History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 66

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 66

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Recently he has called the attention of the national au- thority to the advisability and practical value of introducing cheese as a regular ration into the United States Army. Those who have seen service need not be reminded of the avidity with which such an article of food would be re- ceived among men who are compelled to subsist largely upon salted provisions,-beef, pork, etc.

The addresses and essays given at the annual meetings of the association, by the most distinguished scientists and practical dairymen in the United States, the Dominion of Canada, and Great Britain, have been interesting beyond anything ever before attempted; and the discussions are continually eliciting new facts of the greatest importance to the dairymen of America, while at the same time the standard of the productions is constantly improving, both as regards amount and quality.

Oneida County is highly honored and greatly benefited by the circumstances which have made her the originator of the associated dairy system, and located her in the centre of the greatest dairy interests in the Union, if not in the world.

The first association meetings were held at Rome. From 1865 to 1875 inclusive they were held at Utica. The eleventh annual meeting, fer 1876, was held at Rome, and the twelfth at Ingersoll, Ontario, Dominion of Canada. The thirteenth was held at Cleveland, Ohio.

Additional information upon this subject will be found in the accompanying report of the Utica Board of Trade.

Officers .- Hon. Horatio Seymour has served as presi- dent of the association, and presided at most of its meet- ings, since 1868.

# This estimate does not include the amount manufactured in families.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

G. B. Weeks, of Onondaga, served as secretary from 1868 to 1872 inclusive. Mr. L. B. Arnold, of Rochester, has served since 1873 to the present time.

The officers for 1878 are: President, Hon. Horatio Seymour, of Deerfield, Oneida County, N. Y .; Secretary, L. B. Arnold, of Rochester, N. Y .; Assistant Secretary, T. D. Curtis, of Utica, N. Y .; Treasurer, Hon. Harris Lewis, of Frankfort, Herkimer County, N. Y.

For further information see under head of " Agricultural Productions," etc.

THE CENTRAL NEW YORK FARMERS' CLUB.

This society was organized at Bagg's Hotel, in the city of Utica, on the 21st day of January, 1870. Hon. Harris Lewis, of Frankfort, Herkimer County, was chosen tempo- rary chairman of the meeting. On motion of T. D. Cur- tis, Esq., a committee to frame a constitution and by-laws was appointed, consisting of the following gentlemen : T. D. Curtis, R. A. Gibson, M. Quinby, S. L. Whitman, and Wm. H. Comstock.

The following officers were elected : President, Hon. Samuel Campbell, of New York Mills; Vice-Presidents, Horatio Seymour, of Deerfield ; John Butterfield, of Utica ; Henry Rhodes, of Trenton ; Morgan Butler, of New Hart- ford; M. Quinby, of St. Johnsville; Harris Lewis, of Frankfort; S. T. Miller, of Constableville; Josiah Shull, of Ilion ; Stephen Thomas, of Cassville; Recording Secre- tary, T. D. Curtis, of Utica ; Corresponding Secretary, W. H. Comstock, of Utica; Treasurer, L. L. Wight, of Whitestown ; Librarian, Wm. Ralph, of Utica ; Directors, for one year, R. A. Gibson, of New York Mills; Henry Miller, of Trenton ; for two years, Oscar B. Gridley, of Marshall ; A. B. Tuttle, of Whitestown ; for three years, S. S. Whitman, of Little Falls; Jas. S. Foster, of New Hartford ; for four years, Eli Avery, of Paris; Lorenzo Rouse, of Kirkland. Hon. Samuel Campbell has accept- ably filled the office of president since the organization of the society. The office of secretary was ably filled by Mr. Curtis from the date of organization to the close of the year 1873, when he resigned on account of removal to a new field at Syracuse.

At the regular annual meeting of the club, held January 2, 1874, a letter from Mr. Curtis, anuonneing his resigna- tion, was read, and the meeting appointed Hon. Josiah Shull, of Ilion, and Daniel Batchelor, of Utica, a committee to prepare a resolution of thanks to the retiring secretary. The following was reported and unanimously adopted :

" Resolved, That the hearty thanks of the Central New York Far- mers' Club be hereby tendered to the retiring secretary, T. D. Curtis, for the able and efficient manner in which he discharged his duties, and also for the unremitting zeal be has always manifested in the cause of enlightened agriculture. May sucecss attend him in his new field of endeavor."

