The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-08

"A Grange Festival in Olmsted COun-
ty..An Interesting Letter.

ROCHESTER, Mimi, Sept. %, 1874.
My DEAR OLD FRIEND: For although
we have not "run about the burn to-
Eether" and wasted our time pulling
<.gowans fine" we have been associated
in laboring for the welfare Of the peo-
pie. and feel entitled to address you
in the terms | use. The ANTI oNoPo-
LIST is becoming very popular down
this way, and it will not, therefore, be
amiss for you to publish in its columns
an account of Patrons festival which
took place on last Thursday, in Orion
township, in this county.
/ think you were told while here last
summer that ''Union Grange" located
in the township named, had built a
handsome hall on very eligible and
convenient site, wherein to hold meet
ings independently Of school commits
sioners or church committees. This
hall is frame building, 26x56 feet,with
but one story IL feet high. In the rear
is stable, not yet completed, Of suffi-
cient capacity to shelter sixteen or
twenty horses. The buildings are loca-
ted on triangular piece of land, form
ed by the intersections of three roads,
and comprising three acres, which is
covered with growth of young trees,
part of a handsome and extensive nat.
ural grove. 1t is about thirteen miles
from Rochester and seven from Chat
field, on the road between these two
places.
The land was donated by Mr.. Shell
ton and the heaviest contributors to
defray the expense of putting up the
buildings were Messrs. William and
Oliver Potter, Stephen and Cassius
Case, e. W. Plank, and one or two 9TH
ers whose names we failed to make a
note of. Quite number of the mem
bers, whose circumstances did not JUS
tify their contributing money, aided by
their labor, and the entire improve
ments so far are the handiwork Of the
members of the Grange.
The object Of the Festival held there
last Thursday was to raise money to
pay for finishing the building. To liz
sure that the affair should be pleasant
to all and profitable, the Grange ar
ranged to have an afternoon festival
and evening ball, charging one dollar
per couple for the former and two and
half dollars for the latter, and, as far
as ! could learn, sixty-four of the for
mer and fortyeight of the latter tick
cts were sold, making an aggregate Of
1854 from this source. Besides they
had q lemonade and candy stand, from
which about ten dollars was realized.
The expenses did not probably exceed
sixty dollars, leaving net gain of say
$l35 thus proving a pecuniary sue
cess.
The afternoon programme consisted
Of social conversation, singing, a couple
of speeches, and supper. The music
was very good, but there was not
enough Of it.. One of the speeches, by
DIR. l. NJ. Westfall, was also very good.
The Doctor dwelt at considerable length
on the beneficial influence which had
been and would continue to be cxerted
upon the politics of the country by the
Patrons 0! Husbandry, and showed up
the evils OF railroad monopolies. He
exhorted his hearers to continue the
warfare against monopolists, and pay
no heed to the threats uttered by rail-
road owners to intmidate them from
doing their duty to themselves. He
urged the Changers to attend the
primary meetings Of beth political par.
ties and see to ii that none but worthy
men obtained the nominations.
The other speech was made by your
humble servant, and didn't amount tc
much, though the people were kind
enough to listen to it. The burthen OF
1t was to urge upon the attention Of
those present. first the impossbility
of avoiding mistakes, and that there
fore, the argument used by thei
ponents, that their organization had
committed some blundsrs, was really
no argument against it whatever Sec
ond, that contention amongst thei,
members was no good ground for dis
couragement. because they were nat
ural. and happened IN every organiza
tion. Third, that the apparently SLOW
progress made in attaining the end
aimed ct, was not sufficient cause t,
shake their confidence in their abilit,
to perform what was the purpose 0
their organization. Fourth, that tn
greed of capital and the corruption Q
partyism made their organization
permanent necessity. As to politics.
only urged them to do all in thei
power to prevent monopolists control