THE INCEPTION OF THE GRANGE 3 



if not caused by the lack of social opportunities 

 which made the existence of the farmer such a 

 drear monotony that he became practically incapa- 

 ble of changing his outlook on life or his attitude 

 toward his work. 



Being essentially a man of action, Kelley did not 

 stop with the mere observation of these evils but 

 cast about to find a remedy. In doing so, he came 

 to the conclusion that a national secret order of 

 farmers resembling the Masonic order, of which he 

 was a member, might serve to bind the farmers to- 

 gether for purposes of social and intellectual ad- 

 vancement. After he returned from the South, 

 Kelley discussed the plan in Boston with his niece, 

 Miss Carrie Hall, who argued quite sensibly that 

 women should be admitted to full membership in 

 the order, if it was to accomplish the desired ends. 

 Kelley accepted her suggestion and went West to 

 spend the summer in farming and dreaming of his 

 project. The next year found him again in Wash- 

 ington, but this time as a clerk in the Post Office 

 Department. 



During the summer and fall of 1867 Kelley in- 

 terested some of his associates in his scheme. As 

 a result seven men "one fruit grower and six 

 government clerks, equally distributed among the 



