368 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Professor James Geikie's " Outlines of Geology," published in 1886. 

 Similar prominence is given to the subject in De Lapparent's " Traito 

 de Geologic," published in 1885, and in Credner's "Elemente der 

 Geologic " which has appeared during the present year. If this be a 

 " conspiracy of silence," where, alas ! can the geological speculator 

 seek for fame ? Yours, very truly, John W. Judd. 



October 10, 1887. 



— Nineteenth Century. 



THE OUTCOME OF THE GKANGER MOVEMENT. 



By CHAELES W. PIEKSON. 



THE founders of the Grange thought they were establishing an 

 order whose aims were to be social and educational. But these 

 were soon overshadowed by the co-operative, anti-middleman feature. 

 This drew more into the order than all other considerations combined, 

 at one time almost threatening to transform our farming population 

 into a race of traders, and this was likewise the chief cause of Grange 

 decay. Fighting middlemen, unlike fighting raih'oads, was a legitimate 

 kind of activity, as it had nothing to do with politics or theology — the 

 two subjects tabooed by Granger law. Unfortunately, the story of 

 Grange co-operation is recorded nowhere and thoroughly known to 

 nobody. Those who know most preserve a disci'cet silence, mindful 

 of questionable transactions and failures, now generally forgotten. 



No sooner had Kelley established a few Granges in Minnesota in 

 1869 than they set up a clamor for leasing flouring-mills and appoint- 

 ing agents in St. Paiil and New York, in order to mill and ship their 

 own grain. However farcical might be the position of the founders 

 at Washington, they at least were conservative enough to disavow 

 this action. But upon Minnesota's threat to secede they yielded, and 

 an agent was appointed in St. Paul. His first commission chanced to 

 be to buy a jackass for a Patron, whereupon one of the founders made 

 comment : " This purchasing business commenced with buying asses ; 

 the prospects are that many will be sold." As soon as the National 

 Grange fell into the hands of farmers, there was a movement to make 

 it the head of a gigantic co-operative scheme. It was proposed to 

 have three national purchasing-agents, stationed at New York, Chi- 

 cago, and New Orleans, to buy for the Patrons of the whole country. 

 But this was soon seen to be impracticable, owing to the diversity of 

 interests in the order. Tlie same was true with regard to the pur- 

 chase of patent-riglits. With the view of absorbing into the order 

 the profits of manufacturing farming-implements, the National Grange 

 had bought the right to manufacture a harvester, a mower and 

 reaper, and various other machines. It had also tried to buy the 

 copyright of Cushing's "Manual" — a book in great demand among 



