Memories of the Calls 20 - The Local Circle

Literary societies were immensely popular at this period. And such a society was formed at Stafford and Morganville and Le Roy. Our neighbor, Mrs. Henning, whose husband bought the Lyman-Bissell-Lyman farm, found a Secretary's book from which I shall copy. 

By-Laws

1st,        The society shall be called The Local Circle.

2nd,       Its object shall be the cultivation in its members of literary taste and of the ability to express their thoughts readily and forcibly.

3rd,       The officers of the Local Circle shall be President, Vice President and Secretary who shall be chosen by ballot for a term of three months, a majority of votes cast being necessary to an election.

4th,        It shall be the duty of the President to preserve order in all meetings, to put to vote all regular questions, to call for all official reports, to appoint two persons to act with himself to decide each debate according to force of argument, to supply by appointment pro tempore all vacancies in office, to appoint the committee on arrangement, and to call all special meetings.

5th,        It shall be the duty of the Vice Presient to preside in the absence of the President.

6th,        It shall be the duty of the Secretary to record all doings of the Local Circle and to call the roll in each regular meeting.

7th,       The regular meeting shall be held once in two weeks on Friday evening, and the President shall decide the place of meeting. 

8th,        Any member may feel free to invite their friends to any meeting of the Local Circle, and any person may become a member by vote of two thirds of the members present. 

9th,       No refreshments except our native fruits are to be allowed, & not even these are to considered necessary. 

10th,     Any of the By-laws may be rejected or amended after notice has been given at a previous meeting by a two-thirds vote of all members present. 

11th,     No one allowed to vote on questions except they are members of the Circle. 

The members as recorded in this book were

Frank Paul                    Mr. Van Valkenburg

Bessie Smith                Mrs. Van Valkenburg

Lizzie Call                   Effie Van Valkenburg

Ida Lyman                    Mr. W. Fisk

Effie Watson                Mrs. W. Fisk

Daisy Niles                  Herbert Jones   

Mary Jones                  Nellie Harmon

Mr E.J. Niles               Fred Randall

Mrs E.J. Niles              Miss L. Randall

Wm. W Passmore        Charles Call

Mr R. Call                    Miss Ella Fisk

Mrs R. Call                  Miss H. Randall

Addison Weller            Mr. Bage

Walter Daniels             Estella Farley

Mr. E.S. Jones              Miss R. Bissell

Mrs. E.S. Jones            Libbie Lyman

Mr. C Smith                 Willie Weller

Chas. Fillon                 Raymond Smith

Mrs. Stannard              W.W. Cole

                                     Burt Santell

                                     Clay Niles

The first meeting recorded was held at Mr. Russell Bissel's Nov. 11, 1881. "Officers were elected for a term of three months." "Frank Paul, President. Miss Lizzie Call, Vice President, Libbie V.A. Lyman, Secretary. The President appointed Charles Call, Miss Bessie Smith and Libbie Lyman to arrange the program."

The Local Circle of Le Roy and Stafford met at the residence of Mr. Call  Nov. 25, 1881. 

Programme

1st         Greeting        Instrumental Duet   Misses Harmon and Call

2nd        Address        Mr. Frank Paul

3rd        Instrumental Solo    Miss Knapp

4th        Debate    Resolved that Intellectual Labor is more useful to society than Physical Labor

                                                Aff.  Mr Charles Call    Mrs. E.S. Jones

                                                Neg.  Mr. E.J. Niles       Mr. Call

5th       Instrumental Solo    Bonnie Sweet  Bessie     Miss Call

6th       Recitation        The Legend Beautiful    Miss Mary Jones

7th       Quartette          Our Own Dear Home

8th      Select Reading  Mrs. E.J. Niles

9th      Declamation      An Artistocratic Old Goose    Herbert Jones

10th    Composition    Ida M. Lyman

11th    Vocal Solo        Miss B. Smith

12th    Local Mirror     Libbie V.A. Lyman

13th   Instrumental Duet    Waves of the Ocean   Misses Smith & Call

The Local Mirror was the society newspaper. There was one in every program recorded in this book. 

Other questions for debate were

Resolved     That fictitous writings are more beneficial then injurious to society. Decided in affirmative.

