Shenandoah Valley, and various other points. These
delegates gave their time (their traveling expenses,
except meals, were free), so that nearly everything
contributed could be used for the benefit of the soldiers.
At the close of 1S64, the following report of operations,
since the opening of the war, was made:

Contributed from June I, 1861, to Dec.

30, 1S63 ".. $ 20,127 89

Contributed during 1S64 83,iSg 93

$103,317 82

Disbursed from June 1, 1S61, to Dec. 30, 1863 $ 19,679 52

Expenses 44S 37

Disbursed during 1S64 77, 090 96

Expenses, 1S64 2.7S6 83

$100,005 68
Throughout the war, the Commission was ready to
co-operate with other organizations for the relief of the
soldiers, and, in the summer of 1865, joined with the
Northwestern Sanitary Commission and Soldiers' Home
of Chicago in holding an immense fair, the Christian
Commission receiving $50,000 of the net proceeds. At
that time, the army work of the organization was draw-
ing to a close, and the fund thus established was turned
into other channels when the soldiers needed it no
longer.

Camp Douglas Hospital Aid Society. — This
benevolent society was founded, December 18, 1861, by



a few leading ladies of the South Division of the city,
who desired to do something for the welfare of sick sol-
diers at Camp Douglas. The ladies first engaged were
mostly members of Grace Episcopal Church. These
were gradually joined by other ladies from various
churches, and the benefactions of the society were
extended beyond Camp Douglas to other hospitals,
finally reaching to soldiers' families. When the City
Hospital passed into the hands of the United States,
the society assumed the charge of furnishing for it the
comforts which could not be expected from Govern-
ment, but which are so grateful to the sick. In the
spring of 1863, the ladies opened a repository at No.
5 1 State Street, for the purpose of procuring work for
the wives of soldiers and for other poor women, and of
selling any articles they might make. On the forma-
tion of the Ladies' Relief Society, in the winter of
1863, and the consolidation of various benevolent socie-
ties for home work at that time the Camp Douglas
Aid Society directed their labors into another channel
— the establishment of a free hospital for the sick poor
of the city. A small building, No. 539 State Street,
was procured, and the hospital was opened with accom-
modations for but six patients. About this time, St.
Luke's Hospital was established, and these patients
were transferred to that institution.

The Ladies' Relief Society was organized on
December 12, 1863, as auxiliary to the Young Men's
Christian Association, and had for its especial object the
relief of soldiers' families, providing fuel, food and
work, if possible. Its officers were : President, Mrs. A.
H. Hoge; Vice-President, Mrs. E. I. Tinkham; Secre-
tary, Mrs. C. A. Lamb ; Treasurer, Mrs. H. D. Smith.

The Ladies' Loyal League was formed in May,
1863, as a secret organization, but becoming convinced
that more good could be accomplished by another
course, the ladies reorganized as an open league the
following October. Of this society, Mrs. Henry Sayrs
was president, and Mrs. Paul Mondon secretary. All
needy persons shared the benefits of the League. In
the winter of 1863, the ladies established a Soup-House
on Washington Street, D. L. Moody furnishing them a
room for the purpose, and during that winter a daily
warm meal was furnished to the poor of the city.




PHILO CARPENTERS OLD RESIDENCE, CORNER OK RANDOLPH AND MORGAN STREETS.



THE BOARD OF TRADE.



Introductory. — The history of the Board of
Trade, in the first volume of this work, does not show
that it was on a stable or paying basis, such as could
guarantee a continued and useful existence, until 1857.
At that time it had so far developed as a regulating and
fostering power in conducting the growing trade and
commerce of the city, as to be recognized as the most
important agency for carrying on the business of its
rapidly increasing list of members, which comprised
representatives from nearly every leading commercial
firm in Chicago. With the exception of some crude
by-laws, regulating the business conduct of its members
and the gathering and publication of statistics, also the
public interest it had shown through its various resolu-
tions and acts on questions concerning the prosperity
of Chicago, the Board had done little practical or
efficient commercial work ; and that little carried small
weight outside the circle of its own members, except so
far as it commanded respect for the apparent merits of
its acts and for the influential and respectable standing of
the body, as fairly representing the business sentiment
of the city. The most important measures it had inau-
gurated prior to 185 8 were : The suggestion, first
promulgated by the Board in 1854, which resulted in
the substitution of weights, instead of measures, in
measuring grain, seeds, and other commodities; and the
first attempts, in 1856, to designate wheat by standard
grades. These two reforms marked the beginning of
the present system of handling, measuring and inspect-
ing grain now generally adopted in the principal grain
marts of the world.

