The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-12-24
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.

Worthy Master, Sisters and Brothers
of the State Grange: Your Secretary
begs leave to submit this, her first, annual
report:
The condition of the Order in our State
to-day is subject for congratulation.
On taking charge of the Office one year
ago / was under the impression there were
I4o working Oranges in the State.
found no register or list in the office,
therefore was completely at loss to know
who to write in regard to raising our
Worthy Masters salary, according to a
resolution passed by this body, which was
my first duty after preparing the minutes
for publication.
By gathering information from what
sources best could, secured the names
of a number of old Secretaries and prom
inent men in the Order to whom ] imme-
diately addressed a circular letter / had
prepared. l mailed, | think, Iso alto
gether Some replied at once to my
communication. but the majority did not
When forced to make a report to the Ma
tional Secretary in February of this year
for the third quarter of 1880, none having
been made for that quarter, am sorry to
say there were only 81 paying Oranges,
with 2,ioI paying members. Five of
these ceased to report from that time,
leaving really only 40 paying Oranges in
the State.
Our Worthy Master visited my Office
IN February last. He examined the
ledger, making memoranda of the Gran
ges that were in existence in 1870, and on
his return home wrote to them. The re-
suit of which was that some revived and
n xrnrk 1ouincr 81
organization, others again paid all back
dues. After he took the field the revival
began in earnest, an when in October
last sent corrected reports for the four
past quarters to the National Secretary,
the report for the third quarter of 1880
was oI paying Oranges and 3,r72 paying
members,-some reports having been sent
In as late as that month.
The membership now exceeds 4,ooo
considerably. We have $50 Oranges.
though l can not tell exactly the member
ship, as some were reorganized during
the third and fourth quarters of this wear,
consequently do not pay dues till the ext
quarter, and it is not yet time for these
reports to come in.
Here we see the necessity of reporting
promptly.
For three months and more the work
In the ofhce was very heavy, often neces-
stating my remaining at the desk till one
and two O'Clock at night. The duties were
new to me, and the books in such confu-
sion, that / felt like one cropping in the
dark. Had it not been for the timely as
sistance rendered by the Chairman of
your Executive Committee, who is a good
book-kceper, tear should have TAINTED
and fallen by the way-side" in nv efforts
to bring order out of chaos. With his
assistance, however, as well as that of
some OF the Secretaries. / believe nv
books now are in proper order.
After our Worthy Master took the field
in May, the work of reorganization, as I
said before, began indeed. and the in
creased prosperity of the Order is truly
wonderful. Beginning the year with 40
oranges, whose membership hardly ex-
ceeoeo 2,oooIwe now stand 1 50 Grange and
over 1000 members. But one Grange has
surrendered its charter during the year.
Henkle Greek, No. "a. Rave the pleas
ure To announce two newly organized
Granges.-one in Oktibbeha county. Ash
Creek. and one in Holmes county. Idle
wild. Credit is due Bro. Baxter Wilson
OF Holmes county, and Bro. Isaiah Neeley.
OF Oktbbeha county, for the organization
of them.
BY a resolution passed by this BODY at
It's last session regarding Cooperative
associations have six to report, as fol-
Holmes county-Bowling Green Cen.
trial, No. goo. Oficers-Business Man,
ager s. A. Montgomery, Durant; Chair.