The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-03-24
GRANGE ORGANIZED AT swANToN
Last Saturday by Mr.. j. 3. Ager, Mas
ter of the Maryland State
Organization.

Mr.. j. b. Ager, Master Of the Mary
land State Grange organized Grange
at Swanton last Saturday at which
the following officers were elected:
Master, Chas. T. Sweet; Overseer,
Herman Steiding; Secretary, c. NJ.
Miller; Lecturer, f. George Treas
urer, Theodore Beckman Chaplain,
Rev. w. A. Sharp; Steward, Theo-
dore George Asst Steward, George
Lee Lady Asst Steward. Mrs. B.
Warwick Pomona, Mrs. J. L. Fitz-
water; Ceres, Mrs. VIM. Sharpless !;
Flora, Miss Jennie Beckman Gate
Keeper, Ollie Switzer.
Besides there was plenty of the best
material left in the following charter
members John L. Fitzwater, John
B. Friend, Albert Wright, VIM. Sharp
less, Joseph F. Friend, Jr., VIM. J.
Barnard, Henry Barnard, H. B. War
nick, VIM. Chadderton, George Bray,
j. NJ. Conneway and Frank R.
Sharpless.
The Grange is the only cooperative
organization of a national character
which the farmers have, and it has
increased in strength more within the
last few years than ever before-over
$4,000 new members having been
added in 1908. This rapid joining of
hands to assist and protect themselves
| is due to several causes, OF which
might be mentioned the rural tele-
phone lines by destroying a sense of
isolation on the farm and cultiyating
greater intimacy, but more particu-
larly the seeing that all other great
industries to decrease their expenses
and increase their profits have COM
bined, and feeling that so many of
these great combines use their united
strength to crush the farmers and all
other uncombined industries to the
wall.
The Grange is not a combination
for such latter purpose, it is not pri-
marily union of farmers to transact
business even. On the contrary it is
an organization to look after legisla-
ton beneficial to the farmer, national,
state and local. to draw the farmer
and his family together in soc ial
| gatherings, 80 as to give them conf
dence in one another, to so educate
| them and their children that they
shall feel perfectly at home among
the other best citizens of the country,
whether upon the public stage, the
halls Of legislation or the drawing
room of the polite or cultured, to
transact business properly, to discuss
local affairs so as to shape their trend,
to keep posted on prices on what they
have to buy or sell and to avoid con-
iidence games and frauds.
During the last thirty years since
( the Grange was organized by William
Saunders, (for over twenty years chief
of the horticultural division Of our
government), one Of the grandest men
the writer ever met, it has introduced
and carried through more valuable
legislation to the farmer than all
other agencies combined. 1t is the
father of our experiment stations and
thus the grand father of the Farmers
Institute By it's influence the Sec
retary of Agriculture became a MEM
Der of the Presidents cabinet. The
Grange secured rural free delivery
and insists on Its extension to every
rural home. 1t advocates national
and state aid to road building, postal
savings banks, national control of all
corporations and combinations, pure
food laws and the adding Geographic
and telephone service to the postal
department.
In the subordinate or local oranges
the meetings are pleasant and social
gatherings of all the members both
male and female with their elder chill
dren and invited guests. The bust
ness is conducted privately by the
members only, and desirable new
members admitted by ballot. There
are entertainments for both old and
| young and often regular farmers
feast of good things for all. Numbers
of the offices are filled by the ladies
and no order shows greater apprecia-
ton by their sex of this courtesy and
acknowledgement of equality-about
half the membership being females.
The great and prosperous West, by
its rapid growth, its use of the most
up-to'date methods and appliances,
its application of business principles
to farming, is "a living example of
what the Grange can do for country
or section of the country.
Perhaps the best treatise on the
Worlds Fair at st. Louis, is that pub
llshed by the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
road, in an illuminated folder of
eighty four pages, setting forth the
attractions of the great fair in most
admirable and complete manner. 1t
contains some sixty-eight views of