556 [AsSEMBLt 



lease the society had of the groimd they occupy at BatestowD, 

 expired in two years from last fall, rendering it impracticable to 

 rebuild upon said ground unless the lease could be extended at 

 least five years. An effort was made by the executive committee 

 to procure a lease for a further time, but it was found impossible 

 to accomplish it ; no owner or other person could be found who 

 had authority to lease only from year to year. The executive 

 committee then resolved to erect temporary buildings, and hold 

 the fair upon the old ground, ina much as they had not the ne- 

 cessary funds to purchase them, here or elsewhere. 



Upon mature examination and estimates made, it was ascertain- 

 ed that the expense of erecting temporary buildings would be 

 very considerable, and they would be entirely unsafe, in the event 

 of a storm of rain or wind during the fair, and nearly the whole 

 amount of said expense be lust to the society. It was finallj^ re- 

 solved that the interests of the society would be promoted by the 

 purchase of ground and the erection of permanent buildings for the 

 accommodation of their annual fairs for time to come. 



Several pieces of land were offered and examined by the exe- 

 cutive committee, but no one piece which they deemed advisable 

 to purchase until their attention was called to the Novelty Works, 

 or Ives' packinghouse, in the village of Lansingburgh, containing 

 seven acres of land or thereabouts, with buildings sufficient for 

 all the purposes of the society, which was purchased at a price 

 believed to be beloY\'its fair cash value, costing only §4 650, near- 

 ly fitted for the use and accommodation of the society at their 

 last annual fair. 



It should, be borne in mind that even this favorable purchase 

 would have been entirely beyond the means of the society, had 

 not ths trustees of the village of Lansingburgh, with a liberality 

 worthy of all praise, stepped forward to the relief of the society, 

 and bound themselves and their successors in office, to pay $1,500 

 of the purchase money, leaving for the society to pay for the 

 whole of the valuable estate, only $3,150. Of this sum the trea- 

 surer has paid i|l,000. There are outstanding notes for the ba- 

 lance of the purchase money amounting to $2,150, with interest 



