Webster And Salem

The Webster Farmers club and the Salem Farmers club held a joint meeting last Saturday at the residence of William C. Latson in Webster and about 100 people were present and saw a fine and well kept farm beautifully situated and just rolling enough to afford the proper drainage, and sat down to a beautiful dinner, which seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by all present. All were farmers and their families excepting three ministers and twq newspaper men who had strayed into the fold and one or two of these indicated a tendency to exhibit a knowledge of farming, drawn from wbat they claimed was past experience on farms. Mr. Latson was born on the farm, which he cultivates, some 65 years ago, as his neighbor Cyrus M. Starks was born on the farm on which he lives. These Webster farms are too fine property to be hawked about in the markets, and judicious cultivation has kept up their fertility. Well kept grounds, fertile fields, good buildings and a general air of thriftiness marks Mr. Latson's farm. After the dinner was served and the biggest feeder in the company had eaten to repletion and a social time had been happily spent the Webster club was called to order by the president, George W. Merrill, the Salem club being preseut as guests. Rev. H. W. Hicks, of Dexter, opened the meeting with prayer and Miss Anna Latson played an organ voluntary, which was greeted with applause as was a recitation by Miss Eliza Smith entitled "The Farmer and the Wheel," which detailed how a young fellow with a bicycle stole the f armer's daughter f rom the young farmer whose acres " joined. " Miss Julia Ball, of Hamburg, read a meaty paper on sel f advertisement. A thing moderately well done and thoroughly well advertised is much more certain of success than a thing perfectly done and not advertised. How soon would a merchant sell his goods if he kept them packed in boxes and didn't advertise them or exhibit them in his show window. A man cannot sooner secure recognition of his mental gifts. The need of self advertising in the case of the preacher, the young tutor and the teacher were clearly shown. The road to niatrimony is a comparatively easy oue to brazen medlocrity while timid worth may ünd it difficuk. The indifferent jesc of the self assertiye is often laughed at while the wittiest sayings of the humorist are often killed by the manner of delivery. Admiration is catching. The good opinión which gets afraid begins at home. Fortune appears to preside over the destinies of men, putting wooden spoons in some mouths and silver spoons in others, but is that any reason why the man with the wooden spoon should not get any of the soup. One of the necessary attributes of courage is self esteem. The cricket presents an object lessou for those with but one talent. He possesses but one note and cannot rise with the nightingale, but by persistently sounding that note he gets to the front. Put yourselt forward if you wish to get on. No man can eud with being superior who will not commeuce with being inferior. Cyrus M. Starks remembered how nicely the Salem club had fed and treated the Webster club on a former occasion and how they had made the Webster club do a good deal of talking. He wanted reciprocity and called on W. B. Thompson, who said he was greatly interested in the paper as he had beeu iu the dinner. President Herbert W. Smith, of the Salem club, thanked the Webster club for their invitation, and in the course of his remarks, stated that while the Webster club was of the oldest farmers clubs in the state, Salem was one of the youngest but nevertheless has now something over 100 members. Mr. Rose said he came over for recreation, but brierly discussed the paper. liev. Mr. Hannaford, of Salem, spoke with a feeling of sadness of the fact that the time has come when true worth cannot be recognized as true worth unless it blows its owh horu. There was something encouraging in the fact of people having something good to offer having the courage to come forward with it. But when a man comes forward to advertise only himself and not what he has to offer, he is in pretty small business. He spoke also of the necessity of the people of the United States working out reforms for themselves. Mrs. Helen Thompson said that farmers did not so much need to put themselves forward as to simply take their proper places. While this is an age of improyement the farmer has simply to spiritually and mentally keep step with that progress. The discussion was appropriately closed by liev. Mr. Morehouse and then Miss Julia Ball favored the clubs with a song. Cyrus M. Starks spoke on the Future Outlook of the Farmer. He was always an optimist. When a child he had watched his eider brother crook his elbow and take a young lady out and looked forward to the time when he would be old enough to do that and when he had seen his brother strapping a razor, he had looked forward enjoyingly when he would have down enough on his face to do the same. So long as the world stauds man must eat and there is not the slightest danger that our business will become autiquated or go out of use. We have at least the element of stability. Chemistry may make an imitation fruit or butter, but it cannot make these imitations take the place of the genuine articles. Whether the products of the farm will in the future prove remunerative no man can teil but we may be sure they Will be wanted. The past history of the world hasshown that the great activity of Europe in opening up the deserts of África and iu üespoilinc; China, will produce a state of affairs in which farmers are greatly interested. Wherever civilization is introduced, there cousutuption beconies greater. The people of China subsist now principally upon rice. When Europeanized they will want our foods and manufactures. Even now there is spriaging up there a demand for the products of the civilized world. With the opening of China and interior África and with the recent opening of Cuba, Porto Rico and the Phillipiues, see what a vast field we shall have for our wares. Speaking of our recent conquests, we will see as great a thinning out of our surplus populación for these islands as we have not seen since the oíd California days. They will make a great rnarket for us. Whtit we eat, no combination can permanently restrict or control. It may temporarily do so, but ultimately whatever this world wants it will have. In the future the American farmer will be self assertive. This war has developed a self assertive feeling. The very mainspring of the activities of the American people is their self assertion. The low prices we have had has stimulated the energies we possess. J. W. Wing said that agriculture had the approbation of our Heavenly Father in the beginning. The future of the American farmer depends largely upon his ability, his integrity aud hisdiscretion. If a king is intelïectual and wise he can make his subjects comparatively happy. But in a republic every man is king. It is our duty to give everyone of our children a good education. In order to give them that education we must get a fair price for what we have to spare. How long is the railroad to be taxed upon its earnings and the farmer on the value of his property. If the farmer had been taxed by the same system as the railroads, there wouldn't be money enough in the treasury to pay the salaries of our senators. Let us if possiblemakeothers paytheir fair proportion of taxes, we are paying taxes for corporations living in marble palaces in the east. When I bought my farm in 1851 my taxes were $7 and now they are $50 or $60 and are not any higher than my neighbors either. E. O. Reeves deyoted his time to roasting Mr. Starks in a pleasant vein. I. S. Savory had come not to talk but to listen. II. W. Smith thought Mr. Starks had dwelt too much upon the material part of farming, too mueh on the farm and too little on the farmer, and asked if the farmers were not taking their place in society, were not being educated and were not taking their places as the peers of any men. S. W. Beakes thought he was called out as an object lesson to show that the farmers through their clubs were gaining proflciency in speaking, which others without these advantages did not obtain. T. W. Mingay renewed the discussions and told a story or two. Rev. Mr. Hicks said he was raised on a farm and had not lost sympathy with farmers. He spoke of 50 years and of the wonderful advance farmers had made. He didn't believe a better recruiting office for the professions could be found than in the farmers' homes. Mr. Hamilton closed the discussion in a few well chosen words. Miss May Ball gave a pleasing recitation and the exercises closed with a song by Miss Julia Ball on "Where did you come from, baby dear?" It would be a good thing for the farmers of Washtenaw if every town in the county had such farmers' clubs as Webster and Salem.