Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-22
Lecturers Report.


Lecturers Report.
The Lecturer had no evil or discouraging
report to make OF the or Ter. He had found
it throuyhuus the State strong earnest, self
reliant and manlfe-ting an increasing dsposi-
ton to be aggressive in the nteres: of the vast
industry it rtpre-cn. Public men are be-
ing more closely watched and mere party
| lines hold the farmer less closely than here
tofore, while the novelty of the grange has
| ceased to attract and while sentiment is
| largely thing of the past, while aspiring
men cease to use it as a ladder by which to
climb to place and power. As a whole the
order in Maine was never so valuable or so
practical now. Patrons are not only using
the grange as social privilege but it is al
80 being more and more largely used as
business mediun. Mr.. Thing said good
word for the Patrons Cooperative store and
it never was well spoken of bv members
generally now. It is safe to say
that there is not a family in Maine that could
not save money by trading through the cor
poration. The Patrons insurance companies
are generally well spoken of among the thrift
tv Patrons, and he bell we'd a saving of half
the cost of insurance could be realized. The
| Patrons Mutual Aid is receiving great atten-
ton. The Lecturer spoke highly of the
| Dirigo Rural, Maine Farmer, Home Farm
and other leading papers. The Lecturers
work commenced the Goth of December.
| 1885, and had continued whenever there had
been calls, up to the present time, he having
been in active service l22 days, during which
time he had spoken nearly every day, and
| often both afternoon and evening. During
the year he had visited oranges in Frank
| lin, Somerset kennebtc, Waldo, Penobscot,
| Hancock. Andrnscoggin and Cumberland
counties, and canvassed pretty generally the
counties of Knox, Lincoln, York and Oxford.
Ny next work. continued MIR. Thing, will be
in Somerset county. The State picnic
at Old Orchard the annual meeting of
the Hancock and Penobscot Patrons Picnic
Association, and the meeting at Hayden Lake
of the Somerset County Oranges were very
successful As rule | find the laws of the
order obeyed. The only really discouraging
! feature connected with my work is the little
| attention we gam from all classes outside our
gates. The most important question for this
| body to discuss is how to so far gain the ear
| of farmers generally as to get the opportunity
| to tell them of the grand work the order has
| accomplished, both for them and the business
| of agriculture. In the great work of the
| grange not dime has been received from
outside sources, and yet our work and in
| fuence has been all the time tending TO the
social and material elevation OF the farmer.
/ AL IL. 10, HOlOuTDtu uHtii alhSiHObD.
| AFTERNOON.
The afternoon exercises were public and
at2P NJ Worthy Master Rohie delivered
his annual address, occupying an hour and
| half Ii was teeming with valuable thoughts
/ and inf rmaton and was frequently applaud
| cd bv the large audience in attendance 1t
will be found in full on the second and fourth
| pages
AIS 30 o'clock, National Lecturer Morti-
NOR Whitehead was introduced He spoke
with much eloquence for over an hour, hold
! inc The closest attenton of his hearers, He
| told a story very effectively and created much
laughter. He was also master of argu-
ment.
MIR. Whitehead's Ad dress.
In opeping, Mr. Whitehead said he brought
with him the greetings of the Patrons of the
keystone State which statement was recelv-
Cd with vociterous applause. He compli-
mented the Worthy Masters address in the
HIGHEST terms. The state of this organlza-
tna he continued, was not such as 10 DIS
courage one He had heard that the order
was plavipg out but the figures of the Ma
,,.nal Grsngs proved it to be in a most four
,shino condition. There was no decline, but
in many states the order had made gigantic
strides. He believed the Grange was the
only institution the farmers OF the coautty
ever had which caused them to hold up their
heads. We are not afraid to state that there
are some members who Joined the orange 10
make money or for political purposes ana
they have been driven out lLsusn'eI. nu'
Co.. ayarv one of that class we have lost. we
hava taten in two or three better ones IN
their nlaces. 1t is but disposing of the chat
and getting wheat in its place. Laughter