The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01

laborers with us in full communion. 4
Among civilized people in the country
this will make the meetings of the lodges
sociable reunions"
True as gospel and plain enough now,
but then matter of grave doubt to the
stern body of Free Masons who were in
council.
LET the Department. of AgricuI ture send
out the most capable and talented men in
the country to lecture before the lodges. p II II
| Let each lodge have fair every fall. n
l long to see the great army Of producers
turn up their eyes from their work. stir
up those brains; get them in motion in
the right direction; make them discard
their old almanacS and signs of the
moon. Everything is progressing,
why not the farmer? Can you sug-
gest an appropriate name for the order !?
The principal officers in lodge will
De master, overseer, chaplain, steward,
assistant steward, gate-keeper, secretary
and treasurer. Ceres, Flora and Pomona
will be represented in the different degrees
by ladies IL costume"
The matter of the name and a suitable
designation for the assemblies caused
great deal of worry. September Is, Mr..
Bartlett writes Mr. Kelly:
Would it not be better to drop the name
lodges and give the organized bodies of
the order some name derived from or ap-
have prejudice against anyth ing under
the appellation of lodge; the farm the
garden or the vineyard would be more
appropriate and not likely to excite oppo-
sltlon: work in the vineyard work in
the garden how does it strike you? For
the name of the order how would indie
pendent Farmers do2 In regard
10 fees for membership, is 81 for each de-
gree sufficient? 1t seems to me it is not
enough unless large dues are exacted,
which would be damaging. In this
age money makes the mare go. In
my view this order ought to be wealthy
one, with money in the treasury"
Again sound truth; the main trouble
with the grange has always been its poverty.
September Is Mr.. Kelly responds:
"The first item is the tremendous power
such an organization will possess. Pre-
Stunning half the agricultural population
are firmly bound through this order, where
will the political demagogues find sup
porters? But we must avoid politics and
religion lest we strike breakers, but we can
exert quiet influence. As to the
name lodges, it is conceded this is not ap-
propriate. Each of US has suggested
names-'6elds,' farms 'beehives,' gar
dens,' etc. Probably fifty names for the
order have been uggested-'In Independent
Order of Progressive Farmers Knights of
the Plow,' knights of the Flail' X y
with library"
By this time a large amount of cor
respondence had been had with people in
different parts of the country, all of whom
evidently imagined the work to be much
further advanced than it really was, and
to be possessed of really strong backing
to satisfy and hold these distant friends
some organization seemed to be essential.
Pendlng that the correspondence still con-
tlnued, and the search for a name. Oc-
.tober IL Mr.. Kelly writes:
1.-The vocabulary being nearly exhausted
some of our members have been seeking
Tor name bordering on the laughable.
,Rustics, mushrooms and fungi kave
been suggested; we will unearth some
thing yet; the name of homestead in
stead of lodge seems to me appropriate. ~
A day or two later Mr.. Bartlett writes to
Mr.. Kelly:
81 find it difficult to collect my thoughts
for such work while laboring hard OIL the
farm every day. Il A name for the or.
deris essential before progressing far. for
| the work should harmonic with it. Lords
of the Soil, Brethren of the Vine TEN
pies of Industry Companions of La
| bor' ~
!. About the same time Mr.. Muir suggests
in letter:
in place of lodge have garden )
grove, 'arbor' or simply homes: gar
den has much to recommend it. n
Inc faVorlte teaching spot of eminent phil
osophers; the quiet beauty, utility and do
mestic enjoyment and social utility of the
garden"
These glimpses into the workshop are
very interesting, and are selected from
pages OF letters, which in their shrewd-
ness, forethought and breadth remind one
OF the preliminary correspondence Of the
patriots who framed our constitution !:
and it must not be forgotten that this was
correspondence between plain farmers
usually living by manual labor on their
farms.
At this time Mr.. Kelly says:
Il confess | built large air castles on