UNRECORL(ED HISTORY. 19 



with J. N. Montgomery, J. W. Sullivan, J. T. Reeves, Jefferson 

 Woraack, George W. McKibbens, and a few others, the prelim- 

 inary meeting was held at Poolville, Parker County, July 29, 

 1879. The old Lampasas declaration of principles was amended 

 so as to eliminate the political features, and the Alliance started 

 out as a non-partisan organization. 



Parker and adjoining counties were largely settled by enter- 

 prising farmers from the North and East. These men watched 

 earnestly the progress of the organization, until they were con- 

 vinced that it must do good, and intended good to their fellow- 

 man, and that it had already accomplished much good, and could 

 accomplish more if they would join in the well-begun work, 

 which they did, and thus was the Alliance formed, and from 

 that day to the present it has retained the name Farmers' Alli- 

 ance. A second Alliance was soon formed at Central, Parker 

 County, and a third in Jack County. From this the order grew 

 in numbers, until it was thought best to perfect a State organi- 

 zation. 



It will be noticed that there were no county organizations. 

 It was at that time thought best to conduct it with a machinery 

 similar to that of the Knights of Labor. This idea was aban- 

 doned, probably on account of the establishment of county trade 

 agencies. There were a number of meetings held during the 

 summer of 1879, previous to the State meeting, but they are 

 hardly worth the space for details, as the meetings of the State 

 Alliance, which convened monthly, disclose all their methods 

 and purposes. The men who founded the last Alliance profited 

 by the disasters which overtook the first, and thereby rendered 

 a service to the present organization, for which they deserve the 

 thanks of all those who labor, wherever found. 



