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RALEIGH, N. O., AUGUST 20, 1889.
No. 28
Vol. 4.
I
11
DIRECTORY OF FARMERS' OR
GANIZATIONS. KOSTH CAROLINA FARMERS STATE ALLIANCE.
President S. B. Alexander, Charlotte,
Vi"ce-Presidmt--T. Ivey, Aslmole.C.
Secretary-L. L, Polk, Baleigh, N. 0.
Treasurer-J. D. Allen Mb, H.O.
Lecturer Dr. D. Reid Parker, Trinity
ISslaniCLecturer-D. D. Mclntyre,
ChTS-Re Carr Moore, Towns-
oor keeper W. H. Tomlinson, Fay-
etAssant Door Keeper R. T. Rush,
Sergeant-at-Arms J . S. Holt, onai
SteteNBusmess Agent W. A. Darden.
KKOUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO
LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE.
- Elias Carr, Old Sparta, . N. Chair
man; Thaddeus Ivey, Ashpole, N. O.; J. to.
Johnston, Ruffin, N. C.
TEE NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS' ASSOCIATION.
President Elias Carr, Old Sparta,
Edgecombe county. :
B F. Hester, Oxford, Secretary; S.
Otho Wilson, Vineyard, and W. E. Ben
bow, Oak Ridge, Assistant Secretaries.
VIRGINIA STATE ALLIANCE.
President G. T. Barbee, Bridgewatar,
Virginia. .
Vice-President T. B. Massey, Wash
ington, Virginia. m
Secretary-. J. Silvey, Amissville,
Virginia.
Treasurer Isaiah Printz, Luray, Vir
ginia. Lecturer Gk H. Chrisman, Chrisman,
Virginia.
Asst Lecturer J. S. Bradley, Luray,
Virginia.
Chaplain Wm. M. Rosser, Luray,
Virginia.
Door Keeper B. Frank Beahm, Kim
ball, Virginia.
Asst Door Keeper G. E. Brubaker,
Luray, Virginia.
Serg't-at-Arms 0, H. Lillard, Wash
ington, Virginia.
State Business Agent S. P. A. Bru
baker, of Luray, Virginia.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
E. T. Brumback, Jas. E. Compton and
. Geo. H. Chrisman.
-
FROM ONSLOW COUNTY.
Adams' School House Alliance,
No. 179, July 23, '89.
Mb. Editob: As I seldom see any
thing in your most excellent paper
from Onslow, I will undertake to
write you for the first time lately.
The Alliance in this county prob
ably don't stand so high nor increase
in numbers with some other co an ties;
but we mean business just the same.
"We had a live county meeting and
considerable business done, notwith
standing the weather was very un
favorable. Our county meeting sends
ten dollars to the State Business
Agent. But I am happy to say our
own lodge will double that amount.
The membership in this county is not
increasing, for the reason the weak
are dropping out. But the strong are
continually growing stronger. The
Alliance is an order that will purge
itself of worthless material.
We have watched the appointments
of Bro. Tracy, hoping to see an ap
pointment for this county. Hope you
won't forget us, but will send him
doyn here, for we consider that such
lecturing is essential to the success of
thjl order.
At our last meeting action was taken
endorsing the Act of the Legislature
if regard to the incorporation; the
sction of the Birmingham Conference
Ind the consolidation of the Alliance
ind Wheel. We don't mss sn manr
, resolutions, but our motto is to fall in
ranks and keep step, quietly march
ing on as one grand army to meet the
feaemy, resolved to conquer or die.
, This is the grandest effort the
;'armer has ever made toward organi
zation, and it is very plain for any
reasonable person to see that with a
long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all
together, success is ours, especially
so, if we could have good lecturing in
every neighborhood and The Pro
gressive Fabmeb placed in every
family. We hope that every lodge in
North Carolina will respond to the
call for the business agency so that
business can be done through that
channel to the advantage of every
Allianceman, for one of the great
troubles in this country is making low
priced cotton to pay for provisions at
uue prices, ne tnat is a year's pro
visions behind is likely to remain so,
without a great change. Think of
this, my dear friends, and decide for
yourselves.
