in laudable endeavors to make the annual meeting as interesting and profitable as could well be out of the means at hand; there is no lack of interest anywhere.

The first public gathering, two years ago, was one of great interest and quite a success; the second, held in this Tabernacle, was more abundantly so, and established the permanency of the Association.

The effort has been, among the members of the Board, to determine upon a proper method of holding and conducting these annual meetings. There has been no marked variation in opinion that we should have something said of interest respecting the early days of our Ohio residence; and in those early days, at the hour of twelve, noon, a horn was blown, or a bell rung, or a red rag hung at the window-we never could pass by the hour of noon and not think of dinner.

In getting men to consent to say a few words or to make us a set address, it was difficult to limit their time on the platform; if they had anything to say, they wanted to say it. If the Board consent to extremely long set speeches, it would involve, for the comfort of the members, the necessity of upholstering the seats. To avoid this, a general opinion prevailed that we procure one early settler, of ability, to entertain the Association, limiting his own time, after which, a sprinkling of from five to ten minutes' speeches, a sort of free-to-all affair, and if any overspoke his time, it would become the society's duty to start in on "Hail Columbia," and choke him off; but no limit should be imposed upon the women.

The prospects of this Association are bright, and becoming more brilliant as each year comes around. One enthusiastic member expresses himself in the emphatic language of Andrew Jackson, that this Association must not fail; (who ever thought it could?) why he should entertain a thought of the possibility of it not being able to succeed, is a mystery. As the older members pass away, new ones fall in to take their places, so that the incoming members will be likely to far outnumber the outgoing

ones.

We need more interest to be taken for our annual pamphlet; we want more sketches of persons, places and events. While we have so many who can link the history of their time with the past of the Western Reserve, we cannot afford to lose their assistance in putting on record what everyone would be pleased to peruse, and the more so as time passes away. The year may come, in the future, when the early settlers of the Fire Lands will be held as a remarkable people, if they are not already, and their grandchildren may be better pleased with the record than to trace their descent through doubtful books of heraldry, or the possibility that they were descended from one of the early Irish kings.

GEO. F. MARSHALL, Chairman.

REPORT OF THE TREASURER.

MR. PRESIDENT: Since our organization in the Fall of 1879, we have expended $560.12; our receipts from members to date, $406.00; leaving a debt against us of $154.12; this will be reduced by new members to-day.

At a glance we can see that a life-membership of one dollar will not pay running expenses. We cannot assess you; we cannot run you into debt. What shall we do?

GEO. C. DODGE, Treasurer.

1 ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

On motion, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year:

HON. HARVEY RICE, President.

HON. JOHN W. ALLEN and MRS. J. A. HARRIS, Vice Presidents.

THOMAS JONES, JR., Secretary.

GEORGE C. DODGE, Treasurer.

GEORGE F. MARSHALL, R. T. LYON, DARIUS ADAMS, JOHN H. SARGENT, M. M. SPANGLER, Executive Committee.

REV. THOMAS CORLETT, Chaplain.

On motion of H. M. Addison, Mrs. Lucretia Garfield was elected an honorary member of the Association. He also offered the following resolution, which was adopted without a dissenting vote:

Resolved, That we as an Association invite other similar Associations of the Western Reserve to unite with us in contributing desirable relics and reminiscences, to be deposited in the rooms of the Western Reserve Historical Society, of Cleveland, for the common benefit of the public, and that with a view to harmonious action all such Associations be invited to send delegates to meet with us at our regular annual meetings, held on the 22d of July each and every year.

LETTER FROM HON. THOMAS J. McLAIN.

WARREN, O., July 20, 1882.

G. F. Marshall, Esq., Chairman Executive Committee:

DEAR SIR: I find it is impossible for me to be at your annual meeting on the 22d inst.; a fact I very much regret, for I had fondly anticipated a large amount of real pleasure in meeting so many of my old friends and acquaintances.

In reviewing the events and happenings which I have witnessed in Ohio since I came within her borders, more than fiftyfour years since, much of interest, much worthy of consideration and of value, is called to mind, and should be held up before the young and enterprising men and women of the hour for their cheer and encouragement.

The wonderful changes that have been wrought in your own beautiful city furnish apt illustrations of the go-aheaditiveness of our people: the dwellers upon the borders of our grand Lake Erie, upon whose blue waters my delighted eyes rested, for the

first time, in May, 1828. Then, Cleveland was a small rustic village, sparsely populated, of but limited business and enterprise: now, one of the most beautiful cities in all the land! A wonderful change indeed! Then, a miserable, shabby court-house and other public buildings of kindred character; now, we see what is pleasant to view; then, Hickox's old wooden blacksmith shop stood near the corner of Superior and Seneca streets; now. behold the change; then, Crittenden's little jewelry store stood near the Weddell House; now, a splendid structure meets the eye; then, my old friend Fitch presided over the old frame hotel corner of Water and St. Clair streets; now, what a change! At that early day Cleveland presented not much inducement to him in search of a life stopping place; now it is one of the most delightful cities to settle in which can be found in all the land. Its progress is simply wonderful to contemplate.

So it is all over our broad land, wherever the eye rests. Great changes are apparent in our advanced civilization as well as in the face of the country. Note for a moment the style and fashion of the present age, embracing not only that of the ladies but of the gentlemen as well, and compare it with that of an earlier day in the then village of Youngstown in this county, when the Rev. Charles R. Boardman, when on duty, was arrayed in buckskin breeches, painted blue, and a noble Christian man he was.

In conclusion permit me to wish you a pleasant season, full of pleasure and enjoyment, and your noble Society a long and prosperous career in the fulfillment of its great purposes.

Most truly yours,

THOMAS J. MCLAIN,

REMARKS BY CHARLES CROSBY, OF CHICAGO.

MR. PRESIDENT: I am most happy to have the pleasure of being with you on this third anniversary of the Early Settlers Association. I had the honor of being represented before you a

year ago by a communication read by my friend, Hon. John A. Foot, and published in your "Annals," and also of being constituted an honorary member. My childhood and youth, from ten years of age to my majority, were spent in this region, and a frequent revisitation has kept afresh my recollections from 1811 to the present time. It is three years since I have visited this region, and although myself an octogenarian, I meet a great many older persons than I am.

When I was a boy, those who had reached the age of fortyfive or fifty years were regarded as "old people." but now they are not considered old until they attain to seventy or seventyfive years; so that when I meet with many from eighty to over ninety (and yet fresh and vigorous), I almost feel that I am young again, and youthful scenes and incidents recur to me with vivid freshness, like "a thing of beauty, a joy forever. I would not, however, indulge in mere sentimentalism, but recall several incidents of historical interest which may serve to amuse, if nothing more. When I was young, “church privileges" and Sabbath enjoyments were not quite so adorned (but probably more highly appreciated) than now. It often happened that a congregation would for a time be destitute of a "stated supply" of the ministry, but the habit was observed of keeping up the regular public services on the Sabbath, and having a sermon read from the published works of some eminent divine. I well remember that, during such a vacancy in the Presbyterian Church of Euclid, one Sabbath morning, before the time for services to begin, a stranger on horseback rode up to the door and announced himself as a Methodist minister. He was very cordially invited by the Elders to officiate, to which he readily assented, and was accordingly conducted to the pulpit. On entering it, he found on the desk a large Bible which contained the Apochrypha (a portion of Scripture history not regarded as inspired), and opening the book he took for his text the first verse he cast his eye upon, and announced it as Ecclesiastes vii chapter, 1st verse, as follows: "Do no evil; so shall no harm come