FARMERS' CLUBS. 401 



showed that their importance was appreciated. Interesting and 

 instructive lectures were given by D. H. Thing and Ezra Kempton 

 of our own club, and R. P. Thompson of Jay. Although we have 

 but just got fairly under way, we feel that good has been accom- 

 plished, and that we have before us a career of usefulness not only 

 to ourselves but to the community. We have already learned that, 

 we have in our midst talent enough to run a club, and we are re- 

 solved to let our light shine. 



Mr. D. 11. Thing. There are several other clubs in the county 

 of Kennebec. There are two in Winthrop. The one at East 

 Winthrop I visited twice. It is very prosperous, and I wish it to 

 be distinctly understood to what I attribute their prosperity. In 

 the first place, they admit ladies to membership, as every club 

 should ; and, next, their professional men, their mechanics, and all 

 the leading men in the community, take an interest in it. One 

 evening when I spoke there, the Baptist church was well filled. 



There is a club at Winthrop village, which I intended to visit, 

 but did not, as ill health kept me at home until the travelling was 

 too bad. 



I assisted in forming a club at Wayne. The President tells me 

 that they prospered well until they saw fit to adjourn over until fall. 



The President of the club at Winthrop met with an accident soon 

 after the club was organized, which disabled him for the winter, 

 and which proved a severe loss to the club, but after a few weeks 

 they continued their meetings, and kept them up through the win- 

 ter. They consider it now established on a permanent basis. 



There are several other clubs in the county which I have not 

 visited. So far as I know, every club deems itself well on the 

 road to success. But I have never known a club that has suc- 

 ceeded as it ought to, unless both the leading men in the community 

 and the ladies have participated in its deliberations, or, at least, 

 were present at its meetings. When I learn of one that has been 

 successful without ladies, I shall believe that that community is at 

 least twenty-five years behind the present standard of civilization. 



Col. SwETT. Brother Thing must not consider us twenty-five 

 years behind the times. We extend an invitation to ladies to attend 

 all our clubs, and we have their presence. 



Mr. G, E. Brackett. In Waldo county we have seven clubs — 

 in Belfast, Montville, Monroe, Prospect, Unity, Brooks, Westport. 

 Six of these were organized last fall, the other has been organized 



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