Now a few words in regard to the
farms and I close: The weather has
been quite rainy through this section
for the past month or longer, but not
withstanding we have had some very
heavy rains, 1 think the crops in the
pper part of the countv is
average. I would say in conclusion, (
as many others have said to the farm
ing class of people: plant less cotton
and more corn, peas, potatoes, rice,
cane and small grain, and this will
enable you to raise more stock and
more home manure, and the result
will be you will have home pork and
beef, home flour, home syrup and
home milk and honey, and our wives
will be encouraged and will probably
hand you over a pair of home-made
pants occasionally. This is what
will put an end to mortgages and
time prices. But be sure to arm your
self with The Pbogressive Fabmer
for instruction.
Yours fraternally,
F. D. Shaw.
TRACY IN UNION COUNTY.
Wolf Pond, N. C, Aug. 3, '89.
Mb. Editor : On the 30th ultimo
your correspondent had the pleasure
of being present and hearing Hon.
Harry Tracy, the modern Boanerges,
address the citizens of Union county
with the power of a Hercules, the
language of a Demosthenes, and the
oratory of a Patrick Henry. He
burst fourth with astounding elo
quence and like the peals of thunder
that shook Mt. Sinai, he stirred the
people up to a sense of their grand
duty. You will please pardon my
digression here, as I want to say a
few words to the many readers of
your inestimable paper. I would lust
say go on with your grand and noble
work, and remember that Kome was
not built in a single day it was built
after awhile by slow degress, by
more and more until it was completed.
This earth was not built and finished
all at once. At first it was . a thin
castle in the air. It was a thousand
times larger than it is now, but so
very gaseous that one could have
read the Holy Scriptures through the
thickest part of it. Science teaches
that it took too billions of years be
fore even the crust, was formed, and
ninty-eight millions of years more be
fore vegetation could grow. Then it
had to pass through a whole century
of snow storms, with the thermometer
ai 73 degrees below zero, in order to
cool off enough to support animal life.
But it was completed and made, .fit
for the abode of man at last. Let
patience have its perfect work. The
great order cannot reach perfection at
one breath. Time, capital, enterprise
and labor must have elbow room.
Fate and destiny' have decided, the
Alliance shall be a great organization.
Combinations nor trusts can defeat it.
They can retard its growth, but can
not prevent it in the end. Death will
finally kill off moss-backs and remove
obstacles. If the present is unworthy,
the future will be wiser and more
thrifty. Jno. W. Belk.
P. S. Your correspondent is a
farmer boy, a lover and a well-wisher
of the organization.
FROM THE OLD DOMINION.
Buffalo Lithia Spbings,
Mecklenburg Co., Va.
Mb. Editor: You and your many
readers of The Pbogbessive Fabmer
need not think that Sandy Fork Alli
ance is dead because we do not write,
for we are far from it, and I do not
think any Alliance will die if they
would take more copies of The Pbo
gressive Farmer, which I think is
one of, if not the best farmers paper I
ever saw.
I think the suggestion of J. Bj
Smith is good., Now with two or
three good lecturers and your valuable
paper in every Congressional district,
I don't see how the Alliance can fail.
At our June meeting, all of the old
officers were re-elected except Lec
turer and Chaplain. We are passing
some resolutions, but don't think we
will publish them yet, except one,
which I will give you:
Resolved, That our delegate to the
State Alliance do bring before that
body the importance of taking the
eight cents tax off of tobacco, and
urge that body to do all in their power
with our Congressman to have it
taken off.
Mr. Editor, the Sandy Fork and
Heborn and Beaver Pond Alliances
are going to have a grand jollification
in the way of a picnic on Thursday
before the fourth Sunday in August
and you are requested to attend,' for
we all want to see the man who is do
ing so much for the farmers.
