Webster Farmers" Club

The last meeting before the summer vacation was held at the reeidence of Blmer S. Cushman, June 9. The spacious lawn was thronged with farmers and their wives, sons, snd daughters, all bent on haviDg a good social time. The meeting was opened with prayer by Rev. Jas. E. Butler, followed by a soul-stirring song from the ïtilsson club. The company were not long in discovering among their nutnber the genial face of Capt. K 1 . Allen, our represen tative in congress. He had fortunately dropped in for two or three hourg to visit his brother-in-law, E. S. Cushman. He was prevailed upon to talk. He said that our home industries must continue to be protected. We today enioy privileges whicb no other nation under heaven enjoye. And congress etaould legislate in 8uch a marmer as to retain these blessings. After dinner, Wm. Ball made an extemporaneous speech as follows : " Some have thought that in our club meetings we have handled too many potatoes, spread too much manure, ghod too many hor8es, tied up too much wool, etc, - or, in other words, handled to many dirty i topics ; and perhaps it would be as well to turn our attention to those subject which will benefit us socially and educationally. It is just as necessary for farmers to improve as for any other class. We as f armere do not read enoufch. We can read while we are resting. We are then not onlv restine the body but gaining strength in other directions. Daily reading is much more necessary than a thorough education. Even a professional man can do witbout a thorough edncation, better than he can afford to neglect his daily reading. More attention should be paid to the common 6chools, tbr here is where our men who Bhall carry public responsibilities, are being educated. More ttention should be paid to hiring good teachers, and then more attention given to the kind of work they do in the school-room. Common I schools are the basis of all education. Why do we sometimos feel awkward when we co into town? Simply because we have more sense and leas polish than many of the social butterflies of the city. Farmers have an abundance of common-sense, but we need to go more into society. In our club the past three years we have made long strides in the way of progress ; but yet we have failed to come up to our highest privilege in some respecta. ThrougB modesty some have excused themselves from writing papers who could have led us over interesting fields of 1 thought. Each one has rich treasures of I experience, and what the club wants is cot literary polisb, but practical suggestions put in such a way that we may proflt by them." Mr. Wing, of Ann Arbor, was then called upon and said that he carne into I this country when it was a beautiful wildernesp Faithful work has dcveloped these beautiful fields and the?e busy cities. And now that we all have thes necessities at our hand we ought to give more attention to the education of the young. This will be more profitable than the accumulation of more riohes. We as farmers Bhould always bear in mind that we are as good as anyone else, e=pecislly ir we are. He had been with educated men of all professions, but he had found the farmer to be the possessor of more geüeral knowledfje than the average professional man. The farmer needs to be a chemist, said Mr.Wing, a veterinary surgeon, amechanio, a weather prophet,- in short he needs to know everything, and know how to apply it. Miss Julia Ball then gaye a recitation, and Dorr Queal a declamation. The next meeting will be held at the residence of Chas. Rogers on the first Saturday in September, when Miss Jnha Ball will read a paper on " Social condition of the United States compared with other nations," and A. F. Smith on " Aids in the household.