The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-11-12

will be opened each evening by an
officer of the National Grange, who
will assign positions for the even.
ing" This was not regularly con-
stituted Grange, for no initiation
fees had been paid and no constitu-
ton and bylaws prepared. 1t was
as stated, school of instruction fol-
practicing the ritual ceremony
which had not been fully perfected
On the evening of February 10, 1868
the first person ever initiated in due
form was received in Potomac
Grange.
On April 8, 1868, o. H. Kelley,
secretary of the National Grange,
left Washington to establish the So
ciety in the country at large. At
ter canvassing without success in
several places in Pennsylvania and
New York, he arrived in Fredonia,
N. Y, April Is, and on the evening
of April 16 he organized Fredonia
Grange, No. 1, the first regularly or
ganized Grange where the members
paid initiation fees. A. S. Moss was
elected the first master of the first
genuine Grange. This Grange is
still alive, and on April 16, 1908,
celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Four years after the organization
of the Grange in Fredonia, E. M.
Jones, of Iowa, came into Michigan,
going to upper Lapeer county, in
which he organized the first Grange
in Michigan. The real settlement of
the country about The Grange center
scarcely antedates the starting of
the organization.
The Changers meet for more than
the discussion of crops, although
crop growing, fruit culture, horti-
culture, household economics and
everything relating to the farm form
the basis of many programs, as the
Changers keep in close touch with
the affairs of state. They also keep
an eye on their representatives and
state senators and the man who in
ours the wrath of the Changers is
due to have busy time.
The State Grange is similar to
the subordinate Oranges in that ii
takes a hand in legislation. The
committee on legislative action is
one of the hardest worked of the en-
tire body. The Grange does not
look after it's own membership alone
but is ever alert to protect and aid
the whole agricultural class, class
comprising 35 per cent. Of the en-
tire population of the country.
The great work of the State
Grange is to discuss the PROPOSE
tlons presented for lettering the lot
of the rural population; getting
these whipped into acceptable shape
and creating the public opinion nee
essary to make the new ideas effec-
tive, either by means of common
consent or by legislation. An idea
of the work of the State Grange can
be had from the mention of q few
of the committees: Agricultural col
lege, cooperation, forestry, farm
ers' Institutes, good roads, insur-
ance, legislative action, public util-
tiles, pure food, taxation, temper
ance, transportation and woman's
work. 1t is within the right of ev-
cry subordinate Grange in the state
to send in suggestions and to have
these suggestions referred to the
proper committee, where they are
worked over along with others and
embodied in a report which is sub
ject to adoption, amendment or re-
lection by the delegates. Equal suf-
frage prevails in the Grange.
Time was when fun was poked at
the Changers and the members were
freely ridiculed. But just as the old
SOW by the MOON" hit or miss
manner Of farming has gone into
the discard of time, so has the
Grange taken on a new Importance,
so that even the great political par
ties, to quote from an expression in
a recent local meeting, ''have
changed their attitude toward the
Grange" The Grange is more than
the farmers club" yet it fills that
place admirably; it is more the
farmers school," not alone in i'm.
proved methods of farming, but in
matters political and in various
forms of statecraft as well. While
it teaches John to spray his trees al
the right time it teaches Mary hov
to cook for the hands without bring
ing dyspepsia into the home.
1t holds it's annual fairs and
brings the countryside into a friend
ly competition that raises the stand
ard of the whole neighborhood. II
puts the library, the actylene light
and the telephone into the home. the
gasoline engine into the shed, and
the boys and girls into the nigf
schools and colleges. When Jobr
goes to town, he doesn't fill up or
bad whisky and allow the team tc
| bring him home as best 1t can no
he loads Mary into the wagon with
him, does the trading as quickly as
| possible and hurries off to the
| Grange meeting. There are more
pianos and organs and monographs
and Brussels carpets in the homes
of Grange members than anywhere
else. Through the influence of the
Grange, many of the school houses
| are so DrettV and Gu we'll arrqn Opd