I will not write any more now for
I assure you that I had - rather read
the letters from your many able cor
respondents than to write. With
many wishes to you and your valuable
paper, I am,
Fraternally yours,
P. A.- Cox, Sec'y. .
MONTGOMERY COUNTY ALLIANCE.
Mt. Gilead, N. C, July 25, 'S9.
Mr. Editor: At a meeting of
Montgomery County Alliance, held
the 5th day of July, 1889, it being
the time for the election of officers,
Bro. R. W. Joyner was elected Presi
dent and your humble scribe was
elected Secretary for the ensuing year.
The brethren seemed to be imbued with
the Alliance spirit and are resolved
to get all the benefits possible to be
derived from being Alliancemen.
Below I furnish you some resolu
tions which were unanimously adopted
as follows: Realizing the importance
of united efforts on our part to break
down all monoplistic combinations,
such as the bagging, twine, oil and
sugar trusts; therefore
Resolved, That :we, the members
of Montgomery County Alliance, No.
119, do endorse the action of the Na
tional Conference of representative
Alliancemen that assembled in the
city of Birmingham, Ala., on the 15th
of May and also of the Wake County
Alliance. . !
Resolved, That we adopt cotton bag
ging as a covering for .our cotton, and
pledge ourselves to faithfully carry
out the suggestion of said National
conference.
Resolved, That any member of this
Alliance who wilfully violate this
pledge is not worthy of the name of an
Allianceman, and subjects himself to
expulsion from the order.
Resolved, That we adopt the arti
cles of incorporation as passed by the
last Legislature of North Carolina for
the State Farmers' Alliance.
Resolved, That we approve of the
consolidation of the Alliance and
Wheel as one body corporate, and en
dorse the proposed constitution and
by-laws of the Farmers' and Laborers'
Union of America, and instruct our
delegates to the State Alliance to urge
the consummation of the same.
Resolved, That we recommend a
general system of organizers and lec
turers for the State to instruct and
enlighten the minds of our people
as before all things essential to their
welfare.
Resolved, That we approve of the
amendment recommended by our
trustee Bro. W. A. Graham, except
the $1 fee, and ask that the matter
be brought before the next meeting
of the State Alliance and adopted.
THE MEETING AT DANVILLE.,
Pelham, N. C, Aug. 9, 1889.
Pursuant to call the Border Farm
ers' Alliance met in Danville, Va., on
August 5th. 43 Sub-Alliances were
represented. Much business of great
impoitance to the tobacco raisers was
transacted, and the body was trans
acted and the body was a unit in re
gard to that interest, but of course
there was a gooe discussion as to the
way h should be done, &c. It was
gratifying to hear the tillers of the
soil speak as to what they desired and
how it could be accomplished. Dr. D.
Reid Parker was present and made a
stirring, edifying and cementing ad
dress as usual with that gifted son of
the Old North State. We missed the
editor of The Progressive Farmer.
Col. Withers, of Danville, kindly
furnished the 'body with good accom
modations for holding their meetings
and the body tendered him a unani
mous vote of thanks which was well
merited. When the work is fully
completed I will let your readers have
it for present. I will say a board of
directors of which J. H. Wilson,
President, is chairman was elected to
charter, incorporate and run a ware
house and other interests of the Bor
der Alliance.
Fraternally S.
A GEORGIA GRASS FARM.
Col. W. H. Warren, who has a
farm near Augusta, has demonstrated
that grass culture can be made profit
able in Georgia. His farm contains
100 acres, 92 of which are permanent
meadows. No corn or cotton is
grown. The vetch grasses yield
about a ton and a half to the acre an
nually, and the Johnson grass from
three to four tons. The Bermuda also
yields a very large late crop without
cultivation. From May until frost a
force of ten men is employed, and the
hay is marketed in Augusta. Four
hundred tons of hay have been cut
from this farm in one year, the price
at which the crop was sold being
$9,000, or at the rate of more than
$90 an acre. This, as the Atlanta
Constitution remarks, "is' a larger
amount of money than any cotton
farm in that region could depend on
making. '
MEETING OF GATES COUNTY
ALLIANCE.
