The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-15
Patrons of Husbandry; History of
the Organization,

| the organization.
In view of the rapidly increasing in
terest in this order, the following from
| the Missouri Republican will prove &C.
ceptable to our readers. There is very
much Misrepresentation existing in the
public mind in regard to its objects and
purposes. Because of its secrecy it is
looked upon as dangerous. If it be
for moment considered that among the
members there are ladies and that
! each member is pleged to works of be-
nevOlence and love toward his associates
and neighbors, the danger is not so
threatening. The idea was originally
borrowed from an association which
has existed for many years in a commu-
nifty of Scotch farmers in North Carroll
MIA. This Scotch society seems to have
had for its object the purchase of all
needed supplies from first hands, and at
wholesale rates, and the cultivation of
more intimate social relations among
its members. 1t was really nothing
more than secret cooperative, indus
trial and literary association. The
numbers composing it were few and its
influence small. Indeed, the fact that
such society had an existence was not
known beyond the limits of the commu-
nifty affected by its institutions. It was
not until the spring of 1868 that the
order of patrons of husbandry became
known to the people of the west. Du-
ring the preceding winter, Mr.. 81. P
Kelley of Itasca, Minnesota, and seve-
raj other leading agriculturalists of the
west, happening to be in Washington,
had frequent interviews in relation to
the interests of the farming population
of the great west. 1t was about that
period that the character and workings
of the Scotch society of North Carolina
became known to them. The idea was
seized upon, elaborated and matured to
adapt it to more general purposes of
national order. In the beginning of
1868, the order was introduced into the
west by the organization of grange at
Itasca, Minnesota. In short time an
other grange was organized in Jasper
county, Iowa a third grange soon came
into existance at Waukon, Almakee coun-
ty, in the same state. From the year
1868 the order made little progress I'M
til the past twelve months. A few
oranges were organized in Iowa, Min
nesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, but up
to the beginning of the year 1872 it is
estimated that the whole number of
members in the four states did not ex-
coed seventy-five thousand. It is
claimed that in the same states now
there are at least four hundred and
fifty thousand patrons. The order
seems to be intended to exercise NOR
al supervision over its members, and
provides for the care of such as may be
unfortunate. The social character of
the order is made prominent, but the
material interests of the class exclu-
sively represented in its secret conclaves
are, it is said, most assiduesly guarded
1t will be seen from the particulars Civ
en- above that this order is very COM
pactly organized, and, when taken in
connection with its vast increase in
numbers, its general diffusion over the
whole country and its manifestations of
power and purpose, its existence consti-
tutes most interesting study for the
sociOlOgist, as well as the publicist
The moral and intellectual welfare of its
members, though strictly attended to,
does not reveal the broader and deeper
significance of the existence of this or
ganization. Already in many localities
has the occupation of the agents or
" middle men," who deal in manufac-
tured wares consumed by farmers, be-
cOlne ODSoIoGe. Lie oranges nave APP
pointed middle-men of their own,
through whom an interchange of pro-
ducts is affected OF the minimum cost.
in some places they have purchased or
leased grain elevators. At other places
they have employed forwarding agents
of their own order. In Iowa they have
already built an agricultural implement
factory of extensive capacity. Thus far
they claim that these enterprises have
proven profitable to them in the great
reduction in the expense of Doing bust
ness and lessened cost of manufactured
implements. But what is most signif-
cant of this movement is the rapid ad-
vance it has made. In Tennessee, Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, and especially Geor-
gia, the people are organizing oranges
with the same avidity which characteri-
yes the progress of the order in the
northwest.