HISTORY OF THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE. 127 



At a joint meeting held at Nashville, July 23, 1889, 

 the Wheel and Alliance in Tennessee were consolidated 

 under the name of the Fanners' aud Laborers' Union. 

 John P. Buchanan was elected President and E. B. Wade, 

 Secretary. 



Efforts in the way of business co-operation are being 

 gradually extended throughout the State and are attended 

 with no little success. The State has a Business Agency 

 established at Nashville, with branches at Morristown for 

 the eastern part of the State, and at Memphis for the con- 

 venience of the members in the western part of the State. 

 This Agency is backed by a considerable fund raised by an 

 assessment on the members of the Order. A number of 

 warehouses and mills have been erected in different parts 

 of the State, and efforts are being made to build at other 

 points. The numerical strength of the Order in the State 

 is estimated at 100,000, and organization is being pushed 

 on every hand. 



THE ALLIANCE IN VIRGINIA. 



The first Alliance in Virginia was organized at Otto- 

 bine, Rockingham county, in September, 1887, by Jos. S. 

 Barbee, with G. T. Barbee as President. These two 

 brothers then proceeded in the w r ork of organization 

 together, and succeeded in organizing some eighteen or 

 twenty Sub-Alliances in Rockingham, Page and Rappa- 

 hannock counties, w r hen J. S. Barbee was compelled to 

 abandon the work and return to his home in Texas. Col. 

 G. T. Barbee continued to push the work of organization, 

 and with the assistance of deputies made as rapid progress 

 as the existing conditions would permit. The people gen- 

 erally mistrusted the Order and would not take hold of it 

 until they were thoroughly satisfied that it was the only 

 way through which they could obtain relief. The first 

 County Alliance was organized at L,uray, Page county, in 