At the regular meeting of Gates
County Farmers' Alliance, Bro. H.
Clay Williams was elected delegate
and Bro. Lycurgus Hofler was elected
alternate to the State Alliance to be
held at Fayetteville, N. C, on Thurs
day, August 13 th.
The following resolutions were
adopted ad ordered to be sent to The
Pbogbessive Fabmer..
Resolved, That we adopt and en
dorse the action of the National Alli
ance in session in Birmingham, Ala.,
on the consolidation of the Alliance
and Wheel
Resolved, That this Alliance accepts
and adopts the Act of the General
Assembly !of North Carolina at its
last session; entitled An Act to incor
porate the farmers' State Alliance of
North Carolina and Sub-Alliances as
its charter of incorporation and the
Constitution, By-Laws, Rules and
Regulations which may be prescribed
by the properly constituted authori
ties thereuhder.
" .Resolved," That ' the County and
Sub-Alliances of the county request
the ginners to use cotton bagging in
the place of jute for the wrapping of
cotton as much as they possibly can,
(which was amended by adding) pine
straw bagging or any other substitute
rather than use jute bagging.
Resolved, That we, the County Alli
ance of Gates county, State of North
Carolina, do 'earnestly petition our
State and National Alliances to take
proper steps to crush the enormous
tobacco trust by getting the Congress
of the United States to repeal the en
tire tax on tobacco and to enact such
other legislation as may be necessary
to break up this tobacco trust; also to
urge upon this and similar orders the
importance of refusing to purchase or
use any of the tobacco manufactured
by 8 aid trust, but to, bestow their
patronage upon Alliance and other
home to baccx factories, and thus de
velop a Tiomeihdustry and save their
brethren of the tobacco belt from im
pending ruin by reason of aforesaid
trust.
.
NOTES FROM YADKIN.
Agood, N. C, July 30, '89.
Mb. Editob: I write to inform you
that Holden Alliance, No. 944, is yet
in line with the faithful. We began
July 3d, 1888, with nine members, we
have now twenty -five of the very best
iften. We have sent $5 to the State
agency fund and have ordered, a seal
and are getting ready for . business.
We have been delayed some on ac
count of our former county secretary
who really went into the Alliance for
curiosity's sake, but we now have a set
of county officers who mean business
and will attend closely to the business
of i he Alliance.
What is the matter with the world?
It has rained here nearly every day
in July and this is the 30th and
while I sit here writing I can see
South Deep creek all over the bot
toms.. There is about 75 acres of bot
tom here before my door, and the
water is swimming some of my neigh
bors oats around. Corn is ruined and
a part of the wheat rotted in the
shock. A minister of the gospel sug
gests that the Lord is taking a collec
tion. Will. Reaves.
VIRGINIA STATE ALLIANCE.
The Virginia State Farmers' Alli
ance convened on the 6th of August
in Luray, Va., President G. T. Bar
bee in the chair.
Dr. M." L. Elgey, of the National
Economist, ' made a very forcible ad
dress. Col. Beverly followed and
gave a very interesting talk.
President Barbee then read his an
nual address which was replete with
information.
The Secretary's report showed 32
County Alliances, 450 Sub-Alliances
and about 8,000 members.
The Co-operative Manufacturing
Compeny, of Edinburg, owned by the
Alliance, made their report, the most
interesting feature of which was that
they could duplicate the Oliver Chilled
plow, which sells for $12 for $7.50
and that there was a profit of $2.50
on each plow.
Their finances are in good condition
and judging by the work exhibited
they deserve the patronage of their
Alliance.
