The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-05-20
LETTER FROM ROWAN COUNTY
What one of the Banner Counties has
Done.
RUSSELL, Rowan Co., N. c.,

Corresponding Secretary OIL MILL
Bridge Alliance, No. 424, l will at
tempt in my humble way to comply
with the request of my Alliance and
give YOU a few dots that the brethren
may know that we are still In the
land of the living and kicking away,
and inst here let me ask the readers
of The PROGRESSIVE FARMER to pardon
any mistakes l may make, as l feel
utterly incompetent to write for the
Arizona kicker, much less the cham
pion of the noble cause of the down
trodden farmer, The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER. Long may The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER live to champion the u OF
the Alliance against money and op-
preston. 1t should be in the home
of every Alliance man in the State, as
it would do our cause more good than
anything else in paving the road to
success and better times. The writer
takes The PROGRESSIVE FARMER and
National Economist, and l must say
that two better journals would be
hard to find anywhere.
We have about 81 male and IL
female members in our Alliance, all
good and true Alliance men and Wo-
men. The PROGRESSIVE FARMER IS
taken by most of them and nearly all
read it, which accounts for their being
good members. We claim and
think the claim just to have
the banner Alliance in the
county, being situated as it is in
n of the best farming sections to be
found in the State of North Carolina,
and a more progressive set of farmers
would be hard to find anywhere.
Our Alliance it was that originated
and held the first Alliance Fair ever
held in the State. That alone ought
to entitle us to the honor we aspire
to, as the fair was a success none will
deny, and as Secretary OF Rowan
County Alliance, l might add taatthe
fair committee have decided, so l
understand, to locate the fair In or
near the town of Salisbury on a tract
of land donated to the association by
Hon. John S. Henderson for a period
of 10 years, rent free, the citizens of
the town to enclose the grounds and
assist in the erection of the necessary
buildings. This site was decided
upon by the committee after much
d~eIiberation, and while it does not
meet the approval of all the Alliance
men in the county, it was probably
the best the committee could do under
existing circumstances and the scar
city in money matters. There are
many good Alliance men who contend
that inasmuch as the fair originated
in the country that the country was
the proper place for an Alliance fair
and that it should be held there. But
[ trust it may prove a success In the
future as it did in the past.
At our last county meeting, held
on the 4th and 5th of April in the
town of Salisbury, considerable bust
ness of Importance was transacted, it
being the largest meeting we have
ever had and all seemed in good
spirits and hopeful of better times in
the near future.
Rowan county has contributed to
the State business agency fund the
sum of S857.OO. This amount was
contributed by 81 Sub-Alliances out
of a total of 40. Nine did not con,
tribute anything of this amount. The
County Alliance paid $50. We might
have done more, but if the other
counties does as well considering, our
fund will be raised and the success of
the State business agency assured be.
yond a doubt. The Alliances in the
county are availing themselves of the
benefits to be derived from the agency,
and I learn that our county business
agent is kept busy and has all he can
attend to, and did a big business in
the purchase of fertilizes for the ALI
ances this spring, which has saved a
great deal to our farmers.
And yet some will stand off and ask
what has the Alliance done. To all
such [ will say if they are eligible and
will join the Alliance they will find
out what it is doing and is going to
90. Inc county AlI1ance has under
way a County Exchange, the capital
stock of which is to be not less than
two thousand nor more than one hun
dred thousand dollrrs, Ct think(, and
no doubt it will be established in the
near future, but for the present we
have trade arrangements with our
local merchants, which upon the
I think is satisfactory.
Well, [ am a little off my subject
of Mill Bridge Alliance and will re-
turn to the same. Mill Bridge ALI
ance re :eived and distributed a lot of
groceries on last Saturday, it being
the first order made by our Alliance
through the State Agent. All seemed
well pleased with their purchases.
We are solid on the ub-Treasury
plan, and also at our last meeting held