During the period treated in this volume, the Board
became the chief exponent of mercantile power and
the great medium through which business in grain,
breadstuffs and provisions was transacted — having a
controlling influence over methods of doing business
and in the establishment of prices, not only throughout
the West and Northwest, but in Eastern markets and
those across the sea. In 1S5 7, there were no western
grades of wheat known, and, of the seven and one-half
million bushels exported to England in that year, it is
doubtful whether a single bushel was known in the
English markets as Chicago wheat, or whether many
buyers even knew of the existence of such an organiza-
tion as the Board of Trade of Chicago. In 1S71, nearly
twenty-three million bushels of American wheat were
sold in London and Liverpool, of which probably three-
fourths was raised west of Lake Michigan ; and wheat
known and sold by the grades established in Chicago
then became familiar to the English buyer, while
prices on the Chicago Board were telegraphed to the
produce exchanges and English grain dealers, as im-
portant factors in the settlement of the market prices
of the day.

The story of the growth of the Board of Trade,
from the days of small things to the influential posi-
tion it came to occupy among kindred institutions
throughout the world, is so interlaced with the growth
of western commerce and western business methods —
being little less than their complete history in all the
different phases of development — that it may command
an interest not restricted to those engaged in com-
mercial pursuits.



THE YEAR 1858-59.

The tenth annual election of the Board was held
April 5, 1858. Officials for the ensuing year were
elected as follows: Julian S. Rumsey, president; T. H.
Beebe, vice-president ; W. W. Mitchell, secretary and
treasurer. The members numbered, at the beginning
of the year, four hundred and sixty-one, which was in-
creased at the annual meeting by the accession of
twenty-nine, and in October by the addition of thirty.
The treasurer's report showed the fiscal affairs to be in
a solvent condition. At this meeting, the first move
was made for the restriction of the business transacted
on 'Change to members of the Board, by the passage
of an amendment to the by-laws, providing that none
but actual residents engaged in business in Chicago,
should be admitted to membership, and forbidding the
buying or selling of provisions, grain, flour or lumber,
the chartering of vessels, or the contracting for freights,
on 'Change, by any person not a member of the Board.
The question of an entire revision of the constitution
and by-laws was discussed, resulting in several changes
during the year, and a complete revision during the fol-
lowing year.

Inspection of Wheat. — A most important im-
provement in the inspection and grading of wheat was
inaugurated during the year, which, with the co-opera-
tion of warehousemen, was put into effect. An inspector
of grain was appointed, grades of wheat established,
and each grade definitely described, as never before,
specifying required weight, condition, etc. The inspect-
or had full control of the assistant inspectors at eleva-
tors receiving grain from the several railroads, with the
consent of the proprietors of the leading elevators,
which was cheerfully accorded. Thus began the great
reform in the handling of grain, which was the basis of
the present system, the perfection and reliability of
which are recognized throughout the world, wherever
American wheat is bought.*

Telegraphic Reports. — Daily telegraphic market
reports were first regularly received by the Board, for
the benefit of its members, during 1858. The cost of
obtaining such reports was not defrayed from the gene-
ral treasury, but was raised by subscription, the amount
subscribed being $500. It was at first determined to
receive reports from New York, Montreal, Buffalo and
Oswego, at that time the most important markets to
which Chicago products were shipped; but the outlay
required having been found to exceed the sum subscribed,
dispatches from New York only were received. The
cost of the dispatches for the year was $435.25, paid to
the telegraph company ; the balance — $64.75 — was re ~
mitted to Mr. Trafton, of New York, as compensation
for securing and forwarding the reports from that city

First Stock Traxsac noxs. — In October, Messrs.
Lee & Armstrong were, by vote of the Board, permit-
ted to sell stocks on 'Change, by auction, after the
close of the regular sessions, on two days of each week.
How long the sales, thus authorized, were continued is
not recorded. This was one of the earliest, if not the
first, attempt made in Chicago, to sell stocks and securi-



326



HISTORY OF CHICAGO.



ties in a manner similar to that of Stock Exchanges in
Eastern cities. It has never developed into sufficient
magnitude to be recognized as an important element
even of the speculative trade of the city.