The following is a list of officers for
the ensuing year: G. T. Barbee,
President, Maj. Mara Page, Vice
President; J. J. Silvey, Secretary;
Isaiah Pruity, Treasurer; J. C Shep
herd, Lecturer; P. H. Stroke, Assis
tant Lecturer; . S. T. A. Brinbaker,
State Business Agent.
After the election of officers the
secret work of the order was exem
plified by Col. Gray of the National
Economist. To have the secret work
uniform in the State a special com
mittee was appointed whose duty it is
to instruct organizers. .
Congress was memorialized to, re
peal the tax on tobacco. .
It , was decided ' to have f State,
County and , Sub-Aluances incorpo
rated and to raise funds for a "business
agency and to establish a State Ex
change. The next annual meeting will be
held in the city of Lynchburg,' Va.,
to convene on' the 3d Tuesday of
August, 1890. The Alliance was in
session 3 days The President in his
annual address referred in" the kindest
manner possible to Col. L. L. Polk,
thanking him for the encouragement
and advice received, and the conven
tion passed ' a. resolution unanimously
thanking the Colonel for the aid given
to the Virginia Alliance.
Most excellent speechess were made
on the , situation of the farmer, the
cause of depression, &c, and especial
ly by -Maj. Mam Page, the new Vice
President. That he is the right man
in the right place cannot be doubted.
Good feeling obtained throughout
and a more harmonious convention I
have never had the pleasure of attend
ing. It was decided to send a large
number of organizers into the differ
ent counties and organize the State as
rapidly as possible.
Thje impression made on me was
that there was a determination on the
part of all the delegates and officers
to concede to others in the interest of
harmony and the uncompromising
persistence of all the delegates ' to
fight combines and trusts made me
fell that the Old Mother , of States
would not be found wanting when the
final roll call is made. Fogy.
THE TRUE SPIRIT.
. Faibfield Alliance, No. 545 ;
.-: Lenoir Co., N. C, July 30, '89.
Mr. Editor: It is refreshing to
see with what unanimity the brother
hood all over the cotton .belt accept
and endorse the action of the Birming
ham convention in relation to cotton
bagging. But in your paper of to-day
I was quite surprised to see the "Pro
viso " in the Beauf ort County Alli
ance. It reads: "Provided, The ex
changes of New York and Norfolk
aliow eight pounds per bale for com
mercial value in favor, of cotton bag
ging." 1 think we should and will
usejcotton bagging whether any allow
ance is made or not. (I feel sure
there will be.) . Permit me to speak
for Fairfield Alliance, that many, . if
not all, her members would refuse to
accept jute bagging to cover their crop
if it was offered as a present, although
our crop prospect is not over a two
third crop.
I was glad to see our grand sister
county of Sampson speak with no
"uncertain sound." Hope she had a
fine crop of "Big blues," (whortle
berries.) Also Belvidere's "whereas!' is just
the thing for all Alliances to do with
the trust, but I wish to say to Bro.
Whitehead, get the good women to
come out and join you, for you cannot
get along first-class without them. I
feel I cannot close without saying I
endorse heartily your protest of chil
dren being permitted to smoke cigar
ettes. P. S. August 24th we have an all
day meeting, basket dinner, and the
subject for our lecturer is, " Our Ob
ligation." We would Jbe glad to have
a grand State meeting at Fayetteville.
Fraternally,
Henby.
.
RESOLUTIONS OF MT. GILIAD
ALLIANCE.
Whebeas, Twelve cotton States
have unanimously resolved not to use
Trust bagging on their cotton this
season, therefore be it
Resolved, That we, the Mt. Giliad
Alliance, No. 98, most respectfully ask
our brother farmers who are not
members of our order, to assist us in
breaking down the Bagging Trust by
not using jute bagging.
Rssolved, That we earnestly request
our merchants not to buy any Trust
bagging.
Resolved, That The Pbogbessive
Farmer and our county papers be re
quested to publish these resolutions.
