The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-17
FARM AND GARDEN.
PATRONS OF HISBANDEI.

who First Conceived the idea of a Farmers
Industrial League-The Primary Organi2a-
ton.
Mr.. o. H. Kelly, of Washington, Secretary
of the National Grange OF Patrons Of Hus-
bandry, has recently issued volume giving
history OF the conception, birth and growth
of the order. We are indebted to the Wash
ington correspondent of the Chicago inter-
Oceo@ for the following interesting abstract OF
its contents:
Mr.. Kelly was IA farmer in Minnesota, and
suffering severely from the drought OF 1928,
he came to Washington as clerk in the Ag-
ricultural Department, and here he remained
till 1866, when he went south 10 gather intor.
nation for that department concerning the
agricultural condition and prospects OF the
warswept land. One of the results OF his
observation was an impression that atterward
ripened into conviction, that one OF the best
means Of reviving agriculture and restoring
kindly feelings among the Southern people
was the organization of secret society OF
agricultursts, in which the two extremes Of
territory and political opinion could meet on
a common basis and with common purpose.
When Mr.. Kelley returned he preached the
subject to many of his friends, but met with
little encouragement He persevered, how
ever, and soon found fellow feeling in an
associate in Washington, who has told the
story as follows:
"On rainy afternoon in the fall of 1866
two gentlemen were introduced to each other
by a mutual friend in one of the committee
rooms of the National Capitol. The one was
from the frontier of the new state Of Mime
sofa, and was fair type of the active, ener
getic, enterprlsing and goahead western far
mer, who had just returned from tour of
the South, whittier he had been sent by order
IF Yl,a of 40 tn in
vestigate and report to the Agricultural De.
partment the condition and prospects of the
agricultural resources Of the South. The
ether was NermOnter, so recently from the
green hlllsldes of IankecdOm that the habit
of asking questions whenever desirable in
formation was to be obtained was still strong
upon him. This chance meeting, so casual
in its character, and so like, in its persons
and its incidents, the thousand accidental
meetings of strangers that occur every day,
strikingly illustrate the truth that
"'God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
for from it sprang one of the grandest and
most benefcent moral, industrial, social and
educational reforms Of the century, if not of
all time The Nermonter at once marked his
new western acquaintance as legitimate prey.
He had just returned, not only with his note
book filled with notes upon the agricultural
condition and resources of the South, but
with his head crammed with Information and
impressions as to the political feelings and
the social status of its people, CLEANED by per
sOnal contact with and observation among
them. All this information and all these i'm.
presslons the other desired to know, and en-
forced his demands with such pointed and
persisted questions, that the afternoon was
consumed in uninterrupted conversation and
fnrnnftan rh
faded, twilight deepeled into darkness, the
gas was lighted and the conversation still ran
on. The evening hours had recorded them.
selves on the dial and fled before the new
friends separated, each having received ideas
which neither had before entertained
These gentlemen talked the matter over re-
peatcdly till their plans were very much ma
tured, and Mr.. VIM. Saunders, of the Agri
cultural Department, whom | have just quot
ed, communicated the idea to friends he met
at the meeting of the United States Pomolog-
ical Society in st. Louis in 1868, with whom
also it met with great favor.
Mr.. Arson Bartlett, of North Madison
Lake county, Ohio was the next gentleman
to unite his fortunes with the inCipient socie-
ty, and brisk correspondence was carried
on for several months, in which the plans
were fully discussed and still farther matur-
ed. Miss c. a. Hall, niece of Mr.. Kelly
and at present Assstan! Stewardess of the
National Grange, was admitted to confidence,
and to her the multitude of farmers wives
and daughters owe their membership Of the
grange. These, with Rev. Dr. Trimble, of
Washington, Mr. Ireland, of the Postotfce
Department. and j. r. Thompson, constituted
the body Of COMMITMENTS at that time.
When the plans were all made, the qucs-
ton Of a name came up, and, as Is always
the case, every person interested had one to
suggest, each thinking his own the best. The
following are some of the suggestions "ln-
dependent Farmers" independent Order of
Progressive Farmers, ""Knights of the Pillow"
"Knights of the Sickle" knights of the
Flail,' Rustic" Mushrooms Fungi"
"Templars Of l..Gustry," "COmpanions of La.
Dor" "Yeomen nf Columbia" "Sons Of the
Soil The League of Husbandry."
Finally Mr. y lSon Bartlett suggested PA
irons of Indus ," which everybody thought
was good, bG' too general and Mr.. Kelly's /
suggestion Ia -lbstitute "Iusbandry' was
agreed to, anu le infant was named.
Mr.. Kelly then sent out circulars to lead.
ing agrlculturall;s of the country, notifying |
them of the Steps that had been taken, and |
soliciting their cooperation, together with
any suggestions they might choose 10 otter in
way OF further Improvements before intro
ducng the organization TO the public.
Very encouraging replies were received
from all sources, and on Nov. 10, 1867,
meeting was held in this city, as the minutes
read, "tor the purpose of organizing an order
of agriculture in the United States There
were present six gentlemen. The order was
formally organized, the name, patrons OF
Husbandry," was adopted, and the motto
Este Perpetmt" was chosen.
The committee who had been appointed to
draw up constitution performed their duty,
and on the 4th of December il was adopted,
and Mr. Ireland elected Master; Bartlett,
Overseer; Thompson, Lecturer; Muir, Stew.
ard; and Saunders Treasurer. Jan. :, 1868
Now the organization was complete, and it
was only necessary 10 introduce the order