140 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



WORKING AGAINST DIFFICULTIES. 



After reaching his farm in Minnesota, Mr. Kelley re 

 mained there until the early part of 1871. Meanwhile, he 

 wrote and talked about the Order, made journeys, when 

 necessary to grant dispensations, and, in connection with his 

 brethren of the various Granges, encountered manifold dis 

 couragements with fortitude. But all working for a com 

 mon purpose, the small nucleus of Granges slowly increased. 



The first Grange established in Minnesota was at Itasca. 

 In a short time, one was organized in Jasper County, Ind. 

 Another was organized at Waukon, Iowa, at the home 

 of Mr. Adams, the present Master of the National Grange. 

 A few more Granges were organized in Iowa, Minnesota, 

 &quot;Wisconsin, and Illinois ; but, up to the beginning of 1873, the 

 entire membership of the Order in the United States was 

 not computed at over seventy-five thousand. Before the 

 issue of this work, it will undoubtedly exceed seven hundred 

 thousand. One reason for the slow growth of the Order 

 until within the last eighteen months, was that the farmers 

 still looked to their Clubs as the way out of their difficul 

 ties. But it was at last found that the only way to solve 

 the problem of concentrated effort was by co-operation 

 with and through the Granges. 



Slowly, yet surely, the organization gained friends and 

 strength. The annual meetings of the National Grange at 

 Washington, which was working steadily forward, were 

 regularly attended by the Masters of the State Granges; 

 and, at length, the business of the Order had reached such 

 magnitude that Mr. Kelley found that he must either relin 

 quish his position as Secretary of the National Grange, or 

 give up his farm. He proposed to continue his labors for 

 the Order, and ; in January, 1871, removed to Washington, 