Edward J. Wickson, of Utica, was elected to fill the position vacated by Mr. Curtis, which he continued to hold until November, 1875, when he resigned to accept the editorial chair of the Pacific Rural Press, at San Fran- cisco, Cal. Mr. H. M. Kennedy succeeded Professor Wickson, and served until November, 1877, when Mr. Curtis, having returned to Utica, was elected to serve ad

interim until the next annual election of officers, at which time he was regularly elected, and has continued in that capacity to the present time.

At a meeting, held Nov. 23, 1877, Mr. Batchelor an- nounced the death of Hon. S. S. Whitman, of Little Falls, a member of the club, and offered the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted :

" Resolved, That by the demise of the late S. S. Whitman, of Little Falls, this club has parted with a member whose fine culture, supe- rior wisdom and goodness were constantly manifested in all his inter- course. To those bigh qualities in our departed friend, were united a inedesty of manner, a sweetness of disposition, and a deferential spirit. Of him it may be said, that the memory of his exemplary Christian life is a precious treasure to his family, and a blessed in- fluenee in the community where he lived beloved, and died lamented. " Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing be transmitted to the family of the deeensed."

The officers of the club at the present time are as fol- lows : President, Hon. Samuel Campbell, New York Mills ; Vice-Presidents, Morgan Butler, New Hartford; S. S. Hoxie, Whitesboro'; Harris Lewis, Frankfort; Seth Bon- foy, West Winfield; D. N. Miner, Oriskany Falls; J. V. H. Scoville, Paris ; Dr. L. L. Wight, Whitesboro'; O. B. Gridley, Waterville; John H. Marvin, New Hartford ; Secretary, T. D. Curtis, Utica ; Treasurer, S. Batchelor, Utica. The offices of secretary and treasurer have occa- sionally been combined.

This club, as its title indicates, was organized in the in- terests of the agriculturists of Central New York. Meet- ings of the club are ordinarily held twice each month. The first meeting for discussion was held at Bagg's Hotel on the 4th of February, 1870. Many of the most noted theo- retical and practical farmers and agriculturists of the central counties are members, and the discussions take a very wide range, covering every subject from geology to the habits of the minutest insect.

The society occupies its time at all regular meetings in discussions of the various subjects of interest pertaining to the science of agriculture, among which are farm-engineer- ing, soils and drainage, fertilizer», buildings and fences, farm-implements, teams and vehicles, seeds, pastures and meadows, dairy stock, dairy products, harvesting, roads, sheep, swine and poultry, root-crops, gardens, fruits, forest- landa, landscape gardening, domestic manufactures, legis- lation, education, labor, becs, hops, and many others.

Meetings are held in various places throughout the cen- tral counties, and are always most interesting gatherings, both because of their valuable discussions, lectures, essays, etc., and the elevated social enjoyments and æsthetic tastes which they foster and develop.

Although the society handles no agricultural products or merchandise, yet through its elaborate discussions and ex- tensive systein of correspondence and intimate relations with the press, its influence, not only within the immediate field of its operations, but in the farthest corners of the land, and even in European countries, is extensive and powerful, and tends greatly to the elevation and progress of the science which lies at the foundation of all prosperity. The number of its active members is very large and con- stantly increasing, and comprises many of the best men of the State. Its discussions are read with interest in every

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

State in the Union, and in nearly all the countries of Eu- rope, and the practical experience of the farmers of Central New York, in a great measure, serves as a guide in the agri- cultural operations of many lands. The region of its loca- tion is among the best in the world for the cultivation of most of the agricultural products of the temperate zone, and for improved stock and excellent dairy products is surpassed by no county on the globe.

