Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-08-03
A GREAT SOCIETY LITTLE KNOWN.

of the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry,
whether there be regarded the suddenness
of its growth, the extent Of its enterprise, OR
the utter and almost inexplicable ignorance
that prevails concerning the objects, means
and movements. If an intelligent publicist
or student Of political economy were asked,
what are the Grangers?'' he would have
to reply that he did not know, or give an ok
PLANTATION ludicrously inaccurate. But one
intelligent mention of the Grange is found
in the speeches or writings of social scientists
or political economists, and that's contained
in the address of Lord Roseberry before the
Social Science Congress. Though the order
contained last November "a, 290 subordinate
oranges, or lodges, having 761, 1868 members
"square in the books" and a total member
ship of perhaps 900, 900 ; though the revenue
oil the National Grange, or central body, for
1874 (the last complete Year, was $216 $751;
OF !; initiation fees paid into the treasures of
the subordinate oranges have exceeded 3d.
750,O0O and the annual income of these and
the State oranges (some of which bodies
have sums in excess of $40, 900 in their cof-
fers) is in excess of 81, 100000; though the
movement has occupied the attention of ey-
cry agricultural paper in the country, and
probably brought into existence thirty new
journals exclusively devoted to its interests,
but one of the great American papers. The
World, has deemed its progress of sufficient
consequence to merit constant record. IL is
safe to say that if there were any social or
benevolent organization possessing one-quar-
ter its numbers, every prominent daily in
the country would hasten to chronicle it's
doings. That it has attained such a growth
so silently in the midst of a journalism so ac-
tive, is one Of the anomalies of the time.
Nor are the ignorance and oversight of
students of such subjects as cooperative en-
terprises, less extraordinary. A single fac
tory conducted by ONE twenty men and
possessing a capiral Of less than $4,000 has
within the last two months provoked long
reports and lavish editorial comment
throughout the press of the whole country.
The Grange has some twenty State purchas-
ing agencies at least, three of which do an
annual business in excess of 5000, 600. Dur
ing the past year the World has recorded
as in active operation and coming under its
notice five grange banking associations Zone
OF which, at San Francisco, has a capital of
$5,000,0O0 of which $500, 900 was paid in):
five steamboats, or.packet lines thirty man
ufactlring associations whose capital ranges
from s. 1000 to $4,000 fifty associations for
shipping goods and similar purposes, among
which are the Direct Trade Union Of
Georgia, which freights cotton direct to its
W agents in Liverpool the San Francisco
Association, which broke the grain-shipping
monopoly Of California, and the Anglo
American Association whose agent has just
returned from England after concluding ar
rangements for a direct exchange of pro-
ducts with the cooperative associations of
Great Britain thirty-two insurance compa-
MES; thirty-five grain elevators; sixteen
grist mills, one of which produces 100 bar
rels OF -four a day twenty-five warehouses
for storing goods; three tanneries and six
smitleries. These are distinctively grange
enterprises, started with capital contributed
by members of the order, managed by them,
and producing for their benefit. In addi-
ton, the World has noted the establishment
of 100 grange stores to furnish members with
supplies at wholesale price plus freight and
handling, the customers, who are the stock
holders, dividing the profits. 1t has chroni-
cled the dedication of 144 halls built or
bought to serve as places of meeting, one of
which cost $4,000 and such of our readers