Resolved     The masses are governed more by fashion than by reason

Resolved     That lawyers are more beneficial than injurious to society

Resolved     That it is better for a young man commencing in life to be obliged to depend upon his own resources through poverty; than to have inherited wealth. Decided negative. 

Resolved     That poverty develops a man's character better than riches. Negative.

Resolved     That foreign emigration should be restricted.   Affirmative

Resolved     That there should be a law in this state requiring the publication of matrimonial bans.  Negative

The last meeting recorded in this book was held March 31, 1882, eleven in all. 

Many of the programs call for "Items" in answer to Roll Call.

On the programs are such numbers as "Composition; Mr. E.J. Niles; Dialogues, Chronicles, Original Poems, Narrative Around the Lake by Miss L. Randall, Autobiography Mr. Smith, Query Boxes.

Another debate, decided in the negative, Resolved That every man to be eligible as a voter should be able to read his own ballot. 

The secretary reported present at meetings "fifty-seven"  "between 70 and 80," "fifty," "eighty-two," "fifty-four," "ninety-three," "74," "78," and "Eighty."

I cannot remember how long the Local Circle and Clionian continued in existence. There can be no doubt that their influence, especially on the younger members, was very great. I know that we were encouraged to under take what we had thought we could no possibly do.

_______

Patty's notes on this entry

I'm going to just list the names in alphabetical order rather than in order  mentioned in the entry. Fortunately, the activities described took place within a few years of the 1880 census so I was able to tentatively identify many of the people listed. 

Mr. Bage - Possibly George Bage b abt 1845 in England. He was living in Morganville in 1880. 

Russell Bissell - Possibly Russell Bissell b abt 1824 in Massachusetts. He was living Stafford in 1880. 

Miss R. Bissell - Possibly Ruby Bissell b abt 1828 in Massachusetts. She was living in Le Roy in 1880. 

Mr. R. Call - Robert Call (1831-1913)

Mrs. R. Call - Charlotte Joslin  (1834-1908) Wife of Robert Call

Charles Call - Charles Joslin Call (1859-1939)  son of Robert & Charlotte Call. He married Elizabeth Ann Coe

Lizzie Call - Elizabeth Alberta Call (1862-1929) daughter of Robert & Charlotte Call. She married Walter Scott Daniels. 

W.W. Cole - Possibly William Cole b abt 1859 in Michigan. He was living in Le Roy in 1880. 

Walter Daniels - Walter Scott Daniels (1863-1918) son of Charles & Louisa Daniels. He married Lizzie Call. 

Estella Farley - Probably Estelle Farley b abt 1862, daughter of Abitha and Mary Farley. She was living in Stafford in 1880. 

Charles Fillon - I haven't been able to identify Charles Fillon

Mr. W. Fisk - Probably Wallace W Fisk b abt 1839 in New York son of Alfred and Abigail Fisk. He married Delle in 1882 (per the 1900 census)

Mrs. W. Fisk - Possibly Delphine Beswick  b 1851 in New York. She married Wallace Fisk in 1882. In 1880, she is listed as Delle Fisk, widowed, in the household of Alfred and Abigail Fisk in Stafford. 

Miss Ella Fisk - Probably Ella Fisk b abt 1853 daughter of Alfred and Abigail Fisk. She was living in Stafford in 1880. 

Nellie Harmon - Probably Nellie G Harmon b abt 1862 in New York daughter of E.M and Jane Harmon. She was living in Le Roy in 1880.

Mrs. Henning - There are several Henning families in Genesee County in the 1930s when the Memories were recorded so not sure who Mrs. Henning who found the Secretary's book is. 

Mr. & Mrs E.S. Jones - I haven't been able to identify Mr & Mrs E.S. Jones

Herbert Jones - I haven't been able to identify Herbert Jones. The only Herbert Jones I can find in Genesee County in 1880 was born in 1876 so I doubt he was participating in the Local Circle in 1881. 

Mary Jones - Possibly Mary Jones b abt 1860 in New York living with the Miller Family in Le Roy in 1880. 

Miss Knapp - There are several Knapp families in Genesee County, none in Stafford, Morganville or Le Roy. So I am unable to identify who Miss Knapp is. 

