REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION. 67 



already given a "Centennial Tea Party," in November, of which the net 

 proceeds were $176.00 ; $100.00 of this sum was now set aside for the pub- 

 lication, while the remainder was kept as a reserve fund, to be used in 

 any manner the Association might Hnd necessary or expedient. A sub- 

 scription paper was prepared and circulated by the chairman of the 

 Ladies' Committee, with such great success that the Committee felt no 

 hesitancy in making the final contracts with the printers and engravers 

 for the execution of the work. An estimate of the work to be done was 

 sent to each of the printing establishments in Davenport, Rock Island and 

 Moline, and bids were received from four offices. On the 8th of February, 

 a contract was signed by Messrs. Bronson, Davis and Fluke, and the mem- 

 bers of the Ladies' Committee individually, in which the former agreed to 

 print 1,000 copies of the volume, consisting of 250 pages, 100 copies to be 

 bound in cloth, and the remainder in paper covers, all to be done in a 

 strictly first-class and acceptable manner, and the Ladies agreed to pay 

 them the sum of $419, and $1.50 for each additional page, upon comple- 

 tion of the contract. They also made a contract the same day with Mr. 

 L. Hageboeck to furnish 1,000 copies each of thirty-two lithographic 

 plates, for which he was to receive $22S.64, and Mr. J. E. Rice was en- 

 gaged to make a wood-cut of one of the copper axes. 



The Academy committee had, in the meantime, been engaged in 

 preparing and revising the records, and as soon as the printers were 

 ready they were furnished with copy, and work was at once begun. 



On the evening of the 22d of February the Ladies gave the first of 

 what was to have been a series of Centennial entertainments for the ben- 

 efit of the Publication Fund, in Olympic Hall. The exercises the first 

 evening consisted of tableaux, supplemented by a " Martha Washing- 

 ton" Reception and Tea Party. Although the admittance fee was but 

 ten cents, the Ladies cleared about $121.00 that evening, and the prospect 

 of success looked very bright. An Art Gallery had been projected in 

 connection with the other entertainments. This part of the enterprise 

 was undertaken by the " Bric-a-Brac Club," a literary society of young 

 ladies, and was a great success in every point of view. The exhibitions 

 of paintings, engravings and reliques, loaned by the various owners, far 

 surpassed the expectations of any one. 



But the Ladies were destined to a severe trial, for early on the morn- 

 ing of the 23d, Olympic Hall took fire and burned to the ground, together 

 with the entire block in which it stood. As the entertainments were 

 intended to extend over several days, a large quantity of valuable prop- 

 erty had been left in the Hall— much of it borrowed of merchants and 

 others who could illy afford the loss. At a meeting held on the morn- 

 ing of the fire, the ladies decided that though they might not be legally 

 boimd, yet they held themselves morally responsible to pay all losses to 

 persons who had loaned articles for the entertainment. The entire 

 amount of these losses was over $1,500, about $500 of which was gen- 

 erously remitted. They set to work with a wonderful energy to raise 

 money with which to pay the balance, and in less than three weeks 



