The German Society of Chicago observes its eighth anniversary today. Although many opportunities to support community charities were presented during the past year, and the Germans in this city responded nobly to them all, the Teutons have displayed a laudable willingness to contribute towards the maintenance and blessed activity of the Society.

It is true that the work of the organization is carried on through an agent, still I am sure that nobody will object if I, an officer, make a report on, and voice my opinion about the merits of the Society, especially its accomplishments of the past year. Among the many thousands of German residents of Chicago, there are undoubtedly hundreds who are unable to solve even the simplest problems of everyday life, and are therefore dependent upon the advice and guidance of an honest and intelligent person; then again, there are hundreds of others who need material assistance because they are unemployed, or because sickness or old age 2prevents them from working and earning a living. And all of them are directed to Mr. Schlund, the agent of the German Society of Chicago, and he will be gratefully remembered by many thousands of unfortunates for displaying a genuine German character--a kind, sympathetic disposition, and a willingness to aid in any way he can.

Just a year ago we received reports that treasonable and atrocious deeds were being committed in South Carolina. On April 15, 1861, the President of this, our beloved adopted country, issued a call for seventy-five thousand volunteers to defend and vindicate the majesty of the law and the people. The patriotic zeal of the German men of this country was exceeded by that of no other nationality, and they immediately took up arms. They did not hesitate to leave their homes, their wives, children, or parents, to fight for liberty on the bloody battlefields, and, if necessary, to die in its cause. The many German citizens who stayed at home and continued to follow their daily occupation, and for whose safety the soldiers rushed to arms, soon recognized it to be their duty to care 3for the dependents of the soldiers. A meeting was held at Bryan's Hall where a citizen's committee on safety was appointed; quite a large sum of money was raised by subscription and entrusted to this committee for the purpose of administering to the needs of the families of soldiers by the contribution of certain sums for their weekly support.

The nativists' spirit of knownothingism, which is becoming more evident as the War goes on, was dominant in the meeting to the extent that they failed to elect a single German to the citizens' committee, despite the fact that many married Germans who joined Captain Mihalotzy's company or enlisted for services with other contingents were the first soldiers to leave the city for the battlefields.

As president of the German Society of Chicago, I considered it my duty to see that the dependents of German soldiers were not neglected when weekly allotments were distributed. Upon the instigation of the German Society of Chicago a mass 4meeting was held, and several men adduced proof that the citizens' committee was prejudiced against German women and had neglected them most shamefully.

The meeting unanimously adopted resolutions expressing indignation at such treatment, had the resolutions published in German and English newspapers, and firmly demanded that a German be added to the committee. John W. Eschenburg was suggested as a suitable person, and though it was very humiliating to the gentlemen of the citizens' committee, Mr. Eschenburg was appointed a member of the committee and given the status of full membership.

Later the Union Defense Committee was organized and the Germans were represented in that body by Mr. Georg Schneider, and then, when Mr. Schneider left for Europe, by Mr. Caspar Butz. All the while the agent of the German Society of Chicago was obliged to provide for the wives and children of German soldiers and has rendered invaluable services to these brave citizens. The agent's detailed 5report is proof of this, and is submitted for your careful perusal.

Against his will Mr. A. Borcherdt was elected treasurer in the last annual meeting of the Society, and he did not perform the duties of office. By his personal efforts in behalf of needy and unfortunate German families during the past few years, Mr. Borcherdt has become known as a sympathetic, able, and experienced social worker, and his reluctance to accept the position as treasurer of the German Society of Chicago should not have been considered, since the organization had no treasurer, and, partly because of the monetary chaos created by the Stumptails, no dues were collected during the first half of the year.