Reciprocity Treaty. — During the fall, the atten-
tion of the Board was for a time engrossed in what
were then considered very important questions, grow-
ing out of the commercial treaty in force with Canada,
known as the "Reciprocity Treaty." The questions
first brought to notice by a communication from the
New York Chamber of Commerce, were: Under the
existing treatv. can flour manufactured in Canada from
wheat grown in the United States be admitted into our
ports free of dutv ? and, Can shaved shingles be admitted
free of duty ? The subject was submitted to a committee,
which, after due deliberation, reported that in their
opinion not only both articles named, but also flour
made from corn, oats, or other grain, should be admit-
ted free.

Charter of the Board. — In February, 1859, the
functions of the Board of Trade were defined and en-
larged by a special article of incorporation passed by
the General Assembly. It read as follows:

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the

General Assembly:

Section i. That the persons now composing the Board of
Trade of the City of Chicago, are hereby created a body politic and
corporate, under the name and style of the " Board of Trade of
the City of Chicago," and by that name may sue and be sued,
implead and be impleaded, receive and hold property and effects,
real and personal, by gift, devise or purchase, and dispose of the
same by sale, lease or otherwise, said property so held not to exceed
at any time the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ; may have a
common seal, and alter the same from time to time, and make such
rules, regulations and by-laws from time to time as they may think
proper or necessary for the government of the corporation hereby
created, not contrary to the laws of the land.

Section* 2. That the rules, regulations and by-laws of the
said existing Board of Trade shall be the rules and by-laws of the
corporation hereby created, until the same shall be regularly re-
pealed or altered; and that the present officers of said Association,
known as the " Board of Trade of the City of Chicago," shall be the
officers of the corporation hereby created, until their respective
offices shall regularly expire, or be vacated, or until the election of.
new officers according to the provisions hereof.

Section 3. The officers shall consist of a president, one or
more vice-presidents, and such other officers as may be determined
upon bv the rules, regulations or by-laws of said corporation ; all
of said officers shall respectively hold their offices for the length of
time fixed upon by the rules and regulations of said corporation
hereby created, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

- 1 (ON 4. The said corporation is hereby authorized to es-
tablish such rules, regulations and by-laws, for the management of
their business, and the mode in which it shall be transacted, as they
may think proper.

Section 5. The time and manner of holding elections and
making appointments of such officers as are not elected, shall be es-
tablished by the rules, regulations or by-laws of said corporation.

Section 6. Said corporation shall have the right to admit or
expel such persons as they may see fit, in manner to be prescribed
by the rules, regulations or by-laws thereof.

SECTION 7. Said corporation may constitute and appoint
committees of reference and arbitrations, and committees of appeals,
who shall be governed by such rules and regulations as may be pre-
scribed in the rules, regulations or by-laws for the settlement of
such matters of difference as may be voluntarily submitted for arbi-
tration, by members of the association, or by other persons not
members thereof; the acting chairman of either of said committees,
when sitting as arbitrators, may administer oaths to the parties and
i, and issue subpoenas and attachments compelling the at-
tendance of witnesses, the same as justices of the peace, and, in
like manner, directed to any constable to execute.

SECI ION -. When any submission shall have been made in
writing, and a final award shall have been rendered, and no appeal
taken within the time fixed by the rules or by-Jaws, then, on filing
such award and submission with the clerk of the Circuit Court, an
execution may issue upon such award as if it were a judgment ren-
dered in the Circuit Court, and such award shall thenceforth have
the force and effect of such a judgment, and shall be entered upon
the judgment docket of said Court.



Section g. It shall be lawful for said corporation, when they
shall think proper, to receive and require of and from their officers,
whether elected or appointed, good and sufficient bonds for the
faithful discharge of their duties and trusts, and the president or
secretary is hereby authorized to administer such oaths of office as
may be prescribed in the by-laws or rules of said corporation ; said
bonds shall be made payable and conditioned as prescribed by the
rules or by-laws of said corporation, and may be sued, and the
moneys collected and held for the use of the party injured, or such
other use as may be determined upon by said corporation.

