Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-05-14
THE CHANGERS.


lied or Organizing-Grange Stores, CO.
operative Associations, Etc-How the
Farmers are Insuring Themselves.
From the Chicago Tribune]
1t is now something over seven years
since the Order of Patrons of Husband
nv first began to attract attention in the
years that it fas assumed proportions
so vast as to make it practically identi-
cal with the farming population of the
States of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and Mime
sofa, while in Nebraska, Ohio, on the
Pacific coast and in some of the South
ern States the oranges exert no incon-
siderable influence. The causes which
led to the formation of the order need
only to be briefly enumerated. 1t was
at first purely a social and educational
organization, having for its objects the
discussion of improved methods OF
agriculture, and the cultivation of the
mind as well as the soil. Among the
many ills to which the farmeris subject,
that of railway monopoly and extortion-
ate charges for the transportation OF
farm-products gave the oranges some
|
about. With this naturally came other
economic questions for consideration,
and the more they considered them the
more firmly persuaded became the
farmers that it was within their power
to help themselves by united action.
Early in 1878, the first cooperative
clubs were formed for the purpose of
buying plows, cultivators, ETC., at the
mandatory, and shipping a carload
at time and dealing direct with the
manufacturer, to effect saving on the
freight, and also to avoid the payment
of profit to the agent or middleman.
They met with rebuff at the outset.
The manufacturers returned their or
ders, and declined to fill them, Saying
that they must buy farm implements
of the agents, or not at all. Twenty
one plow-makers met in convention and
passed resolution to sell to farmers at
retail prices only, but advising their
agents to sell TO members of oranges at
snail profit for cash. The Patrons
grew indignant, and the result of dis
cussion in the oranges was firm resolve
to use no pillow made by the men who
had refused to sell to them at manufac-
turers' prices.
This gave the movement the purpose
and an intensity which it needed to
succeed, and from that time forth the
plan of cooperative action began to
receive the attention of the oranges,
now greatly increased in membership
and strength. 1t was an appeal to
every mans pocket to promise him upon
| h. 1af Il
$3.50; upon a tanning mill, S35 and
SIT; upon a cultivator, $50 and SIS
upon a wheat-drill, $50 and $50; upon
a wagon, 800 and S64 upon thresh-
ing machine, 500 and $3.50; upon a
sewing machine, S75 and S37. 50-while
in the matter of household supplies and
the staple necessaries of life there
should be reduction of from 10 to 20
per cent. in cost. 1t was an appeal
which no man could resist, and it was
answered by a cooperative mania In
various forms. The progress made
during the past year by the oranges
has been extraordinary, and it is the
purpose of this article briefly to sketch
these economic and industrial devel
opments.
THE WARNER HARVESTER.
The purchase of the Warner patent
harvester right and the manufacture
of tie harvester by the Iowa Statt
Grange were the first important steps
toward cooperative manufacturing Ii
spite of the scandal which the purchase
occasioned, and the charges that some
of the State officials had managed the
thing to their own advantage, it is al
important fact that the harvester which
used to sell for nearly $500 is nov
bought for $40. and the business in
creased so enormously that the concern
closed its order book on the 18th o.
March, being unable to do more thar
fill the orders already on hand. With
this success as an exciting cause, TIT
manufacturing fever has spread rapid,
and wildly. The small amounts SO t.
$25, which almost every farmer coul(
, raise in cash, when massed together b,
! the Patrons of an entire county, read
lily and quickly produced WORKING
|, capital which an individual would hav,
. found difficulty in raising. In SOM
, cases manufactures were bought out
but, as rule, the farmers have erected
new buildings, with new machinery
and superintendent and mechanics O
their own choosing. The enthusiasm
was not limited to the manufacture o
agricultural implements. Grist mills
grain elevators, warehouses, packing
houses, cheese factories, etc., wer
, planned or built; insurance and trans
! portation companies were formed an
: put in operation, and, in short, every
thing susceptible Of treatment on tn
u cooperative plan was included in tn
: general scramble for cheaper articles
Appended will be found list of tn
cooperative enterprises projected an
> completed by the oranges and club
{ throughout the West and South. Tn
;. list has been compiled from all sorts c
y sources, and is necessarily incomplete
:, though accurate so far as it goes, an
of great value as basis upon which t
L estimate the extent to which the CT
:, operative system is being carried. Th
list is as follows:
), INSURANCE.
70 Farmers' Insurance Company, of Minnes'
% ia controlled by Grange.