The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01
A UNION FOR FARMERS.
Patriotic Enthusiasm of the
Founder, o. II. Kelly, and .
His Friends.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORDER
History OF the California State
Orange Now in Annual Session D.
at MERGED.

The annual session of the State Grange,
Patrons of Husbandry, which begins to-
day at MERGED, will be an occasion of great
interest not only to members of the order
but to thousands of farmers who were for
merly connected with it, or who are accus-
toned to look to it for suggestion or guild
ance in the various problems of rural life.
Upon its first introduction into California
in 1872, the order of Patrons of Husbandry
literally swept the State, its growth and
energy during the hrst two years being
really phenomenal. Its membership
plunged into all forms of cooperative en-
terprises with zeal which, if it had been
backed up by wider knowledge and a
sounder discretion, would have% proved
highly valuable to our farming in
terests. The absence of these quail
ties, however, in most cases brought
misfortune to the enterprises with con-
sequent falling off in membership. Of late
years interest in this praiseworthy and
really useful order has been reviving, and
many signs point to a renewal of its former
activity and influence under more expert
enced and sober direction. If the mem
beers of the coming State Grange prove
themselves equal to their opportunity the
Grange will increase its power for good in
the land.
THE CALL here presents a concise but
complete history of the Grange from its
first organization in Washington to the
present day. This history has been care
fully compiled and written by Edward F.
Adams, well-known member of the
order. No such history mas hitherto been
written or printed. 1t is believed that an
account of this great farmers organization
Will be of material benefit, not only to
farmers, but to all concerned in the pros
perity of our farming interests.
The order of Patrons of Husbandry,
commonly known as Changers, was organ
lied at a private residence in Washington,
D. c., on the evening of December 4, 1867.
The idea originated with o. H. Kelly, who
was apparently seeking to pay off the
mortgage on his new Minnesota farm by
temporary service as a clerk in the Post
Office Department at Washington. He
was, evidently, in his home community,
one of the active men whose political SER
vices are rewarded by small appointments
of this kind. A year before he had per-
formed temporary service for the Agricul-
tural Bureau by trip through the States
lately in rebellion collecting information
and statistics for the use of the Govern
ment He was man of keen intelligence
and broad sympathies and gradually con-
ceived the idea of a secret order which
should unite the farmers of the entire
Union for social purposes and for united
action for common ends.
The first notion of the special usefulness
of the order seems to have been in the line
of aiding to remove the asperities remain
ing from the Civil War, the Importance of
which suggested itself to Mr.. Kelly during
his tour as Government Agent in 1866. In
his correspondence from the South he sus-
gested the idea to his niece, Miss Caro-
line A. Hall, who at once responded with