River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-04
The "Round Up" at waukesha.

tiuldNtuL feature Oh W lscOISlu
University and hence of the school
system of the state, and the close of
the institute season was marked by a
great meeting this year held at Nauke-
sha, which it was our privilege TO
attend, and which tells in way I'll At
is indisputable the estimate placed
upon the work done during the past
three years of state patronage to in
stItutes.
The round up at Waukesha nat
urally drew to it the best speakers
that have manifested themselves in
the detail of institute work, and their
papers and speeches condensed the
wisdom of the entire range of North
ern State Husbandry into forms of
argument and exposition that gave
great weight to the utterances, and
there was large body of men and
women who did not appear upon the
platform, but whose searching in
quiries, pertinent rejoinders, and
eXIemporaneous discussions. made the
most valuable farmers meeting we
have ever attended.
The conclusion of the whole matter
of agitation for better farming was
made by Governor Hoard when he said
the scriptural injunction of bread
by the sweat of the brow, must be
interpreted not only literally, but
iiguratively in the sense of mixing
brains with farming, to enable opera
tor to conserve his interests under the
great laws whereby civilization makes
progress. Thoughtless farming pays
nothing but worthless products;
thoughtful farming improves the
quality and value of products, reacts
upon the man, bringing him the dig
nifty of freedom, and makes for hui
manity definite advance whereby the
individual is again blessed for the
participation in natures ways, to the
philanthropic end. y great hall was
filled at Waukesha at every session.
and the evening meetings were
crowded.
The commercial sense of the farm
machinery dealer and the sanguine
temperament of the select live stock
man seemed duly toned by the in
tensity of the conviction of the mass
of farmers who seemed averse to spe-
cial pleas, but were wide awake to
put every special application under
the general truth which the Farmers
Institute has emphasized. 1t is not
invidious TO designate certain men
who have organized and managed the
Farmers Institutes, always remember
ing that the degree of success is a
resultant of the work of men whose
intelligence shades down through in
sensible grades to the humblest, pen
sive listener.
Primarily, those jealous souls that,
back in the dark ages of 1906, held
local meetings in the east and south
of Wisconsin and stirred the dairy
men to employ richer blood in all
stock, better feeding, housing and
handling. and finally, at tremendous
personal sacrifice, made a permanent
market for dairy products, should be
held in remembrance by all citizens.
Then, the men and women who by
social and professional contact under
the name of Grange, did an important
work of removal of barriers to intelli-
gence. and taught something of the
force of organization to direct ends.
The elimination was made, however.
VIXEN the state undertook the specific
organization of the Farmers Institute,
placing it under the direction of men
who had not simply farmers knowl-
edge, nor only those who could organ
ize schools, but giving into the bands
of the same men who had demon
straetd their fitness to lead in thought
and organization tOO,--men whose
purposes were clarified by protTacted
contact with the very industries which
they sought TO improve for their
neighbors. and whose methods of pro-
ceedure were evoked from full knOwl-
edge of the conservation of their fell
low farmers living in isolation. To
the great good common sense of Hiram
Smith, the penetration of Gov. Rusk
and his intelligent judgment of men,
to W. ID. HOard's iDimitable illustra-
ton of purposes and aims of agricul.
ture as conserving the true means of
human progress,--to j. NJ. Smith with
his candid specification of details of
operation,--and to the entirely unique
quality of Supt. W. IL. Morrison, whose
skill in organizing force of experts
in each department of industry, whose
foresight in preparing the localities
into which institutes were to be sent,
for making the most of the work, and
by whose wise judgment in evoking
from localities the persons who could
contribute to the interest of the local
meetings, and whose power of assimi-
lating such with his regular corps of
expeTts,-tO Supt. Morrison's energy
more than to any other person, is this
vast uprising of intelligence due, and
it is not surprising to learn that his
counsel is now sought by nearly every
state in the union, and by foreign
countries, in the desire to follow
Wisconsin's example in the institute
work.
1t is current judgment that if the
congressional bill introduced in the
upper house by Senator Spooner shall
be enacted, that w. II. Morrison will
as naturally get the SUPPLEMENTARY
of Institutes for the nation, as that he
should have been selected by Gov.
Rusk for like work in Wisconsin-and
the vast influence that such man can
afford for fifteen years in vivifying
the agricultural means of the entire
country, can not be over-estimated.
We say emphatically that the most
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