Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/61

 32

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

w as chartered Feb. i6, 1884, and held its first fa ir near Berw ick in Scptcm lKr o f that year. A fte r five annual exhibitions the association dissolved and the grounds w ere sold, being now a part o f West Berwick. The "Benton A gricultural Association” re­ ceived its charter on Oct. 3, 1885, held five annual fairs, and then closed fur lack o f finan­ cial support. Since 1886 the Columbia County Agricultural Association has added more land to its hold­ ings, doubled the capacity of the grand stand, and developed its fa ir into one of the largest In the State. T he association is conducted on strictly business principles. It neither pays dividends nor levies assessments, the surplus going to make improvements to the grounds and buildings, and to increase the premiums. T lie officers in 1886 w ere; Samuel Camp, president; W illiam Sh affer, J . M . DcW itt, Kaltis Sterling. Jc r c Kostenlxiuder, vice presi­ d e n ts; J . C . Brow n, treasu rer; H . V . White, s c c re ta iy : Thom as Webb, librarian; Jam c? P. F reas, Jo h n Appleman. D r. A . P. H eller, e x ­ ecutive com m ittee; K . C . Knt, J . P. Sands, G eorge Conner, au ditors: Capt. U. H. Ent. chief marshal. T he present officers a r c : K. D. Hagcnbuch, president; A. N. Y o st, sccrctaiy: Jaco b H. Maust. treasu rer; H arry S. Barton, lib rarian; Ellis Ringrosc, A. R. Henrte, A. V. K rcssler, H. J. Pursel, vice presidents; E. W. Hagenbueh, H. B. Correll, Elliott Adam s, e x ­ ecutive com mittee; Au.stin Ohl, J. C. Cryder, G u y Mensch. auditors. Mo n t o u r ' s k a i r s

T h e Montour County A gricultural Society w as organize*! Feb. 18, 1856. with the follow­ ing officers: Thom as R. H ull, president; Philip F. M aus. C. Garrcttson, Robert Patter­ son, P. W agner, D. W ilson, E. K. H aas, J. Sheep. G. Shick. W illiam M cNinch. Jaco b Scch cr, vice presidents; Jam es McCorm ick, secre tary: D r. C. H. F rick, corresponding s*;cretary: B. K. Rho*les. librarian; and I). M. Boy*l, treasurer. T h e board o f managers w e re : John Best. George Sm ith, Jam es G. M cK ee. Jam es M cM ahan. J r ., A . B . Cum­ mings. Jacob Sheen. A . F . Russell, Stephen Roberts. W illiam M cH enry. W illiam Y orks, Jaco b Comelis*m. Edw ard M orrison, J . M . Rest. M avhcrrv G earhart. Joseph Levers. John H ibler. Samuel IX .Alexander. Robert Blcc. WiUiam Snyder. E . Wilson. T h e fair *>f that year w as held at the mouth o f Mahoning crcek .md (he annual fair was

later held at W ashingtonville. In the course o f time a difference arose between the repre­ sentatives from the town and country and the society divided, the Northern M ontour A g ri­ cultural Society being organize*!. T h e head­ quarters of the latter are at Washingtonville. where the annual fairs were held. T h e Mon­ tour County A gricultural Society held annual fairs in m n v ille. A t present there a rc no fairs held in M ontour county, most of the people attending the Bloomsbut^ fair. STATISTICS

W orking out the averages of the State, to Columbia county, it is ascertained that farm laborers in this section w ork nine hours and forty-five minutes each day. There are 148,000 farm lalw rers in the State and their average monthly com]>cnsation is $20.60 with board and $ 3 2 if the laborer boards himself. I'orty-tw o out o f every one thousand hogs die in this county, a decrease o f one from the figures o f 19 13. There are 1,130.000 head of hogs in the State, and they arc valued at Si5>594 G R IS T M aL S

G rain feeds the world and in the history of any nation the grinding o f it into flour is found to be (he first industry to l>c established. Handm ills were known to the Chinese, the E g )‘ptians, the lesser civilized nom ads of A sia, and to the barbarians o f Europe. The development of the handmill into the mill driven by animal power, and the subsequent application o f w atcqiow er to this w ork, is a matter that Itas been treated by many writers of the past. W c w ill describe only the advent of the pioneer m illers into the valley of the North Branch o f (he Susquclianna. W hen the Q uakers and their immediate successors, the Germ ans, cam e W this section of the State they at once noted the ample waterpower of the stream s, and set to work to harness it to the millstone. T he early settlers in Columbia county had to ride to .Sunbiny to get their grist ground until the first mill in the county w as built in (774 on Cataw issa creek. It w as a crude a ffa ir, run by the only undershot wheel ever used in the county, and w as so often out o f repair that