THE UTICA BOARD OF TRADE .*

The subject of establishing interior boards of trade for the sale of dairy products was first agitated in Central New York, during the winter and early spring of the year 1871. For many years previous butter and cheese had been sold on regular market days at Little Falls, Ilion, Herkimer, and Fort Plain, all lying on the New York Central Rail- road, in the midst of dairy regions, and being convenient shipping points for dairy goods. But it began to be felt that, in order to sell their cheese and butter to the best advantage, dairymen must unite and co-operate. At the great eentres of trade men who dealt in stocks and grain came together and formed boards of trade, at which buyers and sellers met, and where all the latest information in regard to markets was received, and was equally the prop- crty of both parties. Dairy interests had already attained such large proportions that the need of such boards, located in the centre of the producing districts, was not only felt, but became an actual necessity. On Monday, March 6, 1871, a meeting of dairymen took place at Little Falls, which organized at once an association that has been known ever since as the New York State Dairymen's Association and Board of Trade. Hon. X. A. Willard was the first president, and sixty names were added to the roll of the association. Another meeting was held April 14, at which new articles were added to the constitution and by-laws, but no transactions took place between buyers and sellers until Monday, May 1, 1871. At that time 2000 boxes of cheese were offered and sold at prices ranging from 10 to 13 cents. This was the first interior board of trade or- ganized for the sale of cheese and butter in this country. Meanwhile the dairymen of Chantanqua County had formed a county association and board of trade, with 70 members enrolled, who contributed from $5 to $10 each toward its support. At their invitation Mr. Willard was present and addressed the meeting, giving them the proper instructions for establishing the board, and setting forth the advantages to be derived from it. This was during the latter part of April, and on Thursday, June 1, 1871, the Chautauqua County dairymen held their first market day at Sinclear- ville, 300 boxes of cheese changing hands at 102 to 112 cents.

In the Utica Weekly Herald, of February 21, 1871, a call was made for a County Dairymen's Association, which should " meet frequently, and practically discuss the several questions that naturally rise during the dairying season." The first meeting took place at Bagg's Hotel, Utica, on Wednesday, March 1. An organization was perfected, the name of " The National Dairymen's Club" was assumed,

and T. D. Curtis was elected the first president, with E. J. Wickson as secretary. An initiation fee of $1 each was established, and the meetings of the club were appointed to be held on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. The objects of this club at its inception were to interchange ideas, to discuss plans and methods of manufacture, to re- port the results of various experiments, and in general for the members to aid and assist each other in improving the quality of their cheese. The next meeting occurred on March 17, at which a constitution and by-laws were adopted, the first article of which read as follows : " For the purpose of frequent and familiar discussion and practi- cal experiments in butter and cheese making, and for pro- moting the interests of dairy-farming generally, we do hereby organize ourselves into a dairymen's association." In an article upon the club, in the Herald of March 28, it is stated that " the National Dairymen's Club has nothing to do with the idea of a market, save as the object may be incidentally discussed by it. It is a working organization, and is intended in no sense as a substitute for or rival of any other organization." These extracts are sufficient to show that at this carly stage of existence there was no thought of converting the club into a board of trade. Regular meetings and discussions continued to be held until Mon- day, May 13, when the advisability of establishing a mar- ket day in Utica in connection with the club was broached, and met with unanimous approval. At another session, on May 21, a committee previously appointed reported on trade rooms, and recommended that a paper be prepared, and that names be secured by those willing to subscribe $5 towards defraying the expenses of rent, telegrams, etc. Eighteen names were obtained at once, and the committee were instructed to pursue their work during the ensuing week.

The first sale-day occurred Monday, May 29, 1871. On this occasion 2500 boxes of cheese were sent forward at prices varying from 12 to 12g cents. The meeting took place in rooms temporarily occupied at No. 18 Genesee Street, up stairs. Only two sessions of the board were held at this place, a room in the basement of Bagg's Hotel being offered by Mr. Proctor, the proprietor, free of charge, for the remainder of this year, and at a rent of $75 per year thereafter. This room was occupied until the year 1875, when another change was made to the present com- modious roomns of the board, for which the rental of $150 per year is given.

A committee, consisting of Messrs. E. G. Ellis, James P. Brown, and A. L. Blue, which had been appointed at the preceding meeting to report a set of rules and regula- tions for the government of the board, reported twelve articles, which were adopted, and with slight alterations and abbreviations have continued in force till the present time. "The most judicious method of applying heat in cheese manufacture," was continued as a subject for further disenssion at the next meeting, but the subject of buying and selling proved more attractive, and that discussion has never yet taken place. From that time the National Dairymen's Club became a board of trade, and has never resumed its early practice of discussions. At the annual meeting in 1875, Dr. L. L. Wight, appreciating the incon-

# By B. D. Gilbert, Esq., Secretary of the Board.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

sistency of the name of the association, offered the following resolution : " That henceforward this organization shall be styled the Utica Dairymen's Board of Trade." It met with hearty approval, and was unanimously adopted.

