The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-11-28
MANKAro FREE PRESS
From Tuesdays Daily.

ment, the farmers of Sterling town
ship, got into the farmers club bust
ness last evening and organized one
with a membership of fifteen as a
starter which makes it at the be-
ginning of it's existence one OF the
strongest organizations OF its kind
that has been started in this section
of the state.
A. j. Ellis, who was selected as
the temporary chairman OF the meet
ing, said that the people OF Sterling
had heard of the things that had
been achieved blythe Farmers club
in Beauford and indian Lake and OF
the improved, conditions that these
clubs had brought to the members
and the locality in which they live.
Mr.. Ellis said that he had become
deeply interested and had written to
Secretary E. F. Soaring of the Man.
kato Commercial club asking what
the club could dom the matter OF
helping the organization to get a
start. The answer had come to get a
ChCSI lhdC IIOl0SSOl ~. ~.
way of this city was just the person
to ignite the movement among the
farmers and he accordingly intro
duced Mr.. Shumway to the gather
ing.
Address BY Mr.. aShumway.
Mr.. Shumway, who spoke for
about half hour told the farmers
of the manifold advantages that
could be had from banding together
the rural interests of locality. He
said that the advantages derived
could be classed under three heads:
social, educational and financial, and
be considered that the club that com
bined these three things in their Ia
bors, was the type of the club that
worked to the best advantage. The
frequent meetings of the farmers
could not be otherwise than of great
benefit to the members who met and
exchanged ideas and obtained the
opinions of the other members.
Starting with the social side of the
work. Mr.. ~Shumway said that III
, the days of the past the people OF
Sterling had maintained literary SO
cfeties among the young people, but
| that these societies had died out
| for lack of interest. The speaker
felt that it was not lack of inter
est but the fact that the interest
| had been diverted to other paths. He
| told of the hordes of young people
that Wee DESERVING the farms for the
| false allurements of the city an(
| finding later on that the things thai
had promised so big were empty
nothings. All the return that ha(
been given was a Chance to work
endlessly in some dark office, fal
from the open country that ha(
been theirs in the beginning.
| Mr.. Shumway urged that all boys
who have natural ability for farm
ing, remain on the. farm, and believes
that the farmers clubs are stel
in supplying the social life which
all people crave.
This is an age" Mr.. Shumwa,
said, when farmer must have
education along the lines of hi
work" He mentioned the state Gil
culating libraries as means t
this end. He also spoke Of the finan
cial benefit which the farmers ge
from the clubs, and mentioned tn
selling of the Indian Lake potatoe
as an example of this.
| Another phase of cooperation
which is becoming prominent is tn
creamery, and in connection with
the cooperative laundry. The laur
dries and creameries lessen the wor
and decrease the expense of tina
kind of work.
Mr.. Shumway It'd the gatherin
how a club should be organized, tn
principles for which it should stan,
and the ends for which it shoul
strive. Many questions were aske
regarding the organization of tn
club and it's workings, and afte
these things had been explained a
comments were favorable toward tn
organization. Among the men VIII
are heartily in favor of the club al
A. E. Gregg, Ole X. Olson, E.
Park, Ernest Schilling and G. /
Keith.
The matter was then presented
the meeting for a vote and thel
was no opposition The followin
officers were elected: George Keit
president; Ole X Olson, vice pres
dent; Grant Hazel, secretary an
) treasurer.
The meeting rendered Professt
Shumway vote of thanks for h
interest and services and the da
l for the next meeting was set +;
3 December A at which time A. ). ii
: and Ole K. Olson will make 7
port on the bylaws and constitute
for the club.
/ Will Organize at Minneopa.
4 A gathering of MinneOpa and Ju
! son farmers met at the home
l Ferd Huen, near Minneopa Saturd;
evening, and again considered Il
!. organization of farmers club. TT
4 organization will be effected a lit
, later, but it was decided best
: wait until all of the people of Il
e neighborhood have had an opportul
: ty to become familiar with the G
n ject and plan of the club before OF
y l~cers are elected and bylaws draw
up.
e C. r. Shumway of this city gave
a | 10 LII and a Ii