Section 10. Said corporation shall have power to appoint
one or more persons, as they may see fit, to examine, measure,
weigh, gauge or inspect flour, grain, provisions, liquor, lumber, or
any other articles of produce or traffic commonly dealt in bv the
members of said corporation, and the certificate of such person or
inspector, as to the quality or quantity of any such article, or their
brand or mark upon it, or upon any package containing such arti-
cle shall be evidence between buyer and seller, of the quantity,
grade or quality of the same, and shall be binding upon the mem-
bers of said corporation, or others interested, and requiring or
assenting to the employment of such weighers, measurers, gaugers
or inspectors; nothing herein contained, however, shall compel the
employment, by any one, of any such appointee.

Section ii. Said corporation may inflict fines upon any of
its members, and collect the same, for breach of its rules, regula-
tions or by-laws, but no fine shall exceed five dollars; such fines
may be collected, by action of debt, before a justice of the peace,
in the name of the corporation.

Section 12. Said corporation shall have no power or author-
ity to do or carry on any business, excepting such as is usual in the
managements of Boards of Trade, or Chambers of Commerce, or
as provided in the foregoing sections of this bill.

WM. R. MORRISON,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
JOHN WOOD,

Speaker of the Senate.

Approved February 18th, 1859.

WM. H. BISSELL, Governor.

By the provisions of the new charter, Dowers were
conferred upon the Board which greatly increased its
authority and efficiency. Theretofore it had no legal
right to compel the settlement of disputes arising among
its members through arbitration, or to enforce the
awards made by the committee of reference, even
when the cases decided had been voluntarily submitted
by the contestants. It thus happened that the cases
submitted were unimportant, and the decisions made
had little effect in the promotion of fair dealing or in
the prevention of litigation in the courts. The charter
gave to the committees of arbitration power to admin-
ister oaths, compel the attendance of witnesses, the
same as justices of the peace, and gave force to its
final awards, on which judgments might issue if no
appeals were taken, as if the same judgments had been
obtained in the Circuit Court. The tribunal thus
became invested with the legal authority of an inferior
court over the business transactions of its members.
The charter also, for the first time, conferred on the
Board the power to appoint weighers, gaugers, meas-
urers and inspectors, and made the brands or certificates
of such appointees of the Board evidence between
buyers and sellers who employed them, as to quality
and quantity of property inspected, measured or
weighed.

The Board, soon after its special charter was
granted, adopted a more comprehensive code of by-
laws, under which the new powers conferred upon it
could be brought into practical use.

Many of the individual operators and firms of
brokers who became members of the Board in these
early years, have continued to be prominently identified
with its subsequent growth and prosperity, and they are
entitled to something more than passing mention.

Rumsey Bro. & Co. — John S. C. Hogan, 1S28 to 1831; New-
berry & Dole, 1831 to 1847; G. W. Dole, 1847 to 1S48 ; Dole,
Rumsey & Co., 184S to 1854; Rumsey Bro. & Co., since January
I, I854.



THE BOARD OF TRADE.



3 2 7



Oliver Newberry, of Detroit, brother of the late Walter L.
Newberry, of Chicago, was one of the earliest and most energetic
pioneers on the Western lakes. Among his vessels were the
schooners "Napoleon," " Austerlitz," "Lagrange," "Marshal
Ney," "Marengo," "Prince Eugene," "Jena," "Detroit" and
"A. V. Knickerbocker," the brig " Manhattan," and the steam-
boats "Michigan," "Illinois," "Nile," "Michigan 2d" and
" Illinois 2d." The names of these vessels are given because they,
as well as their owner, being pioneers, did much toward populat-
ing Chicago and the Northwest, and because many will remember
them with much pleasure. Oliver Newberry controlled the sutlei-
ship of Fort Dearborn, and, in 182S, sent John S. C. Hogan to
Chicago to attend to its duties, which he did until 1831 G. W.
Dole came to Chicago in May, 1S31, to succeed Mr. Hogan, and