The plan of establishing a board of trade in Utica was stoutly opposed by New York firms who had been in the habit of purchasing dairy goods in this region. It was certain that such a board would materially reduce their profits, since by means of the facilities it would give to salesmen, they would be nearly as well informed io regard to the value of their products as the buyers. Factorymen too saw that the board at Little Falls was giving the sales- men there an advantage in price over those who were not connected with that.board. This gave the impetus to start the Utica market, and it was established with very little previous preparation or discussion. On the first day of sale an effort was made to pledge all the buyers not to purchase so much as a single box of cheese. Such a scheme could not be carried out, however, as it was very quickly demon- strated. The transactions of the day were very large, com- pared with the opening days of other boards. But during the fall of this first year, many of the factorymen connected with the board seem to have returned to the old practice of selling to buyers during the week, when they came around to the factories for the purpose of examining the cheese. In this way again an effort was made to undermine the board, but by vigorous and persistent remonstrance on the part of those who really appreciated the advantages of the board, this custom was at length broken up, and from that time to this there has been a steady increase of the business here transacted.

The following individuals and firms composed the original corps of buyers upon the Utica market: James P. Brown, Jones, Faulkner & Co., R. E. Roberts & Bro., E. G. Ellis, J. B. Thomas, W. W. De Angelis, William H. Chapman, William Jeffreys, L. B. Durst, Levi Wheaton, Daniel Bowen, and Israel Denio. The sixteen names first sub- scribed toward defraying the expenses of the board were as follows: W. D. Schermerhorn, Poland; L. L. Wight, Whitesboro'; A. L. Blue, North Gage; Henry Miller, Trenton ; Charles Ward, Stittville; Russia Cheese Fac- tory ; Thomas Arnold, Poland; John C. Owens, Trenton ; William Budlong, West Schuyler; W. W. Richardson, West Schuyler; William De Angelis, Holland Patent; Baggs' Factory, Holland Patent; Richard Place, North Winfield; N. Ward, Jr., Holland Patent ; A. S. King, Checkerville; C. W. Smith, Ilion; R. W. Sessions, Cass- ville; Jones, Faulkner & Co., Utica. The agreement to which these parties signed their names read thus :

" We, the undersigned, hereby plodge ourselves to pay to the treas- urer of the National Dairymen's Club the sums set opposite our re- speetive names, for the purpose of hiring a proper room and paying ether necessary expenses in establishing at Utica, Oneida County, N. Y., a weekly market for dairy products, provided onough money is subscribed to make it safe in the estimation of the eluh to incur such expense."

The sum subscribed by each factory was five dollars.

Very soon after the organization of the board, at the meeting of June 19, 1871, the following resolution was adopted :

" Resolved, That all transactions of this board shall be considered ensh transactions, the eheeso, butter, or other article te be paid for on delivery, unless otherwise specially agreed."

The wisdom of this course was fully demonstrated before the close of the season. During the fall the firm of Ernst & Crist, cheese dealers, of New York, failed. The sales- men at Little Falls, who had been very lenient in the matter of demanding cash payments, and who, on account of a little time given, had often managed to obtain a fraction higher price than the Utica salesmen, met with serious loss by this failure. The firm owed $56,000 to fifty-one factories selling at Little Falls, and their assets proved to be only about $5000. This made an average loss to the factories interested of about $1000 each, and a general cry went up from the market of "cash on delivery." The early adoption of this principle by the Utica board probably saved it from a like misfortune, and set an example to its neighbors which has since been universally adopted.

