Evening star., 1896-10-31

nen OF nne education and OF the higheS'
order Of ability. They worked all the fall
On their plans, and then began to build
only to pull down and rebuild stronger
and more lasting structure, which was to
br1ng atout great revolution among the
American people, by uniting and educating
the farmers to think and act for their best
interest.
The grange met for the first time in
1851 as before stated in the home Of Mr..
Saunders. the members coming together
after office hours during the early winter
evenings of that year, and then began the
! greatest educational work ever inaugurated
Tor the elevation of mankind In this or any
other land.
This building. as the birthplace of the
grange, was the subject of much interest
10 the vast membership throughout the
united States A strong movement was
made to secure a donation of the building
70 the order from the government, and also
the ground on which it stood. A prominent
New York member of the grange, o. r.
!ngersol esq. offered to give $4,000 for the
building. Tor the purpose of distributing the
brlcks among the subordinate oranges over
the country. Others proposed that the Ma
tlonal Grange should appropriate sum
su1nclent to keep the building in repair
u. wyatt Akin of South Carolina prepared
Dill to donate 1t to the grange. But some
strong influence antagonized the movement
The evening Mr.. Akin was going to intro
duce his bill in Congress the Superintendent
OF puDlic buildings had a force of workmen
ture In which the most important educa-
tional movement was ever Inaugural ted was
destroyed and lost to Washington city.
The First Officers.
Inc plan or organization so far agreed
en- was to unite the farmer and his family
into club, which was to be known as the
orange OF the Patrons of Husbandry, and
the order was called the Patrons of Hus-
bandry. A simple secret work was adopted
oy which one member could recognize an
other and which prevented all but the in
idated from obtaining admittance to the
grange hall At the first meeting Mr.. VIM.
Saunders was elected master; John r
Thompson, lecturer; Rev A. B. Grosh.
chaplain. and o. H. Kelley secretary. Al
some later meeting, the records do not
show when, but prior to March 2S. 1895
the following additional officers were Sc
lected. Anson Bartlett, Ohio oyerseer. A
sherwood Moss. New York. assistant stew
ard; VIM. NJ. Ireland PENNSYLVANIA treas
urer, and Edward F. Farris, Illinois gate
keeper.
a circular letter, issued by Mr. Saunders
early In 1865. and which, with revisions by
Mr.. Robinson wss issued a few months
later by Mr.. Kelley, when he had reached
Minnesota, contains the names of the
above officers and William Muir of Mis-
souri, steward.
There are no records to show that any
woman was elected to an office until the
Georgetown session of 1873 when the four
lady officers were elected.
Miss Carrie A. Hall of Boston, Mass a
niece of Mr.. Kelley, was one of the first
ladies' to take an active interest in the
order and she was selected by Mr.. Kelley
as his assistant prior to the Georgetown
meeting, at which time she was elected
lady assistant steward. At one time Dr.
Trimble. being the only member of the
order without an official position, constitut-
ed the sole subordinate membership, and
10 Nd
Worthy Master Saunders read his address
ct the third annual session. The auli-
ence, although not large, was appreciative,
and the order took another step forward in
Its great work. In five short years thereaf-
ter the order had reached a membership of
over 2.OOO.OOO, and during January Feb
ruary and March. 1874. $4,000 was re-
ceived for charters alone at the headcuar-
tiers Of the order. From Its organization
until January s, 1873, when the first gen
eral session of the National Grange was
held in Georgetown. heroic and noble bat
ties were fought by these self-sacrificing
men, who, having entered the field, knew
no such word as fail l =.
Patrons Plow Deep.
The early history of the grange. like that
Of all true reforms. is one Of trial and
sacrifice to those who gave their time and
money to the cause of agriculture, the
great industry upon which humanity rests.
his companions. gave up his position under
the government and started out to preach
a new gospel to the farmers of the United
States. He undertook a herculean task
and one that few men would not have soon
turned back from, but, having set his hand
to the plow he aimed to carry out the
motto of bis order, Patrons plow deep"
That he plowed deep and well, and that his
co-workers sowed only good seed and cul-
tivated and harvested thoroughly, is proven
abundantly by the fact that since the first
dispensation was issued by Mr.. Kelley, at
Harrisburg, Pa. April a. 1865, to DIR. Calder
and others, and the first grange was regu-
larly organized, April II, at Fredonia, N.
Y, there have been chartered in all q 379
subordinate oranges, scattered from Maine
to California. Within the grange year just
closed. September 80, 1896. there were or
ganized 16J new oranges, as against 92 fof
the preceding year. The life and interest
in the grange still keeps up, and while it's
work Tor good Is continuous. it is done so
modestly. though effectively, that 1t is not
often seen. The grange does not believe
much in dress parade. but 1t believes in
earnest work. While there were several
state oranges organized prior to the George
town 1873 meeting, it was only then that
the order started upon It's actual career Of
usefulness.
The order has been instrumental in shap-
ing legislation, state and national, that has
materially affected for good the farmers
interest 1t was through the grange that
the interstate commerce, the oleomargarine.
the filled cheese. the meat inspection and
the Hatch experimental station bills were
passed by Congress. These laws all were
OF general benefit. and were in no sense
class legislation. The grange opposes class
legislation and demands the greatest good
for ALL"
Much judicious and beneficial legislation
has been enacted in the states through
grange influence, especially the pure food
laws that have so materially assisted in
has been placed on the railroads and other
corporations through the influence of the
order, although 1t is by no means radical in
Its actions or demands.
Where the Delegates Will Come From
The body which meets in this city next
month will have representatives from all
the New England states, New York New
Jersey. Pennsylvania, Delaware and Mary
land; all of the central western states, all
the Pacific coast states and many Of the
rans-Misslssippi and southern states The
alliance has taken strong hold in the
south, but owing to the troubles in the
populist ranks in the campaign 1ust closing.
II Is thought that the farmers will now re-
turn in large numbers to the grange
The headquarters of the grange IN this
| city are at the corner Of F and 9th streets.
| where DR.. Trimble Is ever ready TO receive