Society to prepare a historical sketch o! tion of an agricultural society. Since then that association to hie away for keeping there appears to be no record of any move¬ among its reeords. In accordance with ment until the meeting held in Pine town¬ that appointment Mr. Parke has produced ship, January 3, 1849, although the writer the carefully-written and highly-interest¬ thinks there were several fairs held in ing paper which we produce belqw.—Ed. early days on the public square in the town Times. ] of Allegheny. The nucleus around which the Allegheny A charter was obtained from the Legis¬ County Agricultural Society was formed of lature, vide pamphlet laws appendix to which wre have any record is found in the 1855, it was approved the 23d of April, A. proceedings of a public meeting held in D., 1852, limited to 20 years and would ex¬ Pine township January 3, 1810, whereat pire in April, 1872. the following preamble and resolutions , There appears to be some confusion in were unanimously adopted, to-wit: the minutes in regard to dates'. It is sup¬ Whereas, The constitution of man is so posed that under the Act of the 23d of constituted the produce of the earth is; April, A. D. 1852, the following officers necessary to his existence, and the soil and manager? were elected to set-ve until contains within itself productive qualities; the annual election, in January, 1853: if properly cultivated, would yield him officers. ■* that support he requires.' A wise and J. Iv. Moorhead, President. bountiful Creator has endowed him with Wm. Martin, Sr., Vice President. faculties of reasoning and powers of jp). C. Snively, Recording Secretary. proven?ent, and these should bQ employed I A. B. McQuewan, Corresponding Secre¬ to the best advantage 1*1 the cultivation of I tary. the soil. To Cultivate properly, science is Win. Larimer, Treasurer. necessary and should he encouraged by 1 Managers—-Samuel McCaslin, David every intelligent citizen; and for the better Boyd, R. McKnight, Benj. Kelly, J. 13. encouragement of both we who are assem¬ McCabe, John Young, Jr., Alek. Speer bled here to day do form ourselves into a (city), John B. McFadden, John Murdock, society, under the following resolutions: P. A. Way, John McKelvey, J. McK. First Resolution—That the officers of the Snodgrass, Joseph Miller, Alex. Speer Society shall consist of a President, Vice (Robinson), Josiah King, W. G. Payne.. President, Recording Secretary, Cor¬ For a few years before and since the late responding Secretary and Treasurer. war the interest formerly felt in agricul¬ Second Resolution—That the officers tural exhibitions had somewhat waued. elected shall continue in office lor the term and now, after an interval of so many of one yea r. years, it is to be hoped that the enthu¬ Third Resolution—The President shall siasm, as in the past, will stimulate in the at all meetings preserve order, and in case', future our farmers and artizans in the Pt a tie vote, shall give the casting 'vdttV, revivification of an institution so import¬ In his absence the Vice President shall pen . ant to their interests. form the aforesaid duties. The RecarcnbIg In anticipation of the expiration of the Secretary shall keep the minutes of each charter of the 23d of April, 1852, measures meeting in a book especially for that puv» '■ were adopted to obtain a supplementary Pos®- /^e Corresponding Secretary’sdutie., act. Application was made to the Legisla¬ shall be to lav before the Society any com¬ ture at their session of 1872 for that pur¬ munications he may r eceive, and to corre¬ pose. In pursuance thereof a supplemen¬ spond with-any or in whatever way the So- . tary act was passed on the 3d of April, A. ciety or his own judgment may direct for D. 1872, was approved by the Governor, the promotion of the object of the Society. and was considered by all one of tbe most The Treasurer’s duty is to receive all advantageous charters ever granted by the moneys due the Society, and to dispose Of Legislature, which, if properly cared for, the same as directed, and make a report at would this day have been free from tbe "■“"“H Society mht and uncertainty that now hangs over its life. I fear, however, the many changes maud of Captain John Young, Jr. These that have been made in the laws, and our views meetihg with geuerai satisfaction, own laches in neglecting to keep up our or¬ wt-ie unanimously adopted, as the ganization, has effected aAevoCfttion of our reyoCa- j sense of tl e meeting, and Messrs. Mur¬ rights and privileges granted under the fTerx\ dock and Martin appointed a committee charter. to report the same to his Honor the M ivor, Before any important measure be adopted who upon hea.iing the report was rather or movement made, based upen it being the inclined to treat if. in the light of a joke, law of the land, I would.respectfully ad¬ and laughed heartily at such an unheard vise the submission of the law to some of proposition, but he soon discovered that competent authority. the temper of the committee was such that My friend, Jno. Murdock, Jr., has kind¬ it was dangerous to oppose their wishes ly furnished me with his reminiscences of aud that the proposition would not be the part our Society took in the celebration altered or amended in the least. In thi3 of Pittsburg’s Centennial, early in the year aspect of the case his Honor promised to of 1858, the subject had been thoroughly consult with the Committee of Arrange¬ discussed, and every effort made to render ments and report the result as early as the celebration worthy the object con¬ practicable. It was finally settled that the templated. The Hon. Henry A. Weaver s ciety should occupy the position in the was then Mayer of the city, and was procession desired. anxious to insure its success. Meeting with The badinage indulge! in by his Honor, Mr. John Murdock, a prominent member provoked Mr. Martin to this reply: “Hoot of the Allegheny County Agricultural So¬ awa’ mon, ye need na’ pooh, pooh nor ciety, informed him that the citizens had flash yer e’e aboot it. If ye diuua’ desire determined to celebrate on the 25th of No¬ the Agricoul’trals to tak’ part, then they’ll vember, 1858, Pittsburg’s Centennial year, flay to kame an’ ye mak’ up ye’r purees- on that day, one hundred years ago Fort sion yer ain sel’. ” Duquesne, with the log cabins and wig¬ These negotiations having terminated wams surrounding, the proud banner of St. to the satisfaction of the Board, it was George floated again over the site of a uow rendered necessary to commeuc: i mighty city. active preparations to carry out their His Honor informed Mr. MurdOQlS tUfft \ part of the program, the cmtenniil day it was highly desirable that tie Allegheny being near at hand, in view of which it County Agricultural Society should join in was determined to devlde the work among the procession. In reply to the flattering wishes expressed by his Honor, he was in¬ committees. Mr. Martin to prepare the ancient formed that there would be a meeting of trappings of tkeSu np er horse. the SffSM of Managers in a few days, when Mr. B. Kelly to see to procuring the any message he might desire to lay before nrhnitive wooden wheel two horse wagon. it would meet with a careful consideration. Capt. John Young, Jr., to procure thq At the meeting referred to, the subject necessary etc.