The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-09-02
sHIAwAssEE FARMERS PICNIC.

ery-Addresses by A c Bird and Coy
ernor Pingree
The Shiawassee County Association of |
Farmers Clubs held its first annual picnic
at Caledonia Park Saturday afternoon and |
the meeting was not only success so far |
as the size of the crowd and the rendition |
of the program were concerned, but it was |
one of the most pleasant meetings from
social point of view which has ever been |
held in the park. The members of the
various clubs assembled at varying inter.
vals during the forenoon, and then after
spending the time in visiting they proceed
ed TO take good hour in which to dispose
of the large baskets of lunch which are the
inevitable and much enjoyed accompani
ments of such gatherings. Then between
half past one and two O'Clock the program
itself was begun.
In opening this part of the days proceed
ings President Frank Whelan referred to
the organization of the association last
winter aud reviewed its objects briefly, the
principal ones being the cultivation of the
good and for the use ii will be in assisting
all to work together for their common ad-
vantages. After this introduction John j.
Whelan rendered an instrumental solo,
prayer was offered by the chaplain, Rev.
Benson, of Vernon and duet was sung by
Charles Whelan and daughter. Later on
during the afternoon other music was fur
nished by Mrs. n. j. Strong, who played
an instrumental solo and also accompanied
the North Vernon quartette who sang
selection which was heartily applaud"'
The quartette consists Of n. .ou.
and Mrs D. b, WI" strong, Mr..
Got. Ia -' ''liams and Miss Elsie
nv ..ultion to the music, recitations
Miss Wrigley, of the Oak Grove Club,
and Mrs. j. Marsh and Miss Harper, of the
North Vernon Club, still further helped to
add to the variety of the program.
The first paper on the program was the
one read by Mrs Frank Clark, of Vernon,
who touched up the bright side of farm life
with such skilfu hand that the picture
seemed almost one complete panorama of
pleasing sights and happy events, and there
is indeed no reason why it should not be So.
Nutting parties and picking apples in the
fall; the long evenings for reading, sleigh
riding and visiting in the winter; the pleas.
ure of planning the seasons crops in the
spring; the caring for the chickens when
they look like fluffy balls of down. and the
finding of the first spring beauties; then the
berries served with cream, and the picnic
parties in the woods, completed the circle
of the year.
VIM. Fl. White, of the North east Venice
Farmers Club, was called upon to say some
thing concerning his pet theme of free mail
delivery and he plunged into his subject
with vim. The subject is as he says one
of intense interest to the farmer, and while
1t would doubtless cost something, so do
battle ships, railway and steamboat lines,
aud electric cars. We are behind European
countries in this respect. The cost, how
ever, would not be noticed IL at the same
time the great waste of money In the Star
route contract service and the railway car.
|
place the government pays, according to
him, eight times as much as the actual car
riers receive, and In the latter case pays
seven times as much as business corpora
tions have to pay for mctter which costs nc
less to carry ard which has no guaranty Of
D U. 8. troops to force trains through.
Miss Belle Morrison, of the Meridian
Club read paper on Nineteenth Century
Progress" treating the subject In broad
spirited manner. Knowledge is power ant
he who has 1t has power as Bacon said
The school boy of today knows more of ths
laws of nature than the sages Of the past
Mrs. Charles Woodin read an interesting
y sketch of the Burton Farmer Clubs history
: This club was organized February 4, 1886
with membership comprising ten families
and has stsadily grown in usefulness.
Arther G. Bird, of Highland, membe
I o; the state board of agriculture and one o
: the editors of the Michigan Farmer, was in
!. troduced and gave an earnest address OF
Q the theme of equal taxation, although h'
q stated that the loss of his father few day.
since had left him in no mood to prepare
speech.
u Mr.. Bird spoke briefly of the work Of th'
various departments of state, dwelling a
l length on that of the insurance bureau, Il
u the chief of which, Milo ID. Campbell, h'
paid glowing tribute, saying that he wa
the first commissioner who has had nerve
enough to say that the insurance companies
' who were defrauding the people must ge
', out. While emphasizing the value of sucl
. work which the common people canno
J, afford to have left undone, or poorly don
Il either, Mr.. Bird said that all this meant In
}. creased taxation, and that brought him t
: the main theme of his address. The In
e creased expense was absolutely necessary
:. Where was it to come from? From tn
u class which was already paying far NOR