The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-01-23
COUNTY

independence.
CONFEDERATE K ROADS, N. c.,
Jan. 10, 1894.
Mr.. EDFToR:-We have just returned
from M~ecklenburg County Alliance
meeting, and are feeling good. We
got filed up, not on confidence ID
promises, but on fresh hog meat,
chicken fxings and such good things
as the Alliance ladies Of Back Greek
Alliance get up on all public occasions.
We arrived on the ground at 10 o'clock,
after q twelve mile pull through the
mud. The morning of the first day is
always set apart in this county for
public speaking
At 10 :15 the meeting was called to
order by the Chaplain, ]. P. Alexander,
who also introduced Miss Jennie Sapp,
of Concord, who was billed to read an
essay before the Alliance and the pub
lie generally, and as it will bepublished,
and I cannot do justice to it with my
pen, I will say nothing, only that
Mecklenburg County Alliance has
never listened to anything better since
its organization. At the close of read
ing of the essay, Bro. J. K. Rankin,
County Lecturer, made a fine, pointed
talk. J. P. Sossaman made a short
talk in behalf of the State Business
Agency and The PROGRESSIVE FARMER.
1t was now one o'clock. Some long,
lean, hungry looking Query of a fellow
shouted at the top of his voice that
dinner was waiting.
Well, we repaired to the table about
three hundred strong. You may talk
about ''giving us a chance" "conf-
dence, =" gold standard, " free silver"
''tariff," negro in the wood pile"
pension frauds, " red pepper, " ''back
number eggs" and such like, but we
forget it all when we surrounded that
table. The crowd was made up of the
following: Back Creek Alliancemen,
women and small boys, delegates from
different parts of the county. Then
came in the we'll wishers Of the Order
who were not members, with some
Asiting brethren from Cabarrus and
Ireaeu counties.
Well, after all had eat they took up,
well, twelve baskets and boxes, but
they were not all full of fragments, for
some of them eat like hungry men, but
they took up more or less.
At $50 o'clock the Alliance went into
secret session; was called to order by
President j. M. Dowd; Secretary
Elliott called the roll and it was found
that than a quorum were on
hand.
The minutes Of October meeting were
read and adopted after the necessary
corrections.
Some brother suggested that a dele
gate from each Sub-Alliance repre-,
sented be requested to make a state
ment of the condition of his Alliance.
Every one represented their Alliances
In good working order and in to stay.
Some OF them have not as many mem
bers as they had before they left the
Democratic and Republican parties,
but they r somewhat like the fellow
who had his blacksmith shop burned,
and with it his books. He got a new
book and set about getting his accounts
posted again as best he could from
memory. When he was through his
wife asked him if he thought he had
all his accounts on the new book. He
said no, but what he had charged on
the new book was on better men than
was on the burnt book. To make it.
short, the Alliance was found to be in
better condition than for eighteen
months.
At 4:Se, after the appointment of
committees to take charge of some
resolutions, the Alliance adjourned to
meet Friday morning at nine o'clock.
The delegates and visitors 6 assigned
homes for the night. They all returned
Friday morning with their clothes
fitting them as tight as if they had
grown on them.
The Alliance was called to order, the
committee reported, and the various
resolutions discussed. At one o'clock
the business for the session was closed,
and the Alliance adjourned to meet
with Mcdowell Creek Alliance, at
Huntersville, On the second Thursday
IN April. We then got around that
table and had a repetition of Thurs
day. After dinner, and general hands
shaking, the delegates scattered and
started for their respective homes, all
feeling very much encouraged and de-
4nrnninnd "a ca fonmnna 80 An:-