Arizona republican., 1899-06-22
A FAMOUS FARMERS CLUB.
Millionaires Who Meet Monthly in the
 Alleged Interest of Agriculture.

4 club of farmers, whose butter costs
 a dollar pound, whose cream is near
 ly as expensive as champagne, whose
 cabbages represent an expenditure of half a dollar head, whose stables are | finished in marble, and whose dairies
 arc walled with Delft tile-such is the
 organization of which Frank Thomp-
 son, president of the Pennsylvania
 Railroad company, who died last week.
 was one cf the master spirits. It was l those who knew MT Thomson as a farmer who knew him best
 Only those who saw him at Corker-
 hill, his suburban mansion at Merton,
 about six miles from Broad street sta-
 tiOn, appreciated the charm of his ner-
 vcus, refined temperament to the full est extent A temperate man, he still enjoyed the good things of life. His
 mansion was more of a palace than villa. with it's parklike grounds dis
 playing landscape gardening at it's perfection, and great rooms filled with rare books and pictures which the owner loved so well.
 CorkerhilI made MT. Thomson farmer. The story begins in 17S5, when the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture was founded by such famous men as General John CadwaladeT, Robert Morris, the inan- cier of the revolution; Judge Richard Peters, Dr. Benjamin Rush and others equally eminent in national affairs and the legal and medical professions. The seed planted by this society has borne fruit in the founding of innumerable national, state and county agricultural organizations. Some of the members branched out from the parent stem in 1S47 and founded the Farmers club. They wished to cultivate the social side Of the subject, and met once a month at the house of a member, talked about farming, enjoyed a luncheon or dinner and reported to the parent organization at it's next meeting.
 As the years passed the farm talk grew monotonous and the dinners Of mere importance. New it is little more than dining club. The membership Of the club never exceeds twelve, and s one of the members gives a dinner every month. The April dinner was given by MT. Thomson at Corkerhill. The lucky dozen were then Clement A. Griscom, president of the International Navigation company; Wayne Mac Veagh, former attorney general Of the United States; former United States Senator J. Donald Cameron, B. P. Will bur of the Lehigh Valley railroad; Justice Henry Green of the Pennsyi- vania supreme court; Judge Craig Riddle, Frederick F'raley, president oi the beard of trade; General Edward De V. Morrell, James Logan Fisher, l and A J. Cassatt Cf the Pennsylvania Railroad company, and Rudolph Ellis l
 The dinners are given every month | on the Thursday previous to the full l moon, not from any mystic rite in | honor Of Ceres, but because the guests | are supposed to drive to and from | their hosts house. and they want | plenty of light at night. MT. F'raley | every January, Senator Cam | eron in February, MT. Fisher i'll | March, MT GTiscom entertains the club | in May at his lovely country place, l Dolobran, near Haverford. The dinner | in June by MT. Cassatt at his famous | ChesterbrcCk farm. near Haverford. | ranks among the most noted of the | series, being red letter day for lovers | Ot me nOfSen6Sl. 1OTIII July Iil14S the club at Judge Biddle's rural home, | 1ear Torresda1e, on the Delaware, and | rool breezes always finger during All gust about MT. MacVeagn's hi1lsiae mansion, Brockfeld farm. near Bryn | Iawr, Pa. In September the farm rs'' dine with Justice Green at EasroE. f'a.. and MT. Ellis plays the host dur ing October In November the guests 1f MT. Wilbur penetrate the autumnal oveliness Of the Lehigh valley 10 his home at South Bethlehem and Gen sral Morrell closes the series during recember.
 \ certain number of invited guests are always present at each dinner, the number never exceeding twen1y-fcuf men. During the last few years these guests have included former President f Colonel Daniel s. Lamont, he late Thomas F. Bayard, former secretary of state and ambassador to England: Commodore Elbridge T. Ger ". Speaker Thomas B. Reed, Senator Mark Hanna and Hamiluon Fish New York Herald.