As an organization the Utica board has held compara- tively few meetings, except such as were devoted to trade and commerce. A't the opening session of each year it has been customary to hold a formal meeting for the election of officers for the season, a list of whom for every year will be found at the close of this sketch. Then, at the close of the season, another formal meeting takes place, at which the president or secretary presents a paper discussing the general features of the trade, and since the year 1873, giving a summary of the season's transactions upon the board. Twice only during the period of its existence has anything in the form of a social gathering occurred. In former years the annual sessions of the American Dairymen's Association were held regularly at Utica without thought of taking them elsewhere. They were always successful and largely attended. At the last meeting of the board in December, 1873, it was proposed that its members should tender to the convention of the American dairymen, which was to meet here in Jannary, 1874, a supper at Bagg's Hotel. The idea at once became popular ; a committee was appointed to receive subscriptions, funds were raised, and on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 14, 1874, a grand reception was given to the ladies and gentlemen of the convention by the Utica Board of Trade. This was repeated on occasion of the convention of 1875, which was the last meeting of the American Dairymen's Association held in Utica.

It remains to give the statisties of the board's transac- tions. The reports of the market for the first two or three years are so indefinite and general that it is impossible to do more than furnish approximations of the amounts sold. During the first year of its existence a close estimate of the sales places them somewhere between +0,000 and 45,000 boxes,-a slender amount as compared with the vast transac- tions of modern days, in which three weeks' sales would reach this figure and leave enough beside to make a larger sale than was reached oo any market day in 1871. The prices of that year were very good, ranging from 10 cents for low to 13} cents for high. Altogether the results were satisfactory, and testified to the wisdom of the plan. In 1872 there was an increase of 50 per cent. or more, the sales ruoning up to 75,000 boxes. The range of prices was greater, running from 94 cents, on July 16, to 15 cents the

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

1st of June. The average price, however, was much higher than it was the previous year, there being only two weeks in July when it was less than 11 cents for low, while during most of the time it ran from 12 cents to 13ª cents. The transactions of 1873 again increased by 33 per cent., reach- ing something over 100,000 boxes, with prices ranging from 112 cents to 15g cents. These, it must be remem- bered, represent the lowest and the highest prices of the season. When we come to 1874 we strike a more definite market report. A still further increase of transactions takes place of 50 per cent., the full figures being 155,500 boxes. Prices during this year were unprecedentedly high. In April the average was 16} cents, in July 11} cents, and in October, 15% cents, while the highest figures reached during those three respective months were 162 cents, 11} cents, and 16 cents. In July of this year a panie occurred in the cheese market, during which shippers received orders from England to "stop buying at any price." For two weeks the market was depressed, and then it sprang up agaio as quickly as it had declined. The situation was un- doubtedly one created by English buyers' for the purpose of attempting to break the tremendous prices we were getting for our cheese, but the attempt failed. Even then the lowest point touched on the Utica market was 11 cents in July, -a point which our dairymen would many times since then have been glad to sce it reach as their highest price. In 1875 the increase in the amount of transactions was small, being only about 5000 boxes. High priees, however, were still maintained, the average in April being 15 cents, in July 114 cents, and in October 13} cents, while the top prices for the same months were respectively 15g cents, 123 cents, and 14 cents. The average price for the season was 122 cents. Coming down to 1876 there is a further increase in sales of 7000 boxes, making a total of 167,355 boxes for the season. The extreme prices were in May 12 cents, in July 10g ceots, in October 132 cents, with the average price for these three months running at 11} cents, 93 cents, and 133 cents respectively. The average price for the entire season was 10.7 cents. Where, in 1875, Utica sold about 30,000 boxes more than Little Falls, in 1876 the situations was reversed, and Little Falls sold 10,000 more than Utica. The average price at the latter place was also a trifle higher, being 10.83 cents.

The market for 1877 showed a marked increase over any preceding year. The number of boxes sold and com- missioned was 205,713, a surplus of about 38,000 boxes above 1876. The lowest price touched during the season was 8} cents, the highest 15 cents. The general average was 11? cents. Comparing these figures with those of the Little Falls market, it will be found that about 3000 more boxes were disposed of at the Falls, and that the average price there was 5% of a cent higher than at Utica. But thus far during the season of 1878 the sales upon the Utica board have been largely in excess of those at Little Falls, and the indications are that this will continue through the year. The number of factories which joined the board in 1877 was eighty-three. In 1878 the number is one hun- dred, in addition to which there are a dozen or more branches. This increase, taken in connection with the fact that the number of cows whose milk is sent to many of the

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 66

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920