Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-27

hall, meeting occasionally from house
to house or at some Office on Water
street occupied by some of our men,
bers. until August 4, 1894, when we Sc
cured Golden Cross hall at $4,000 per
year, with an income too small to
meet even this expense.
We were still carrying about $50
members on our rolls and soon got a
year behind on the payment of State
dues. In 1895 Brother George NJ
Twitchell met the State secretary and
effected a compromise, the secretary
agreeing to settle for back dues on the
basis of 80 members, the number from
whom We thought dues might be col
lected, provided all others were at
once suspended. A few of us put our
hands iii our pockets and raised
enough TO settle the bill which again
put lis in good standing with the State
Grange. A rule was agreed to that,
after due notice, members who failed
to pay their dues in a reasonable time
should be suspended, and it was well
lived up to for several years; but out
OF the Sc we had hoped to retain, Is
failed to pay and We're suspended. In
the next three years we took in eleven
new members and on December 81,
1898, had membership of 49, and l
Will venture the assertion that they
were 20 as loyal patrons as ever en-
tered a Grange hall.
BY combined efforts in raising money
in various ways, by taking an annual
vacation from June 80 to September 80
SO as to save the payment of a quar-
ter's rent each year, and by the strict
est economy in all our financial affairs,
by the close of 1899 we had paid all our
indebtedness, and since that date have
never lacked for funds to meet our
bills promptly when due
For twenty-five years l have kept in
close touch with this Grange and have
given it my best thought and work.
do not recall missing a meeting ex-
cept on account of sickness or absence
from town, have come to the hall
probably score of times when no
other member appeared, have attend
ed many meetings with only a quorum
of seven present, and sometimes l
think the master did not dare even to
try 10 count a quorum, and whenever
we took in a new member, as we occa-
sionally did, several of those present
had to fill two or more chairs, the
steward performing the duties of
5atekeeper and lecturer, and the secre-
tary and treasurer those of chaplain
and OVerseer. You all know that a
for the election of officers calls
out larger attendance than anything
else except the promise of a good sup
per, but l recall such a meeting when
there were just fourteen present, and.
as there are only thirteen elective
offices to fill. one sister had to go home
1t is always a hard matter to induce
business men to invest their money in
schemes. so we found it hard
to induce people to join bankrupt
grange, and even after getting our
debts paid, new members came in at
first very slowly. 1t was like trying to
start heavy train Of cars on an up
grade, but with tWenty-nine members
at the close OF 1898. in three years we
had more than doubled our member
ship. having sixty in good standing on
December 81, 1901. Three years later.
at the end of 1904. we had an even lO
members. and at the close of last year
our secretary reported 1872 in good
standing. We have made material
additions since and must have some
what more than 200 members at the
present date.
From 1892 to 1898 were surely dark
and discouraging days, veritable
winter at Valley Forge, and had it not
been for eight or ten of the faithful
few who had never learned to turn
back after once putting their hand to
the plow, Capital Grange would be
only a memory.
And now Worthy Patrons, brothers
and sisters, begging your pardon for
the imperfections of this sketch, let
me urge you. whom we have in recent
years gladly welcomed to our fra
ternity, to give a kindly thought to the
Fletchers, the Athertons, the Sylves-
tiers. the Savages, the Boardmans the
Yeatons, the Twitchells. the Browns
and others, who have borne the burden
in the heat of the day that you might
enjOy the fruit of their lahors