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<ooo. or at the rate o f $ 13 .8 0 a head. T h e Columbia county horse has an average value o f $ 13 9 . There are 584.000 horses doing w ork on the farm s of the State, which arc valued at over $81,000,000. I.a si y e a r they w ere only worth an average o f $ 13 3 . T H E 0(J> 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
