The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1908-04-02
FOUNDER OF THE UNION.
A Short Sketch of the Life of Newt
Gresham by His Daughter.

~ onOrt Sketch OF the Lie OF NEWT
Gresham by His Daughter.
My father, Newt Gresham, the
! founder Of the Farmers Union, was
born in Lauderdale County, Ala, Feb
ruary Goth, 1856. When he was six
| years old, his parents moved to kauf-
man County, Texas, where they soon
died, thus leaving him, at an early
age, to battle against the world and
! its hardships 1t was, undoubtedly,
during this time that the foundations
| Of his character were laid. The
strength developed in these early
struggles helped him in shaping and
| leading Americas greatest organiza-
ton for farmers.
He was member and leader in
the Farmers Alliance, and was never
recOnciled, after the death of that or
| der until he succeeded in having an
other take its place
! My father never had the opportuni-
ty of attending a free public school.
/ All the education he received was the
result of his own labor and determina-
! ton. He was not a polished scholar,
/ but by dint of hard work he secured
good practical education and vast
amount of general information.
/ In May, 1877, with seven dollars in
j his pocket, he left his home at Cedar
/ Terrell, Texas, where he boarded a
/ train for Fort Worth, on his way to
/ Granbury. Hood County. Texas. There
was no railroad from Fort Worth to
| Granbury, and not having money
enough to hire a private conveyance,
/ he walked the entire distance OF for
/ ~ miles He then hired himself to
month.
/ In January. 1881. he married Miss
Ida Peters whose home was in Gran
bury. He joined the Alliance in its
+ infancy, ard was the first man in the
/ State to receive a commission to go
4 beyond State borders to do organizing
work. He was the best posted man re-
garding farmers organizations in Tex
as. Leaving his young wife with her
! parents, he went to the very commun-
ty in Alabama in which he was born.
While there he organized a good local
Alliance, and before leaving the State,
year later, he succeeded in organic
ing many thousands into the Alliance.
He then went 10 Tennessee. taking his
wife with him, but remained there
only a few months. having to return
+ 10 Texas on account OF his wife's Ill
j health.
In January, 1896, he went into the
newspaper business at Granbury. In
4 1899 he moved to Greenville, Texas,
where he was engaged in newspaper
work also. In January 1902, he moved
to Point, Rains County. Texas, and i'll
the fall Of this year, after many hard
efforts. he induced nine men of Rains
County to unite with him and secure
a charter from the State. My father
was made General Organizer, and in
the face of every Encouragement be-
gan the work of building up our great
Farmers Union.
| give a list of the names of the
ten men who were instrumental in
bringing about the +. f. C. L. Of A.. ::
Newt Gresham, O. II. Rhodes, d. l..
Seamster, w. H. Cochran, B. F. Nor
ris, James Turner, Tom Donelson,
Jesse Adams, Tom Pounds, w. S.
Sisk
Ny father was honest, sincere. sell.
sacrificing. always seeing the good
points in fellow man, and never Civ
ing thought to the bad. He was a
loving husband and father. He died
the 10th of April, 1906, after an i'll
ness of FIVE days. Our earnest wish
was that he might have lived longer
so that he could rejoice in seeing the
great work he started going on 50
faithfully and helping all who be
longed to the great organization
Lutte Gresham.