REPOKTS FROM COUNTY SOCIETIES. 613 



EXPENDITURES. 



Printing $104 50 



Premiums 653 00 



Speed premium? 262 50 



Dining Hall building 600 00 



Paid on indebtedness _ 1.126 74 



Supplies and labor for Dining Hall, police, labor, amount on hand 826 14 



$3,572 88 



We, the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, of the Union Agricultural Society 

 located at Litchfield, do hereby certify that the above is a correct statement of the 

 receipts and exenditures of said Society for the year ending December 20, 1882. 



E. W. FEE E MAN, President. 



L. B. AGAED, Secretary. 



H. N. TUERELL, Treasurer. 



KALAMAZOO COUNTY AGKICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting of the county agricultural society was held at the court 

 house at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon, being well attended. 



President Wm. L. Curtis, of Richland, called the meeting to order and 

 announced that the first business would be the report of the secretary. 



Frank Little, of Kalamazoo, secretary of the society, made the following 

 report : 

 Mr. President and Gentlemen : 



Again we have assembled at the annual meeting of our county agricultural society, 

 to review the business of the past year and to take such action with reference to the 

 future as may be deemed expedient. 



The year just closed has been an eventful one in the history of the nation and of 

 the State. 



A new administration had but just taken the reins of government at "Washington, 

 and the people were looking forward to a long period of rest from the turmoil inci- 

 dent to a great political campaign, when, on the second day of July, 1881, the chief 

 executive and ruler was basely shot down by a cowardly assassin. 



After a very painful lingering amid the intensest alternations of hope and fear of 

 the American people and of the civilized world, on the 19th day of September, 1881, 

 the spirit of President Garfield passed hence; his long sufferings were ended, and a 

 nation mourned the untimely death of its chief magistrate. 



Early in the month of September last, while the life current of the president was 

 slowly ebbing away, suddenly, like the starling peal of a fire bell in the night, tidings 

 came flashing over the wires, that the northeastern portion of Michigan bordering 

 upon Lake Huron, was being swept with the very besom of destruction; that thou- 

 sands of poor, helplers men, women, ahd children were fleeing for their lives before a 

 devouring tempest of fire. 



A scorching drought almost unprecedented in extent and duration, also prevailed 

 throughout the northern States from the 15th of Juh' until the middle of September. 

 I need scarcely allude to the disastrous effects of the drought upon the growing corn, 

 potatoes, pastures, fruit, and all grazing animals. Every farmer suffered loss and 

 was scourged in a greater or less degree. 



Eut a kind providence has spared us through all these afflictions, and we meet here 

 to-day, Mr. President, full of hope, and, 1 trust, with a manly zeal and determina- 

 tion to take up the duties and responsibilities of tlie new year. 



In presenting the merely formal annual report of tbe business of the Kalamazoo 

 County Agricultural Society for the past year, allusion is herein made to some points 

 of interest in the history and present condition of the Society, other than tiie tables 

 present. For eight successive years, commencing with 1873, and preceding the fall 

 of 1881, the annual fairs of the Society have been held at National Park in this 



