The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-04-02
Papsr Before Somerset Pomona
WHAT Share of Labor and Responsible lily
in the Grange Should Properly Fall
on the Sisters.

The following paper, read before {
recent meeting of the Somerset Po-
mona at Pittsfield, was 50 highly
eomplimentedt that, at the request oi
the officers OF that organizatio n, we
give it place in our columns.
can hardly call my efforts a paper
but collection of facts of the early
history of the Order 10 furnish food
for discussion.
Before considering this question let
us go back to the time our Order was
organized and see what position
woman held in the world; also see if
woman had any part in its birth. The
time was 1855 and '67 and our Civil
War had just closed. Up TO the time
OF the war the place for women was
to remain at home, to cook, sew, and
raise family, but during the war
some as nurses had gone to the battle
fields to care for the wounded and
soothe the dying soldiers; the women
at home kept up their courage in
their lonely hours by knitting stock
ings and mittens and stripping linen
for bandages and many barrels were
sent to the brave boys.
Brave women were these and these
days were the beginning of the results
we see today. Woman now began to
be considered mans equal. Today
women stand by the side of men
carrying Oh the work of making this
world better. One writer mas said
that from the beginning of time until
the close of the 18th century, the
world has been almost exclusively a
mans world. But what a change has
been wrought.
We Learn from the history of our
Order that u. s. Com. of Agriculture
Isaac Newton commissioned Oliver
Kelly as a special agent OF agricul-
ture, to go to the states lately in
hostility against our government;
procuring statistics and other in
formation pertaining to the agricul-
tural resources of the South, and
report the same to the department
for publication. In January, 1866, we
find Mr. Kelly leaving Washington
for the South and while engaged in
this work in the different states he
conceived the idea of a secret organi-
cation of farmers, North and south,
to renew and promote more fra
ternal feeling.
What was the condition of our
country at this time? The previous
year Lee had surrendered to Grant at
Appomattox and President Lincoln
had been shot. The country was in
been neglected, and III the South i'll
place of the cotton growing, the fields
were covered with bullets. The
usual results of war were to be seen
on every hand.
After a three months trip through
the South MIR. Kelly returned to
Washington reporting what he had
seen and the condition of the South.
Before going to his home he came to
Boston to visit his niece, Caroline
Hall, explaining to her his plans for
new organization of men; she sug-
gested that women he given full and
equal rights of membership III the
Order. In May, 1867, Oliver Kelly
with four men and Miss Hall associ
ated themselves as originators of a
secret order, their aim being to ad
vance agriculture by encouraging
education and secure to members the
same benefits in certain respects as
those guaranteed by Masonry. In
November of that year the first for
mai meeting was held in Washington,
ID. c., ana after organizing, a com
mlttee WIS chosen to draw up a con
sttution setting forth the object tor
which the Order was instituted and
it was decided to adopt patrons of
Husbandry,o as the name and Este
Perpetual" meaning LET it be per
petualo as it's motto. The branches
were called Oranges. A copy of the
constitution was sent to Miss Hall of
Boston for her opinion. The mem
bership fee WIS made $1,000 tor men
and 5000 for women. As Miss Hall
looked over the constitution her at
tention was arrested by the article
on membership, and with the thoughG
OF the greatest good to the greatest
number she sent back these words:
"Do not get the price of membership
too high. Remember dollars are not
over plenty among farmers. They
are not found on every bush. Five
dollars is enough tor men and half
that amount for women They can
not obtain but half what men re-
ceiye. 1t is a shame but l hope the
society will correct the wrong" 1t
Is SdlQ ucE Suggestion WIS nGGuth
and the fee reduced.
We learn from the records that
most of the lectures in the four sub
ordinate degrees were compiled by
Miss Hall and Mr.. Kelly; while the
degree work for the women alone
was very largely contributed by Miss
Hall. Mr. Kelly and Miss Hall wrote
all the fifth degree. For II years Mr..
Kelly served as secretary for the
National Grange and Miss Hall was
his assistant. \ circular letter sent
out in 1870 contains this section:
"Women are admitted to full mem
bership and we solicit the co-opera-
ton OF woman, because of con
viction that without her aid success
will be less certain and decided
Much might be said in this con-
neetion, but every husband and broth
er knows that where he can be ac
companied by his wife or sister, no
lessons Will be learned but those of
purity and truth.
In 1873 a permanent organization
of the National Grange was effected
and the work of Sec. Kelly and Miss
Hall virtually closed; they passed
the temporary organization over to
the Incorporated body free of debt
except what was due them, and with
cash enough on hand To pay general
expenses of the session. When the
National officers were chosen Miss
Hall Was elected l.. Asst Steward
Miss Hall compiled a song book for
the Order. The month of july, 1868