In January we had an annual meeting which I am reporting in detail. It shows that no other society in America has accomplished so much good at so little expense. Receipts and disbursements were as follows:

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Receipts

Dues .............................................. $86.66

Proceeds from annual ball .................... $319.85

Total ............................................. $406.41

Disbursements

Salary (Mr. Schlund)............................. $300.00

Mrs. Fischer's fare to Germany................... 27.00

Coal and cartage ................................... 27.00

Miscellaneous (food, small loans, etc.) .......... 17.01

Total ............................................... $371.01

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In addition, quite a sum was collected by the Chicago Arbeiterverein for the families of soldiers. Following is a detailed account of sources:

Chicago Arbeiterverein ........................... $205.00

Mr. C. Butz, lecture ............................... 28.50

Riverside Rifle Company........................... 42.62

Soldier's ball ......................................... 111.45

Total .................................................. $387.57

Statement of Assets:

Invested in Chicago Municipal Bonds............... $500.00

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Balance of previous investment ..........................$ 11.29

Balance at Greenbaum Bank ................................. 50.00

Balance in treasury............................................. 79.29

Total..............................................................$635.56 (sic)

Heretofore the management of the German House provided office room for our organization gratis, thus saving us an expenditure which was above our financial ability. For a long time a rumor prevailed that the management of the German House intended to deprive us of this facility. In our semi-annual meeting I broached the matter, and the chairman and several members of the board of management of the German House assured us that there was no truth to the rumor. To my great surprise our agent recently informed me that he had been ordered to vacate the premises because they had been rented. I also received a notice from 9the management of the German House and asked for time to put the matter before the Society in today's general meeting.

Gentlemen, I do not intend to attempt to influence your opinion on this affair, however I doubt very much that your idea is different from mine. I invested two hundred dollars in the establishment of the German House, and for that reason I have paid no attention to the way it has been operated, because I never thought that there was the remotest possibility that the institution would ever be used for speculative purposes, or that the German Society of Chicago would be ejected from it for the sake of a little rent.

Thus we shall be obliged to give the management of the German House a little more attention.

I also wish to remark that the German Society of Chicago is faithfully aided in its work by loyal doctors and druggists who have made many sacrifices in the 10interest of charity. I do not wish to mention any names. The gentlemen referred to no doubt consider themselves amply rewarded by the satisfaction of having lightened the burden of many an unfortunate, and by the knowledge that they have the respect and gratitude of the Society. I also wish to express the gratitude of our organization to those who have donated clothing, shoes, meat, flour, fuel, and other foods.

Before relinquishing my office I wish to express my hope that the members of the German Society of Chicago will continue to demonstrate their zeal in the cause of humanity and charity and leave no doubt that they intend to do everything they possibly can to insure the permanency of the organization.

Respectfully,

Heinrich Greenbaum, President of German Society of Chicago.

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Thereupon the agent of the German Society of Chicago submitted the following report:

Report of the Agent of the German Society of Chicago

Since the German Society appointed me as its agent a year ago, I deem it my duty to make the following annual report:

Immigration decreased during the War, but not as much as was generally expected. Among the immigrants who arrived in Chicago via the various railroads, about twenty per cent remained here, the others going to other points in Illinois, or to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, or Nebraska. Before they left the old country many of these immigrants had planned to settle in Missouri, where there are a great many Germans, but because of the unrest created by the War in the state which was their original destination, they remained in Illinois. Let us hope that through the events now transpiring in Missouri immigrants will receive 12the protection which the Constitution of the United States guarantees everyone who comes to her shores seeking freedom, and that the United States Government will not fail to take the measures necessary to make such atrocities as were committed in North Missouri against the lives and property of German immigrants impossible in the future, otherwise not only Missouri, but also Kansas and Nebraska will be subject to great suffering and will be bereft of the wholesome effects of immigration.

