VOL. XXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JAN. 16,1886.
NO. 3
DELEGATE STATE BOARD.
The 34th Annual Convention of the
Delegate State Board of Agriculture
Met at their rooms on the corner of Pennsylvania and Market streets at 10:30 o'clock,
Tuesday, Jan. 5th, 1886, with about 50 delegates ln attendance. Among those present at the preliminary organization were
the following: Dick Jones, Columbus;
Wm. Adkinson, Hartford City; George
Leon, Logansport; E. I. Reed, Tiosa: K.
T. White, Maple Valley: John W. Marshall, Corydon: W. M. Cockrum, Oakland
City; L. L. Gilpin, Portland: W. W. Berry,
Vincinnee; Moses Balyeat, Lagrange; P.
L. Snyder, Crawfordsville; J. C. Zimmerman, Ligonier; S. Hargrove, Petersburg;
Allen Hir"i_man, Clenwood; F. McCartney, Angolu; Uriah Coulsman, Sullivan;
Csaiah B. McDonald, Columbia City; H.
LaTourette, Covington; John W. Walker, Knigh__,town: John Katliff, Marion;
S. M. Smith, Westfield; J. P. Nicholson,
New Castle; D. P. Grover, Kingsbury;
Sylvester Johnson, Irvington; R. C. Mo-
Williams, Rr-ckville; J. W. Robe, Greencastle; Albert Henderson, Lafayette; J.
C. Stephens, Centerville; Dempsey Sey-
bold, Perth; E. B. Beeson, Dal ton; John
Buchanan, Corunna; Daniel Cox, Carters-
burg; J. Tillson, Franklin; Robert Mitchell, Princeton; Thomas Nelson, Bloomingdale; Professor J. H. Smart, Purdue
University; Gerard Reiter, Vincennes.
After roll call the convention took a recess   until 1:30 o'clock p. m.
On reassembling the roll was again
called. This led to a warm discussion as
to whether defunct county and district
associations should be dropped from the
roll. The measure carried and .the societies dropped were those of the counties of
Benton, DeKalb, Floyd, Fountain, Jasper,
Johnson, Ohio, Scott, St. Joseph and Switzerland and the district associations known
as Russelville Union and Thorntown
Union. Tbe committee on credentials reported in favor of admitting all regular
certified delegates except those whose associations had not reported their financial
condition to Sec. Heron, the report of the
committee was concurre-1 in.
The standing committees were announced by President Lockhart, as follows:
On Finance—Davidson, Seward, Dungan, D. F. Wiley, D. P. Groal, I. C. Zimmerman.
On Rules and R**gulations—Ratliff, La
Tourette, Banks, R. C. McWilliams, Dempsey Seybold, Thomas Walter.
On Fair Grounds—Mitchell, Seig, Hargrove, N. W. Atkins, George Irwin, J. W.
Robe, Allen Hinchman.
On Premium List—Boggs, Jones, Peed,
J. A. McClung, R. B. Beeson, William I.
Pugh.
On Credentials—Graham, Green, La
Tourette, Berry, Reiter.
On Unfinished Business—Custer, Ratliff,
Peed, William Bunyan, I. Tillson, J. B.
Smith.
After which the convention listened to
an interesting and carefully prepared address by the president, R. M. Lockhart.
He reviewed the year's events and the
tone of the address was unusually cheerful and hopeful throughout. He said:
Providence has smiled upon us. No overflows, no serious drouths nor epidemics,
among men or beasts, aa was predicted
and feared a year ago has appeared among
us. There bave been more than average crops, and he thought the farmers had
reason to feel grateful. The work of the
last year had certainly been very gratifying to the State Board of Agriculture. In
spite of very rainy weather, the fair was
perhaps the most successful ever held in
the State. The financial outlook, too, was
becoming constantly brighter.
The first year that he was a member of
the board the debt was in excess of $80,000
of whioh $60,000 was bearing interest, at
the rate of 10 per cent, requiring $6,000 annually for interest alone. When the
bonds that bave been called in are paid
the debt will have been reduced to $32,000
bearing interest at only 6 per cent.
The aggregate amount of assistance received from the State in the last 12 years
is not equal to what either of our sister
States of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, or
Iowa receive in a single year. The magnitude of the work is evident. Agriculture is, and for all time must continue to
be, the most important industry in the
State—without which the other interests
could scarcely exist.
"We point with pride," the president
said, 'to the grand homes of farmers al'
over the State, the fine stables of thoroughbred horses, the grand herds of cattle,
sheep and hogs, second to no other State
in the Union. We can boast that Indiana
has within her boundaries some of the
largest manufacturing establishments in
the world. I believe theannual State fairs
have had a great deal to do in bringing
about this state of affairs by the encouragement it has given to the production of
better stock and machinery from year to
year."
REMOVAL OF THE GROUNDS.
