232 HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL. 



ing was held at Utica, New York. At this meeting a delegation from 

 the Board of Trade and Transportation of New York City was sent, and 

 was accepted in consultation. The officers of the previous year were 

 re-elected. The next annual meeting was held in the city of Rochester, 

 at which Gen. A. Diven of Elmira, Chemung County, was elected Presi- 

 dent, and W. J. Fowler of Monroe County was elected Secretary and 

 Treasurer. 



General Diven was a man of considerable note, being ex-member of 

 Congress, also ex-vice-president of the Erie Railroad, but he could not 

 afford the time necessary to advance the interests of the Farmers' Alli- 

 ance, though heartily approving its work. He was twice elected Presi- 

 dent, with W. J. Fowler Secretary and Treasurer, but did not maintain 

 the organization after the expiration of their official terms. I did not 

 attend the last two meetings of the Alliance. 



An organization of farmers, under the name of Farmers' League, was 

 soon after effected, which is still in operation. Some time in the winter 

 of 1880, a notice was issued for a meeting at Chicago for the formation 

 of a National Farmers' Alliance. The purpose was carried out, and the 

 Secretary of our Alliance, W. J. Fowler of Monroe County, New York, 

 was elected President. Whether there were organizations under the 

 head of Farmers' Alliance prior to the Chicago meeting, in any of the 

 Western or Southern States, I am not informed ; or whether the Alliance 

 was anywhere known prior to our movement at Rochester, I do not 

 know ; but the organization was original with us. It was reported that 

 an organization, copied after ours, was inaugurated in Germany, and 

 also in England, previous to the Chicago meeting in 1880; but I have 

 no positive knowledge of the fact. 



This organization died almost, if not completely, out in the 

 State, and is just at the present time being revived. It was 

 never a secret organization, and did not reach a very high 

 position either in effectiveness or utility ; but it did, without 

 doubt, lead to the formation of other and stronger organizations, 

 and in this manner became the pioneer in the agricultural 

 alliances of the North. 



The Grange, or Order of the Patrons of Husbandry. - 

 This order was founded in the city of Washington, District 

 of Columbia, on the 4th day of December, 1867. The cir- 

 cumstances which led to its formation are as follows : In Jan- 

 uary, 1866, Mr. O. H. Kelley, in the Department of Agriculture, 

 was sent on a mission of some sort through the South, by Mr. 