Following is a detailed account of the agent's activity:

Secured employment for......................................1546

Secured passes for..............................................25

Passes secured through county agent for ....................6

Reduced rates secured for....................................10

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Secured passage by depositing baggage as security for.... 58

Secured lodging for.............................................11

Recommended to county agent............................... 6

Secured admission to County Hospital for................... 3

Secured admission to poor house for......................... 6

Referred to county agent for funeral expenses.............. 7

Attended to correspondence for ............................. 559

Corresponded officially with ................................. 520

Attended to financial matters for............................ 153

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Collected debts for......................................... 3

Provided food for........................................... 488

Provided wood for .......................................... 60

Provided coal for ............................................ 56

Provided medical aid and medicines for.................. 42

Provided clothing and shoes................................ 17

Located relatives and friends for.......................... 184

Located and reclaimed lost baggage for.................. 88

Loans against security to.................................... 9

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Gift of money to indigent ......................................... 2

Kept from straying .................................................. 37

Total ................................................................... 3396 (sic)

Aid to families of Illinois Volunteers:

Cash distributed to .................................................. 167

Coal (ten tons) delivered to ........................................ 36

Delivered wood (21/2 cords) to .................................... 6

Secured shoes for .................................................... 4

Secured meat (176 pounds) for ..................................... 15

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Secured bread (270 loaves) for .........................72

Secured beans (21/2 bushels) for ....................... 24

Secured brooms (5) for ................................... 4

Secured tea (4 pounds) for............................... 2

Secured coffee (31/2 pounds) for ........................ 4

Secured butter (41/2 pounds) for ........................ 5

Secured meat (61/2 pounds) for .......................... 6

Secured ham (31/2 pounds) for ........................... 4

Secured sugar (2 pounds) for............................... 6

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Secured medicine for ................. 14

Though the Society had but little material at its disposal, the undersigned has the satisfaction of having helped a great number of unfortunates and indigents in their hour of great need.

It must be surprising to every German that in order to rent the room to a private teacher the management of the German House has deprived the German Society of Chicago of office space to carry on its great humanitarian work.

Since it is one of the chief parts of the agent's work to store baggage for immigrants and provisions for the poor and needy, he would gladly continue this benevolent work, if he had a suitable place; however he feels that he can not accept responsibility for these articles, if, as is the case at present, they are kept in a rat infested basement.

Respectfully,

F. Schlund, agent.

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The report of the treasurer showed a receipt of $86.66 in dues. The receipts and disbursements are included in the president's report. All reports were unanimously adopted.

The agent then submitted a notice to vacate which was delivered to him by Constable Kaufmann on behalf of the management of the German House.

Following is a transcript of the notice:

To Mr. Fidel Schlund: You are hereby notified that the management of the German House demands that you immediately relinquish and yield possession of the space granted you by above named organization, said space being located in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, in the building called the German House, and known as the building next to the southeast corner of North Wells and Indiana Streets.

Mr. H. A. Kaufmann is hereby authorized to take possession of the space referred 19to in the name of the German House.

Given under the signature of the president and the secretary of the German House on this twelfth day of April, 1862.

E. Schlaeger, President,

H. Eschenburg, Secretary.

On recommendation of Caspar Butz it was resolved:

1. That the members of the German Society of Chicago are willing to pay the management of the German House an adequate rent for the space heretofore occupied, if the management of the German House can reconcile it with humanitarian principles to demand money from a benevolent organization merely to enrich the stockholders of the German House;

2. That we appeal from the act of the management of the German House to the 20stockholders of the German House and to their better nature, and that we instruct the agent of the German Society of Chicago not to comply with the demand that he vacate the property;

3. That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the management of the German House, and that they be published in the German press together with the annual report.

An amendment that his place be taken by Mr. Conrad Diehl, a justice of the peace, was offered by Mr. Brentano, heretofore the secretary of the Society, to the proposal that all members of the board of directors serve another year. This amendment was accepted, and a vote of thanks was accorded all members of the board for past services.

On recommendation of the treasurer Mr. Haarbleicher and Caspar Butz were appointed to revise the books of the treasurer. Since many quarterly dues are in arrears 21and it may be difficult to collect the full sums at one time it was left to the board of directors to decide whether the dues are to be collected or payment is to be dispensed with.

Adjournment followed.

Chicago, April 13, 1862.

Verified by

Heinrich Greenbaum, President,

L. Brentano, Secretary.