and more important correspondence. There are 2,108 file boxes, of which many are empty, and there is a book index. The other contents of this office are as follows: Bound statements of insurance companies from 1869 or a later date of organization to 1891 or an earlier date of suspension; sometimes statements of three or four companies are bound in one volume, 190 v. Also three packages of statements by various fire insurance companies, various dates; those for 1870-1892, not bound. There are a few odd statements, during the eighties, in the basement, unbound. Bound statements classified under kind of companies, 1892-1906, 257 v. Reports of Illinois policies written, various life insurance companies, 1897, 1899, 1902, 1903, 4 pkg. (basement). Statements under the reinsurance law of 1899, 1901-1903, 3 v. Reinsurance registers, 1906-1908, 4 v. (basement). Records of agents' certificates issued, 1869-1895, 27 v. (basement). Affidavits of gross premiums received in Illinois, sundry insurance companies, 1905-1907, 2 pkgs; 1902, 1 bdle, basement. Returns of circular inquiries sent out to members of proposed fraternal orders, as to compliance with the laws, 1902-1905, several packages. A large number of printed volumes; statements of assets schedules, "A" (real estate owned), "B" (mortgage loans), "C" (stocks and bonds put up as collateral for loans), "D" (bonds held), "E" (stocks held). Sundry life companies, 1897-date. Record of assessment, life, and accident companies. Name, location, date of compliance with the act, date licensed to do business, name of attorney, dates of filing statements, 1904-date, 1 v. Same, fire, life, and casualty, companies. Name of general agent of company in addition to the information detailed above, 1904-date, 1 v.. Registry book, fraternal societies, "A," 1894-1898, 1 v.; "B," 1 v.; “C," 1 v. Fire, life, accident and casualty companies register book 1894-1898, 1 v.; 18981904, 1 v. Record of assessment associations, 1896-1899, 1 v. Record of charter fire and fraternal societies, 1899, 1 v. Register of county, township, and county mutual live stock insurance companies, 1872-1896 (?). Record of mutual accident companies, 1883-1896 (?), 1 v. Register of fire and life insurance companies to May 1, 1894, 1 v. Register of mutual companies, etc., 1883-1895, 1 v. Record of organizations and incorporations, 1893–1904, 1 v. Opinions of the attorney-general, 1873-1885, 1 v.; 1894-1898, 1 v. Record of cases in court in the hands of the attorney-general, 1889-1895, 1 v. Decisions of the supreme court, 1897-1904, 1 v. Attorneys' business docket, 1897-1900. Docket, 1900-1905, 1 v. Records of policies written yearly by life insurance companies chartered in Illinois. Compiled from annual statements by the companies. 1 v. for each company. Records of the registration of policies-optional with Illinois companies on an extra deposit. 1 v. registry book for each company so registering. Reports of district and township companies, 1 pkg. each, 1870, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890. (basement). Receivers' reports, fire and township companies, 1876-1880, 1 pkg. (basement). Routine correspondence, bundled alphabetically, 1871–1893, 55 pkgs. (basement). Correspondence, 1893-1897, 39 transfer cases (basement); 1897-1907, 429 transfer cases. Letter books, some 150 v., current. A few stenographers' old note books. Requests for printed reports, several bundles. Account bocks: cash book, 1904-date, 2 v.; ledgers, 1903-1907, 5 v. STATE BOARD OF PARDONS. Created by the act of June 5, 1897. All records are complete from that date. Parole record; record of name of each convict, number, county, crime of which convicted, the date of sentence, and date of arrival at the penitentiary. Chester, 2 v.; Joliet, 3 v. Record of orders for parole of prisoners, Chester, 2 v.; Joliet, 2 v. Record of cases continued, Chester, 1 v.; Joliet, 1 v. Record of final discharges from parole, Chester, 2 v.; Joliet, 3 v. Pardon records; minute book of boards' sittings and actions, 1 v. Bound copies of recommendations to the governor respecting pardons. The papers sent up to the governor are filed with the secretary of state. Stenographers' note books-the only correspondence record kept. All papers not related to cases, and accordingly sent to the governor are destroyed. STATE BOARD OF PRISON INDUSTRIES. Established by act of May 11, 1903, to deal with the problem of convict labor, by regulating its use and the market disposal of its surplus product as well as its distribution to State officers, schools, etc., required by law to use it. Records of product and sales by the board, 1903-date, 2 v. Record of requisitions forwarded to the Illinois State Penitentiary, Joliet, 1905-date, 3 v.; Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Chester, 1905-date, 3 v.; Illinois State Reformatory, Pontiac, 1905-date, 2 v. Requisitions from the state highway commission for crushed stone from the two penitentiaries, May, 1906-date, 1 v. Correspondence to December, 1908, 71 transfer files. Monthly reports of the three institutions, 1903-date, 15 transfer files. Notice of shipment on requisition of the institutions, 1903-date, 9 files. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. Created March 11, 1905. Application record; each application for enrollment in the civil service is here recorded by number. 1 v. Eligible register; of those who have passed examinations. Names of eligibles arranged according to the form of service for which they have qualified. 1 v. Card index of civil service employees as put on the pay roll. Indexes of applications, of those failing to pass examinations, and of resignations. All papers of applicants, examination, application, etc., are kept in filing cases. All letters subsequently received, carbon copies of all letters sent are filed here. Letters of the commissioners are kept in separate filing cases. The commission is allowed to destroy the above-mentioned application papers every two years. For a time it probably will do so every five. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. The secretary of the board of health declined to accord the necessary access to his records for the preparation of this report. The information given below has accordingly been gathered from the Revised Statutes. The office was created by act of May 28, 1877. The act gave the board supervision over the collection of vital statistics in the State. The act of April 21, 1899, provided that reports of births and deaths be made to the board or to the county clerk. The board was further required to keep a record of certificates of death made to it. ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY. This department, created May 25, 1889, has never been made the depository of the State archives, so that its collection of manuscripts is composed of private collections that may have been given or bought. Since the department is constantly making its own reports, it has seemed unnecessary to include a description of its material here. |