R. W. Joyxeb President.
C. W. Wooley, Jb., Secretary.
The fact that the mercury seems
disposed to frisk and dally around the
two cipher limit is taken by many to
indicate the probability of our having
a thaw and an early spring. ,-,
LOWER CREEK ALLIANCE.
Lenoib, N. C, July 11, '89.
Mb. Editob: The Lower Creek
Farmers' Alliance met at this place
to-day, and was called to order by
President M. D. Smith, and opened in
form ; and with your permission we
would like to occupy a small space in
The Pbogbessive Fabmer informing
the brethren that we are not dead, al
though we have been silent, are wide
awake and are taking hold of our
noble cause in earnest, feeling that it
is our only hope. We think we have
some true Alliance men who are in
full simpathy with the cause. We
have not passed many resolutions but
are trying to adhere to those we have
passed. Although we are yet in our
infancy, we are ready and willing to
put our shoulders to the wheel to as
sist our brethren in any cause that
will benefit the farming class of peo
ple. The farmer should be the first
of all free men, but in the past year
we have been little more than slaves.
But we are alive to our interests now,
and hope in the future to raise our
own supplies and purchase less fertil
izers. We see that there is ho money
in having our corn cribs in St. Louis
and our smokehouses in Chicago and
we are going to move them home.
Now for a few-words in regard to
the wheat and oat crops. They cer
tainly were fine. The outlook for a
good corn crop is discouraging; there ,
is a very poor stand of corn, scarcely
one-half of a stand. We have all
kinds of fruit in abundance, but most
of us are eating it without sugar as it
has advanced in price. Now, breth
ren, let us attend our meetings every
time; don't miss a single time, and
take our word for it, we will move on
faster. We are not at all afraid but
what we will conquer the enemy, but
the more we have the easier the fight
will be and the sooner we will gain
the victory Push forward the glorL
ouswork. We long to see the day,
and hope it is not far-distant, when
the farmer will stand equal with the
merchant, manufacturer and specula
tor of the country.
, Fraternally,
X and Y.
FROM DAVIE COUNTY.
Jerusalem Alliance, No. 1,597,
August 3d, 1889.
Mb. Editob: You will please allow
me space in your valuable paper for
a few lines, as no one of our Alliance
has yet written a line to The Pbo
gbessive Fabmeb. We organized last
February, with sixteen members; we
now have in -all twenty-nine. Most
all the males in this community who
are eligible have joined, yet there are
some who say they don't wish to join
another secret society after belonging
to some that have been disbanded
without any satisfactory results. This ;
is not the case with the Farmers' Alli
ance, and if they will give us time we
will show them so, better than we can
tell them. We have not yet contrib
uted anything to the business
agency fund, but hope to be able to
get up a -liberal' subscription in the
near , future. We have adopted the
cotton bagging, resolved to use no
other. At our election of officers we
elected the present incumbents with
out any exception. We are now hav
ing an abundance of rain, which has
caused the water-courses to rise higher
than they have in a long time before.
A large number of acres of bottom
corn have been covered by the waters;
in many other places the corn is turn
ing yellow on account of the wet
weather. It is thought by many that
the cotton crop also will be cut short.
I . like your paper exceedingly well.
Wishing you and The Pbogbessive
Fabmeb the success you so richly de
serve, I am
Yours fraternally,
R. L. Fabbis, Sec'y.
SOUTHERN ENTERPRISE.
The South Carolina State Board of
Agriculture has directed the Commis
sioner to prepare a special collection
of the mineral and other resources of
South Carolina for the use of the
Southern Inter-State Immigration
Bureau. This collection will . be ex
hibited at the Northern fairs during
the coming fall. The Central Rail
road Company is organizing a "Geor
gia on Wheels " -expedition to start
West about the first of September. A
special car will be- arranged for a
delegation-of-twenty. Georgia farmers
who will take in the fall fairs and
stock shows in the .West and investi
gate the farming methods of that sec
tion. It is expected that the reports
of this delegation on their return will
be of great value to' the home people.