Year: 1874

ECU. AoV, A0t4.


Editors Grange Advanee:


As it is storming to-day, for the first
time this winter in this locality, { I mean
wind storm, find it more pleasant indoors
than out, and thinking it may please few.
Of the many readers Of your excellent pa
per to hear from this locality. will en-
deavor to tell them something of what we
are doing and what we intend to do here.
My home is on the bank of beautiful lake
lin the northeast township of this county.
1t is one of the chain known as Preston
Lakes. am one Of a family of ten, seven
of the masculine, and three of the feminine
gender; six Of US belong to the or
der of the P. of H.; we have
Grange of forty-one live members. 1t
was organized the 23d of last August, is
No. 347. The meetings are held at our
house; we find it very much too small on
such occasions, but we are in hopes to be
able to build hall soon, and then we will
have jolly time once month, at least.
We have as fine district Of farming lands
around these lakes as there is in the State.
to my notion, or in any other State for that
matter. I, with my father and brothers.
am farming one hundred acres, and intend
to break up as much more the coming sea-
son if we can. We intend to SOW twenty
five acres Of fax in the spring, and would
be very glad of any information on the SUBJ
ject that any one will be kind enough to
give US. I saw in your issue Of Feb. 4th
an article from gentleman in St. Paul, re-
garding home manufacturing, and the wa
ter power Of this State. You spoke of the
unimproved power of the Minnesota and
other streams. Now we have chance for
mill here, if some one would improve it,
The man Of St. Paul wished for those who
have water privileges to advertise the
same. I do not wish to advertise this for
it is not on our land, but it will be great
help to this community to have a mill, and
l think the place could be got very cheap;
it is the outlet Of the lakes. It would food
q portion Of our land but we will give that
If some one will come up here and grind
our wheat for us, so we shall not have to
haul it SO far, and by having it ground at
home save feed and storage. If you know
Of man or number of men with a few
thousand dollars which they have no other
use for, start them out here; I think it
would well pay man to start mill in this
place. If I am a judge, should say there
could be power obtained to run eight
stones with the other necessary machinery,
with little ditching and changing of water
courses, which would cost but trifle COM
pared to the worth of the same when OBJ
tained. We are now ten miles from mill.
the nearest point, and that is but small
affair. It is twelve miles to Hutchinson,
from here; that is our nearest town and
where we do the most Of our trading, and
as there is a mill there we generally get
our grinding done there. We are the same
distance from railroad two ways from US,
Litchfeld on the St. P. & P, and Glencoe
on the H. s. D., twenty-five miles respect
lively.


This is my first attempt at writing for
paper. You will please use your own judg-
ment as to it's worthiness to a place in
your excellent paper. J.P.s.


Editors Of The Grange -4dvance:


The members of Spring Grove Grange,
No. 297, gave reception to Cedar Lake
Grange, No. 299, on Friday evening, Feb
ruary Goth. The whole affair was acknowl-
! edged by all to be credit to the Grange
and very interesting to all who were pres
ent. Quite a number were present who
have not yet united with us, as we'll as sew
eral from Litchfeld, where Grange has
been organized the present week. Speeches
were made by Brother Fuller of Litchfeld,
| formerly of Lake City, Brother j. NJ. Wald-
ron, Frank Dagget, H. L. Wadsworth and
others. Toasts and responses were in Or
| der. The table was laden with the good
things, prepared in the best possible shape,
and did credit to the sisters. Altogether
it was very interesting and profitable oc-
casion, and cannot fail to result in good to
! the cause.


We can report progress in the good cause
out this way. According to last accounts
we have eight Oranges in this (Meeker)
county. A Council has been organized with
V.P. Kennedy, President; J. Wheeler, Vice
President; H. L. Wadsworth, Sec., and we