GEORGE W. DOLE

as a partner of Mr. Newberry. Still continuing the sutlership, he
established a storage, forwarding and commission business, under
the firm name of Newberry & Dole. Mr. Newberry resided in
Detroit until his death, as did Mr. Dole in Chicago, the latter
dying April 13, 1S60. On the 2d of July, 1847, Thurlow Weed,
while on board the steamboat " Empire," on his way to the Chicago
River and Harbor Convention, said of Mr. Newberry: " Early
this morning we passed the steamer ' Illinois,' Commander Blake.
She is owned by my old friend, Oliver Newberry, whose intelli-
gence and enterprise are associated with all the improvements of
this new world." Of Mr. Dole it is only necessary to say that, from
the time of his selection as first lieutenant by the early settlers for
defense against the Indians at the breaking out of the Black Hawk-
War in 1832, and his election as one of the town trustees and as town
treasurer at the incorporation of Chicago, in 1833, to the time of
his death, he was almost constantly in some place of public trust,
being sought after to settle differences of his neighbors, and known
by them to be an honest man. On the first page of one of their
day-books, still in existence, labelled " Blotter B," under date of
April 11, 1S31, are charges against Lieutenant David Hunter, now
major-general in the United States Army (retired), Joseph LaFram-
boise, Mrs. Ellen Wolcott, "per Mrs Helm" — the first being the
wife of Dr. Wolcott, original proprietor of Wolcott's Addition, the
other, one of the few whose lives were spared at the massacre in
Chicago in 1812 ; also against R. A. Kinzie, who entered Kinzie's
Addition at the Government Land Office, at $1.25 per acre; John
K. Clark, A. Clybourn, Stephen I. Scott, David McKee, J. B.
Beaiibien, Lieutenant Amos B. Foster, brother of the late Dr. J.
H Foster — all prominent for various reasons in early Chicago. To
the end of the second and only remaining book, to June 15. 1S33,
frequently occur the following names : J. II. Kinzie, Mark Beaii-
bien, J. S. C. Hogan, James Kinzie, Samuel Miller, John Mann,




Madore Beaubien, Antoine Ouillmette, Elijah Wentworth, G. S.
Hubbard, R. E. Heacock, Alexander Robinson, Billy Caldwell
(the last two Indian chiefs), R. [. Hamilton (general office-holder),
Joseph Bailey, T. J. V. Owen! E. E. Hunter, J. N. Bailey, Wil-

liam See, J. Porter, S. Forbes, Rufus Brown, Gholson Kercheval,
Thomas Hartsell (former owner of Newberry's Addition), J. Roth,
P. F. W. Peck, Dexter Graves, John and Mark Noble, John
Blackstone (Blackstone's Grove), John Welmaker, S. Ellis, Jc-du-
than Smith, A. D. Taylor, Heman Bond, B. Harris, Seth Scott.
Claude LaFramboise. Francis Bulbony (Bulbony's Grove), Joseph
Naper (Naperville), Charles Taylor, N. Bolvin, John Naper,
Matthew Legg, S. P. Brady, George II. Walker, E. D. Harmon,
Anson H. Taylor, Hiram Pearson, G. W. Snow, Paul Samberneau,
I. Harmon, Willard Scott, Alanson Sweet, Peter Cohen, John



tt^^K^t^



Watkins, Dr. P. Maxwell, David Carver, S. Downer (Downer's
Grove), S. T. Gage and B. H. Laughton. The above named
persons, and others also, while all here before the incorporation of
the town in 1S33, were not necessarily voters on that occasion.
Many were officers in the army, others had settled in the surround-
ing country, some had not been here long enough to entitle them
to vote, others were Canadian French, Courtiers da Bois, half-
breeds, etc Entries are also made against the American Fur
Company, the Indian Department and the Quartermaster's Depart-
ment The troops must have left Fort Dearborn about the 1st of
June, as charges against them cease about that time: and, on the
Sth of June, 1831, are sent to N. Goodell, at Green Bay, for collec-
tion, notes against Co. " A" for $1,155 §7. and also against Co.
" I " for $i,og6, both companies being of the 5th Regiment of In-
fantry. On April iS, Lieutenant Hunter is charged as fol-
lows : " To 1 letter to Mrs. J. H. Kinzie, 25 cts"; and on the 20th,
" To amount postage account up to March 31, $12.50." Other
officers are charged with different sums for postage. The sutler's
store seems to have comprised a post-office, hardware, dry goods,
crockery, arms, groceries, provisions, liquors, lumber, leather,
horses, whisky, and Indian goods generally. Banking was quite an
important feature also, as many of the individuals named above are
charged, at different times with cash borrowed, in sums varying
from $1 to $1,000, and even larger on one or two occasions, as well
as with an endless variety of articles, including guns, powder, shot,
lead, caps, flints, knives, and even daggers, fish-lines, hooks, etc.
Whisky was sold at 40 cents and at 50 cents a gallon, corn meal
at $1, and dried apples at $1.62 J£ per bushel. Flour is charged