The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-05-24
An Interesting Meeting

ing townships held q most successful
farmers club meeting Thursday after
noon, May IL, at the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Thomas Carless in Brockway
township. Shortly after noon they be-
gan to arrive and at two o'clock when
President Wallace Adams called the
meeting to order, the yards and all a.
valuable space in the adjoining roadside
were filled with rigs and automobiles,
aud the spacious home was packed to
the doors with interested folks who had
come to take part in the program, there
being about one hundred present. The
meeting was opened by singing "Amer-
lea followed by prayer by Walter
Brown. A song by a quartette of
young people Of the community was
next enjoyed and well rendered read
Jugs which followed by Mrs. Hugh
Hodgins and Miss Matilda Wiley gave
abundant evidence that the club was
not dependent upon outside talent for
their programs. This was further
shown by the recitations given by Gladys
Edgerton and Marjorie Connell which
were thoroughly enjoyed by all.
a. Il. Stevenson was then called upon
and for an hour interested his hearers
by delivering most powerful patriotic
address appealing to the loyalty of the
farmer and emphasizing the Importance
OF the man next to the soil doing his
utmost to produce and conserve farm
crops TO meet the war emergency. The
clear and forceful manner in which the
speaker drove the important points
home made his hearers wish that hun
dreds of others were present to hear
this message. A housewife kit, includ-
ing small pair of scissors, needles,
thread, buttons, etc. which the Red
Cross women are preparing for the
soldier boys was passed around during
the course of his remarks, and the dis
cussion OF woman's opportunity for
service in this war was leading
feature. The supreme effort put forth
by the speaker to present this most
serious subject, together with the large
audience and the very sympathetic at
tentlon shown by the people, all served
to afford the most ideal conditions for
the consideration of the enormous
problems confronting us at the present
time. This meeting was particularly
fortunate too in having County School
Commissioners, E. Blackney present who
delivered short address endorsing Mr..
StevensOn's remarks. Among other
things, he stated that while social fea-
lures of the farmers club were regarded
as an important part, he believed this
was the time above all others in which
the organization should devote itself to
the critical matters confronting our
country. He also said that he was al
lowing the teachers to excuse boys
from school with their credits in order
that they might assist on the farms in
producing food stutfs. A number of
local men were then GALES upon in
Guiding Messrs Cavanagb, Darling,
Patterson, Rapey and Adams. Some
of the elder men recounted their exper-
fences in Civil War times, describing
the scant rations upon which they
lived, and the strenuous times imposed4
by the conflict between the north and
the south. 1t was their opinion that we
were facing even more serious hard
ships at the present time.
The matter of holding a canning
demonstration was presented to the
ladies of the club, and they were glad
to take advantage of the opportunity
to obtain reliable information in regard
to conserving the products of the or
chard and garden. Miss Morris of the
Michigan Agricultural College will be
in the county 10 conduct this work dur
ing the week beginning with June nth
and arrangements were made for a
meeting TO demonstrate the most APP
proved methods of canning at the home
of Mrs. Hugh Hodgins in Brockway
township Thursday afternoon, June Ia.
A noticeable characteristic of the
people at this meeting was that they
were not wasting any energy lamenting
over the losses caused by the two disas-
trous seasons that have just passed, |
but are pttting their farms in the best
possible condition to produce maxi |
mum crops, and are meeting the situa-
ton bravely. The Brockway folks
have surely put their hands to the pillow
and are not turning back.
The next mte.ing Of this club will |
be held at the home OF Mr.. and Mrs. |
Wallace Adams in Brock way township |
Thursday, June rs
The food preparedness meeting at |
Avoca Thursday evening was attended
by the entire committee, and the people |
were much interested in the effort that |
is being made to obtain help for the |
farmer during haying and harvesting. |
Messrs Brown, Hilborn, Losing, Dat |
man, WurZell, Hewitt and others ex |
pressed themselves on matters pertain |
ing to conditions in their different |
communities. The good attendance at |
this meeting under such threatening |
weather conditions afforded sure indi. |
cation of the loyalty of the people. |
Mesdames Mason, Oatman, Wurzell, |
Miss Eta Hewitt were present, and |
matters pertaining to the holding of a |
canning demonstration in that locality |
was discussed. The ladies were very |
much interested, and arrangements |
will be made to hold such a meeting |
Thursday morning, June II. While
the exact location was not decided upon