330 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



President of the Dakota Farmers' Alliance in 1885, 

 has served in that capacity continuously ever since. When, 

 at the last annual session, it was decided to divide, he was 

 elected President of the South Dakota Alliance. At the 

 meeting in St. Louis in December, 1889, he was elected 

 President of the National Farmers' Alliance of the North- 

 west. President Loucks is a man of unusual energy and 

 ability, and much of the success of the Order in Dakota is 

 due to his untiring and well-directed efforts. His style as 

 a writer is clear cut and logical, and his pen is ever ready 

 to be wielded in the cause of suffering humanity. 



B. F. DAVIS. 



Benjamin Franklin Davis, Secretary of the Kentucky 

 Farmers' and Laborers' Union, was born near West 

 Liberty, Morgan county, Kentucky, September 13, 1856. 

 He attended the common schools of the county; began 

 teaching school at the age of 16, and taught of falls and 

 winters for ten years, working on the farm during the sum- 

 mer months. In 1872 he moved with his father to Kzel 

 county. He became a member of the Grange in 1873, 

 and served as Secretary in that Order as long as it con- 

 tinued in active operation in his county. In April, 1877, 

 he married Miss Gorrella B. Wheeler, of Mennefee county, 

 which union has been blessed with five children. 



He became a charter member of Pine Grove Alliance 

 No. 17, August 3d, 1887. This was one f tne ^ rst Alli- 

 ances in the Northern part of Kentucky. He was elected 

 Secretary of the organization and has since continued to 

 hold that position. 



In the winter of 1888 he was commissioned as organ- 

 izer by the President of the National Alliance, and 

 contributed largely in starting the Alliance work in Ken- 



