The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-12-17
ALLIANCE WORK IN ALAMANcE.
Funds for the Shoe FactOry--The Loca-
ton Purchased is a Good One.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.

G1Ou uICuSSCO - g SSO0 OuSs
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
MEBANE, N. @.
Bro. 81. NJ. Gates, u County Lee
turer and agent to raise funds for the
Shoe Factory, visited our Alliance
Cray No. 6O3) on Saturday night, the
Both ult. 1t was his first day cut and
the second Alliance visited. We be,
lleve the result of his labors on thai
day will pan out about $50 for the Snoe
Factory. All that I have conVerSeu
with approve the purchase u
the location made by the Elk
ecutive Committee. 1t is
a very healthy place, conveniently
near the Hillsboro. depot. Four pa"
| eenger trains pass every day anu a.
most continuous stream of trelgnC
trains pass night and day. The OricK
| in the main building would cost almosU
90 mucb as was given for the whole
property
The buildings were put up by Brown
Gordon. one the best masons IN
State. and will stand for ages to come.
Should a tanning establishment be
put up. the materials for tanning are
abundant. In fact, prior to the war,
tanning was carried on on a large scale
at the depot; and it was a profitable
business. Good hides for years past,
till recently, have been selling from
Two to five cents for dry hides.
Mr.. Gates is the right man in the
right place, and we were all pleased
with his speech Cor talk, as he termed
it,, and we can safely commend him to
all the brethren whenever he may be
called to go. He clearly proves that
those who have left the Alliance, be
cause (as they allege) it went into poll
tics, are the ones that went into politics
and not those who remained in it.
Now l beg the readers Of this paper
to bear with me a little, while | write
a few thoughts along this line. 1t Is
said that great men are not always
WISE; that the majority of mankind
like to be humbugged", that bought
wit is the best; that the school OF ex-
p~erience is a dear one" The Wise Man
eXhcrts US, saying: Wisdom Is the
principal thing; get wisdom, and with
all thy getting, get understanding"
1 may be somewhat pessimistic in my
views, but to be mild, I must say that
all u farmers and laboring classes are
slow of heart to receive or understand
the truth. To be honest and candid
with yourselves, confess and own up
Answer me Have not many Of You
toiled from early dawn till dark Nay,
more. Have you not got up before day,
fed your stock in the dark, eaten ali
your meals by lamp light, except your
dinner, worked in sunshine, slush and
rain from ten TO sixteen hours a day
the year round? Have not many Of
(you Counting ten hours a days work.
worked from thirteen to fourteen
months in q year counting the time
spent in feeding your stock, tying out
your COWS, tying up fodder, hauling 1t
in, putting it up into the barn, re-
hanging tobacco, curing tobacco, driv-
ing to and from market, going to mill,
doing all your chores, and turns done
in the night? There is not a stirring
man in all this section but averages
thirteen months OF ten hours a day
work in a year. How many of you
can take your paper after dinner or
supper In the winter. sit down by the
fire and read without nodding? How
many of you can, after dinner in sum-
mer, sit under your vine or shade tree
without nodding7 Own up. There
are few of you that a do it.
Now, unless you are wide awake you
cannot do anything we'll. You cannot
read understandingly. The ideas you
get will be dreamy. Your reading will
not profit you. You will have
no very clear ideas about any of the
great questions of the day that are in
our reform papers, SO carefully worded
or artfully twisted or misrepresented
in our political papers. The truth is,
you have to go to some man to en-
Tighten you-to explain tie silver ques
ton, the tariff and other matters.
Now, Task you few questions: Would
it not be better to work a lesser num-
Der Of hours each week; play quite
out at least twice a week at eleven
o'clock in the fore noon; go out to your
Alliance in the evening; meet your
neighbors, talk w farming matters,
discuss anything that pertains to your
personal nterest-discuss any of those