Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-05-02
THE ORDER OF THE PATRONS
OF HUSRANDRY.

more or less felt in every political CAM
paign in the country. Il processes to
be essentially farmers union or asso-
cation, and seeks to promote the inter
ests of the agriculturalists OF the
country In preference to the interests
of any other class Of men. Their as
sociations or Oranges as they are
called, are not . mere concoursc OF
people impelled by casual emotion, but
parts of an organized system, possess
ing vast influence and capable of con-
certed action.
According to one account 1t SENS
that the "Order of Patrons Of Hus-
bandrv." as it is called, did not or1gl-
nate in the West, but the idea was
first borrowed from ali ASSociatlonthat
had existed for many years ina com
munity Of Scotch farmers III North
Carolina. 1t is said to DO nothing
more than s. secret, cooperative, III
dustrial and literary association. liz
the winter OF 1867, while several OF the
leading agriculturalists OF the West
we're in Washington on business con-
corning the farmers interests, the char
acter of this Society became known to
| them. The idea was taken up, and
| elaborated so as to serve for the pur-
poses of large and influential Order,
I and in the spring OF 1858, the ordef
| was introduced by the institution OF
| Grange at Itasca, Minnesota. From
| this beginning it spread gradually
| through Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
and Illinois, so that about the begin
| ming of 1872, the number OF members
! in those four States were estimated at
| about Is, 600. Later occurrences gave
a great impetus to the movement, SO
! that the membership in the four States
!! is now estimated at 40, 900.
| According to another account the
| order was formed and its general plan
| elaborated by number OF the PROM
! nent ayricultrrists OF Minnesota early
| ia 1868. Primarily, it was nothing
more than g. secret, cooperative, IN
! dustrial and literary association, the
benefit Of which not only the farmer,
but his wife and family, alike enjoyed.
! By its means, niddlelnen were done
| away with, thus making reduction of
| expense upon every article purchased,
! whether in the line Of luEary or nccas-
sity.
The first lodge, or "grangc, was
| organized in ltasca, IN Minnesota The
| second was instituted III Iowa, and, q
few months later, two OF three each il
Wisconsin and Illinois. For four years
the order made little Roadway. and at
the close OF the year 1871 there were
not in the whole West more than
go, 600 members. The seed had been
carefully sown, however, and by
degrees the people began 10 see the
benefits accruing from the system p1r-
sued by the oranges, both IL q bust
ness and social point OF view. They
saw that the patron could live at
least ten per cent. cheaper than
the outsider, while lie was enabled to
purchase his farming utensils and ma
chinery at z discount Of az ie2st
twenty per cent. from the prices paid
by others. They saw, too, that the
organization mast sometime become
a power in the land, and that i was
far better 70 be for ii than against, or
even indifferent to 1t. Certain local
causes, which are apparent 10 ali who
have marked the current OF Western
events for the past year OK two, a!ded
in giving 2 sudden and strong impetus
to the movement. To-day the order
exists in nineteen different States, and
numbers nearly half II million mem
bers. There is. of collIs@, q grand
head, to which the Gr2 g. 81 al the
States are subordinate. II IL styled
the National Grange, and meets every
two years.
State oranges arc rtfl.ict,- > meet
every wear, and subQr.tiLat,. garages
every month, or ofta1l.r, i occasion
require In thee last. women, IS well
as men, are admitted to a! TIE degrees.
which are four in number, and hold
Office the sam The tittn tecTc. Is
conferred upon men only, alId Is I,gl.i-
liar to the State oranges. Those only
are eligible who have served a. masters
of subordinate bodies. The sixth de-
gree is conferred only OF members Of
the council Of tIle national grange.
This council IS composed 81 masters
and past masters OF the State oranges.
The council meets once IL every year.
The seventh IS the highest degree to
which any patron can attain II i,
conferred only on members OF tile
members of the council who have
served enc year IN that body. The
Junction. of the council and senate ara
senators III legislative bodies. The Sill
preme executive authority in the order
is lodged III the master OF the national
grange; but each subordinate grange
has its OWL master, ovcrsccr, lecturer
and other officers The halls Of rooms
used for the meetings: of many OF Tie
subordinate oranges ere elegantly fl
ted up, and furnished with every at
traction and incentive 10 attendance.
Libraries-sOnG OF them numbering
thousands of volumes-;ianos, pic
lures, chess-tables, and, in fact, every
thing that may serve to amuse and i'll
struct, are the almost invari"ble CONGO
infants of these places. Private con-
certs and social parties age Of frequent
occurrence, the very Intimacy thus eD-
gendered rendering the bond more
firm, and the action OF the organization
more combined and powerful.
It will be seen from this that the or
der is compactly and thoroughly organ
lied, and IN Il manner that would make
all opposition to it on the ground =
its principles merely, wholly yain.-
AS instances of what they have accom-
plishcd in q material way, We are told
that in some of the West-rn cities
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 manu-
factory OF extensive capacity. Bat
what is most significant IN this move
ment is the almost miraculous progress
it has made and is making. La Ten
nessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and,
most of all, in Georgia, the people are
organizing oranges with the same
avidity that has characterized the people
of the Northwest, and the idea will
probably ere long find development in
the New England and Middle States.
IOUfSEANA--GOyE FE,E;SESE
TO BE TRIED FOR EEE.S0N.
"Govers,or" Kellogg's assurance is