The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-12-27
FROM TEXAS.
BELL COUNTY.

BELL COUNTY.
Editor Patron. At my appointment at
Pleasant Hill on the 18th of November
we had pleasant time, or as Bro. W..
Clark called it, "a regular og-killing
time" Bro. Clark, who is Master of that
Grange, land better Granger don't
breathe the air of Texas, had made no.
BILE effort to bring the people out. The
house was crowded to the utmost, and
large crowd filled the windows standing
outside At II o'clock Bro. Clark read
short welcome in poetry from The "a
IRON OF HUsBANDRY, when he intro
duced your very humble correspondent,
who for one hour and ten minutes tried as
best he could to show the people the ne
cessity of an organization among the tar
mers,-its objects, purposes and designs
the good it has already accomplished
the merchants false and oppressive bust
ness system,-the duty that we owe to
each other to free ourselves from these
chains. Then the grand principles of CO.
operation were explained by facts and flg-
ures that could not be misunderstood.
Then compliment was paid the ladies
for the noble effort they are making for
the success of our Order, telling them to
train up their children in the Grange that
they may make better members than we
can make, who had to learn our lesson on
the decline of life. Bro. Stubblefield, of
Golinda Grange, McLennan county, also
gave short and telling talk. Then Bro.
Clark demonstrated upon the blackboard
the principles of cooperation. We were
then called from labor to refreshments
and such dinner can only be prepared
II
ters The fact is, Bro. Worthington, we
would not have felt ashamed if you had
been there.
After dinner the public was dismissed.
| noticed that many of them had little
private business with the officials of the
the Grange before they left.
A private meeting of the Grange was
then called to order, and at the 9Th order of
business the Secretary presented e ap
plications for membership. | received a
letter from the Secretary ! st Saturday
SAYING, 81 am glad to inform you that we
received II applications at our last meet
itg and expect at least as many more at
our next. May you live long, and con-
tinue in the noble work in which you are
engaged" Yesterday, according to pre-
vious arrangement, | met Bro. Rose at
hOIu1IlS StdI oIdIlSC, "hSlC lhClC was q
very large turnout. Bro. Rose was quite
unwel, but made one of his fine efforts in
behalf of the Grange and cooperation,
after which | followed with a short ex-
hortation At the last meeting of this
Grange there were twenty three applica-
| tons, and | saw some others going in
yesterday.
On last Thursday we had an election
i al
the State Grange. Bro. w. P. Hancock,
of Soado, and your humble servant were
elected.
The Order in Bell county is in better
working condition than it ever has been.
The fact is, the farmers of this county
have about concluded to think and act for
themselves in the future, and attend to
their own business in their own way. The
oppressive business system is about explo
ded in Bell We are sustaining ourco-
operative houses, of which we have seven
chartered Our State Association is COM
| ing fully up TO our highest hopes The
outlook is truly encouraging here in Texas.
The dark night Of ignorance that has held
the toiling masses in bondage so long, is
fast giving way to a higher degree of in
tellectual attainments The Grange hall
is the best school the farmer ever attended.
He here learns more of himself, and of the
grand purposes for which he was created;
it makes him a better man, better citi-
zen, a better neighbor; it raises him to
higher plane, and he walks out upon
broader fields of usefulness to himself and
his fellow man.
Enclosed find money order for small
club to the paper. We are still in the
drouth; no rain to amount to anything
since the 9Th of May, when the hail storm
ruined all crops in part of our county.
Fraternally, A. M. KELLAR.
BIRDsDALE, Dec. Is.