''It is a well-known fact to every one
who has attended the State fair," the president said, "that the grounds are too small
to accommodate the exhibitors and visitors. The board has endeavored to utilize
every foot of space, but they have found
it absolutely impossible to provide all the
exhibition room for which requests are
made. There might be additional ground
secured immediately north of the present
fair grounds, but there are several reasons
to be urged againt this purchase. In the
first place, the board is notfinancially able
to purchase additional grounds, and could
not do so without assistance from the
State. In the second place, if additional
grounds could be procured, it is not at all
probable that a railroad line could be ex
tended to them, as the city objects to a
road crossing any of the streets in tbat
part of the city. It is an admitted fact
that in order to make a State fair a sue
cess, it should be located on the line of
some railway that can take to the grounds
heavy machinery and stock, without the
additional trouble and expense of being
transferred in drays or wagons. Many of
the largest exhibitors decline to visit the
Indiana State fair on this account, fearing
damage to their Btock. Tbere is also great
advantage in getting large crowds of people to and from the grounds in reasonable
time, which cannot be accomplished by
the best arranged street railway. The
president suggested tbat land just south of
the Deaf and Dumb Asylum is owned by
the State, and is not used for any particular purpose. It has several railroad and
street railway lines running to it, and
would be a good location. If the proper
steps should be taken, he thought that
this land could be procured from the State
on a long lease. The buildings on the
present grounds could be removed to the
new location without much cost or damage. The outstanding indebtedness of the
Board could be paid off with the money
that could be raised by the sale of the present grounds, and the board would be enabled to start out with a new lease of life.
The ladies who had had charge of
THK WOMEN'S DEPARTMENT
of the fair were heartily commended for
their zeal and tho success which had at-
ended their efforts.
After thanking the railroads, the street
railroad company, the officers of the board
in general, and Secretary Heron, in particular, the president closed his address
by wishing all a happy and prosperous
year.
The presidents address was referred to a
*>p?cial cemmit'ee of which Hon. Will
Comback was made chairman.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
Alex. Heron, the secretary of the board,
presented bis annual report, which showed
that the receipts from all sources amounted
to $36,703 99, and the expenditures were
$24,019 97, leaving on hand a balance of
$12,684 02. All expenses and premiums
had been paid, he said, including the interest on the bonded debt of $40,000. Improvements had been made costing $2,375,
and at the close of the year the board had
$4,216 more in its treasury than it had a
year ago. He thought it doubtful if ever
before so large a volume of business as is
incident to a State fair had been transacted with so little jar, and with more
perfect order and system. The secretary
suggested that hereafter it would be much
better to hold the annual meetings of the
board in the second week in November,
as, in addition to other advantages, it
would enable the secretary to get his report published two months earlier. In
closing his report he said: "I think there
is abundant reason for gratitude and
thankfulness, and can record that the past
season has been the most productive in
the history of the State."
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Sylvester Johnson, the treasurer of the
board, reported that the amount of cash
on hand Jan. 1, 1885, was $7,009 17; the
receipts from sale of admission tickets to
the State fair were $21,238 05, and the receipts from all other sources amounted to
$6,977 86, making the total $35,225 08. Disbursements were made on general orders
amounting to $15,232 29, and for premiums,
$9,044. The amount of cash now on hand
is $10,948 79.
On motion of Robt. Mitchell the officers
of the board and of the Women's State
Fair Association were appointed an advisory committee to confer with the State-
house commissioners in regard to furnish
ing their quarters in the new State-house.
The convention then listened to a very
interesting paper by Mrs. L. May Wheeler
of this city, subject
"WOMEN AS INVENTOR*.,"
She said: Humanity is made up ot
man and woman unified. They are the
same species, with the same attributes and
genius. That they are unequal is a myth
of the past. Christian civilizatiou has
burst upon the ages, and woman stands
forth her own master. Very many examples were given by the speaker of
patented articles, from the lightest instrument to the heaviest machinery representing the inventive genius of woman.
When woman shall have sufficient faith
in herself, then the world will have faith
in her and will lay its behests at her feet.
Woman is not man, nor is man woman.
Each is needed for the proper development of the ether. Not to Whitney but to
Mrs. Green belonged the glory of inventing the cotton-gin, and to her the glory
would have been given, but that it occurred 90 years ago.
The address bristled with good points,
was well received, and at its olose the
speaker received a rising vote of thanks.
Mrs. A. M. Noe, president of the
women's state pair association
gave a very encouraging report, and recommended various improvements in the
main building, the purchase of more
showcases and the allowance of $500 in
premiums for business exhibits. The
committee to which these recommendations were referred reported favorably,
and the convention concurred in the report.
Mr. Fielding Heeler's report was read
and referred to a special committee for
consideration.
Just before adjournment the following
named persons were nominated for election
as members of the State Board from eight
of the 16 districts:
First district—Robt. Mitchell, of Gibson
county, and J. M. Davidson, of Gibson
oounty.
Second—Sam'l Hargrave, of Pike county.
Third—J. Q. A. Seig, of Harrison county.
Fourth—W. B. Seward, of Monroe county.
Eighth—S. W. Dungan, of Johnson county, and I. N. Cotton, Marion county.
Fourteenth—L. B. Custer,of Cass county,
and James McClung, of Miami county.
Fifteenth—W. A. Banks, of LaPorte
oounty.
Sixteenth—Orlando Klmmell, of Noble
county, and R. M. Lockhart, of DeKalb
oounty.
All of the present members from the
districts named were nominated for reelection.
SESSION OF WEDNESDAY.
After the minutes of the previous session had been read and approved, and the
roll had been called, the convention listened to reports of standing committees. Mr.
Davidson, chairman of the committee on
finance, reported that careful investigation
showed the accounts of the Secretary and
Treasurer to be correct. The chairman of
committee on rules and regulations regulations reported no changes.
Mr. Boggs, chairman of the committee
on premium list, reported some minor
changes ln the rules, and recommended
that tbe State Association become a member of the National Trotter's Association.
[Concluded on page 9.