Ida M. Lyman - Probably Ida Lyman b abt 1868 in New York. She was listed as a granddaughter of Russell Bissell, living in Stafford in 1880

Libbie V.A. Lyman - Probably Libbie N Lyman, b abt 1852 in New York. She was listed as a Step-daughter of Russell Bissell, living in Stafford in 1880. 

Mr & Mrs E.J. Niles - Probably the Edwin J Niles b abt 1838 in New York and his wife Elizabeth b abt 1848 in New York living in Le Roy in 1880

Clay Niles - I'm not sure who Clay Niles is. Edwin and Elizabeth Niles have a son Henry C b abt 1876 in New York but he seems young to be particpating in the Local Circle in 1881

Daisy Niles - Probably Daisy Niles b abt 1868 in New York, daughter of Edwin and Elizabeth Niles living in Le Roy in 1880

Frank Paul - Probably Frank Paul b abt 1858 in New York. He was living with his widowed mother Sarah Paul in Le Roy in 1880, next door to Edwin and Elizabeth Niles. 

Wm. W. Passmore - Possibly either William Passmore b abt 1832 in England or his son William b abt 1860 in New York. They lived in Stafford in 1880, not far from the Bissell and Weller families. 

Fred Randall - Probably Fred Randall b abt 1864 in New York, son of Perry and Mary E. Randall. The family lived in Stafford in 1880. 

Miss. L. Randall - Probably Lida Randall b abt 1859 daughter of Perry and Mary E. Randall of Stafford. 

Miss H. Randall - Probably Hattie Randall b abt 1863 in New York. In 1880 she was living in Stafford with her brother-in-law and sister Frederick and Katherine Kachler. 

Burt Santell - I'm not able to identify Burt Santell - there is no one with that last name living in Genesee County in 1880

Mr. C. Smith - Possibly Charles Smith b 1819 in New York, brother of Edward Smith. He lived with his brother, sister-in-law and their children in Stafford in 1880 near the Bissell, Weller and Passmore families. 

Bessie Smith - Probably Bessie M Smith b abt 1864 in New York, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Smith of Stafford.

Raymond Smith - Probably Raymond Smith b abt 1870 in New York, son of Edward and Elizabeth Smith of Stafford. 

Mrs. Stanard - Possibly Elizabeth b abt 1833 in New York, wife of Franklen Stannard. They were living in Oakfield, Genesee County in 1880. 

Mr. & Mrs Van Valkenburg - Probably J.H (b abt 1831 in New York) and his wife Mary (b abt 1833 in New York) Van Valkenburg. They lived in Le Roy in 1880 near Frank Paul. 

Effie Van Valkenburg - Probably Effie Van Valkenburg b abt 1867 in New York, daughter of J.H and Mary Van Valkenburg of Le Roy.

Effie Watson - Probably Effie Watson b abt 1864 in New York, living with her brother Gordon, his wife Hattie and their widowed mother Harriet in Stafford in 1880. 

Addison Weller -  Possibly Addison Weller b abt 1862 in New York. Son of William and Mary Weller. They lived in Stafford in 1880, near the Bissell, Passmore and Smith families

Willie Weller - Possibly William Weller b abt 1869 in New York. Son of William and Mary Weller. My guess is that a youth of 12 is more likely to be referred to as Willie than his father age 50. 

Bonnie Sweet Bessie is a sentimental song written in the 1870's by James L. Gilbert with lyrics by Arabella Root. You can hear a recording of the song on the Library of Congress website at https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-132877/

The Legend Beautiful is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in the Atlantic Magazine in December 1871. You can read it at https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1871/12/the-legend-beautiful/539931/

Our Own Dear Home is likely a hymm composed by A.A. Graly in 1878. 

An Artistocratic Old Goose - I haven't been able to identify what this refers to. 

Waves of the Ocean - I found several songs about ocean waves from the 1870s-1880s but none with this exact title.

 

Clionian - There were several chapters of a Clionian Literary Society at liberal arts colleges in New York at this time. The first, Clio, was founded at the Geneseo Normal School, in 1872. Charles Joslin Call attended the Geneseo Normal School in 1880, so likely was familiar with the Clionian societies. So this may refer to one of those chapters, or a local group modeled on these other organizations. 

Article from the Progressive Batavian on Feb 12 1886 about a meeting of the Local Circle at Robert Call's home

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