Milford chronicle., 1883-03-30

Z the morning paper were purchased and distTiDu
ted at private expense. But the National GranR
preserved its dignity, and the founders reassert
ed their faith in It's perpetuity; a cob6dene,
amounting almost TO prescleuce,
The constitution Of the Order required thai
every subordinate Grange should be composed
Of at least nine men and iouf women, and that
fifteen such Oranges might apply for the organi.
zation Of State Grange. In accordance with
these provisions, = State Grange was organized
in Minnesota on the 2sd day of February, 1869
and another in lows on the 18th day Of January,
1871. Oa the 81 day of January, 1874, the Ma.
iional Grange met in IFS nth annual session, and
as an Accession to its members hailed with
welcome the presence of Dudley W. Adams, the
Master Of the State Grange Of Iowa, and the irst
member Of she Order who had ever met with the
original seven,
Anterior to the fifth session Of the Natonal
Grange there had been organized in the several
States about two hundred Oranges, whose char
ter ices had partially reimbursed the founders
the money advanced ia the cause, but snnual
salAres had been promised the master, the Sec
retary. and the treasurer, not dollar Of which
Ct uld be paid. for there was as yet not sur
plus penny in the treasury. During the year
1871 new life was Infused lntO the Order, and be.
fore its close more than one thousand Oranges
were organized. scattered over more than bali
the United States Of the Union.
The founders continued to work most assidu.
ously and framed degree peculiarly suited to
the State Grange, and another higher one for
the National Grange, and still another for those
patrons who had served twelve months or longer
in the National Grange. They also appointed
deputies to work in the Grange hrld.
In the fall of ls72 the secretary mailed to ell
the masters Of State Oranges, to the deputies,
and 20 others who had labOred for the cause.
letter Of invitation to convene in Georgetown.
D. c.. on the sIh day Of January. 1873. iu the
sixth annual session OF the National Grange
Seventeen delegates representing eleven States.
assembled on that day at the place designated,
six Of whom were masters Of State Oranges, and
the remainder deputies in the Order. 10 addl-
to these four ladies honored the body with their
presence.
The sixth session continued four days, and be.
fore adjournment the foundation was laid for ae'
tive. energetic, progressive work during the sue
eeedng year. The enthusiasm Of the founders
was imbibed by every delegate present, ard each
declared himself q propaganda on his return
home. To date there had been organized more
than thirteen hundred Oranges, more than halt
Of which were in the two States Of Iowa and
South Carolina. No valid reason was entertained /
why . majority Of the States should not each |
possess as many aS then existed in these two
combined. 4 little more than tWsnty.one thOuS-
and dollars (t2l .O0e) had been received by the
Treasurer, aud ex pended In distributing circulars
printing manuals and constitutions, and In pay
ing OF Old debts to the satisfaction OF the Grange.
But there still remained debt Of Sc 900 dues as
salaries, which It was then resolved should be
liquidated though the treasury had been exhaust
ed. Everything working in perfect harmony,
and the labOrS Of the session were closed by the
institution Of brotherhood as fraternal as tho
ties Of Masonry, and as binding as the fellowship
Of the Christian Church. Great prosperity hoV.
cred in sight. Hpe became confidence and per-
severance q labor Of love. St. Louis was chosen
as the place Of meeting ia 1874. and when the
National Grange assembled there, they received
ne joyous news that there were over fourteen
hundred live, active subordinate Oranges in the
state OF Missouri alone.
The years 1878 aud 1874 were maTVelously u
prosperous years for the Grange. In the former, =
light thousand and SIX hundred aud sixty-eight I
unfortunate Oranges were organized; and 10 the
after, eleven thousand nine hundred and forty u
me.
Then Il was that in our strength we exposed
ur weakness; our debts had been paid and our 4
Offers we're full. But we had grown suddenly Il
DO rich and powerful. We had leaped from
overly into afFiuence. From 3 struggling broth.
rhOod oi seven We had developed with magic 81
TOWIh Into fraternity Of twenty thousand sub. b
rdiuGte Oranges, averaging . membership Of ir
orty. all adults, or well grown male and female al
OuthS. and our numbers were increasing At the A
lte Of thousands month. But our ranks lacked L
isciPline. Our leaders we're afraid Of the multi v
lde, and chaos prevailed, to = considerable Sx. y
mt throughout the Order.
Al the ST. Louis session In February, 1874 the g.
sliOnal Grange Issued its Declaration Of Pur- L
,ses"
A. this session thirty-two States were repre-. m
nted twelve Of them by the masters and their th
ives, aud twenty Of them BY the masters alone; I'M
so one Territory, by the master. St
Early In this season Of prosperity We we're
He'd upon to prove Ia = most practical manner OF
any OF the purposes 10 which we had given q
The graSlhoPPer plague Of the Gu
orthWest appeared 10 be q mysterious Provi. to
nee sent to test our sincerity. And scarce bad col
, the time to Venfy our faith by our works. an
fore the father Of waters deluged the South. ch
sst, and subjected US to . further test. Appeals
subsistence came, but not IN vain, from our wa
ethren in both those sections; over twenty Be
luSand dollars were takes from our treasury
invested in bTeadIlnfs, provisions, and plant. 10
g-seed, which were shipped, freight prepaid cri
nd in many instances no freight WAS charged
her by boat or TailrOad), for distribution I
long Patrons in Iowa, Nobraska, Minnesota, 4
kOta; Kansas, Colorado. Missouri, Arksnsas, per
lsiSSippi, Louisiana aud Alabama. vel
For several years eOnSeeutiVely. as SOOR a. I
ciieable after the adjournment Of the National chs
,nge, thirty thousand copies OfltI proceedings dei
sragiDg one hundred and htIy pages each, the
rs printed and delivered free Of cost to the I
,ordinste Oranges. side
Ir. CA. Hall, Of Minnesota. who doubtless A
erveS the credit Of suggesting the idea Of fs. due
lie membership in the Grange, compiled and wal
ired the copyright Of a song book for she T
er, which the National Grange bought fer sas the
lsand dollars, and printed 10 many eonsseu. eurr
editions Of ten thousand copies each. the
he executive committee, impell0d By the cd /;
sssity Of relieving the unIetiersd farmer, who A
he be chosen to on the matters chair Of bis n
nEe, from the enbaTrasnent Of his own Il. D. N
lnce, attempted to purchase thseoPyFight Of Ri
aingla Manual. that 9 COPY misht be nlac.d nnl,,