Webster Farmers' Club

The leading farmera of Webster havej for many years, maintained an organization known as the Webster Farmers' Club. This has, by careful management and earnest work on the part of its members, become one of the strongest and most influential farmc-rs' organizations in this county. lts success bas drawn to it many members from other towns, and even from other counties. The January meeting was held last Saturday at the home of W. E. Boyden, the well known farmer and Btock breeder. 3y eleven o'clock the spacious rooms of Mr. Boyden's residence were well filled by as pleasant and as intelligentja class of people, both old and young, as one can meet anywhere. Te Register representative met with a cordial reception and was grat.fied to learn that The Register was a regular visitor at the home of almost every one present. The morning session of the club was devoted to business affairs and lasted until the dinntr hour. The principal matter in the forenoon meeting was the election of three delegates to represent the club in the general organization of the Washtenaw county farmers. This resulted in the election of Messrs. Stark, Backus and Wing. This, with the regular routine business, was interspersed with some excellent music by members of the club. At half past twelve a bountiful dinner was served. The committee on refreshments found a large crowd on their hands, but they were equal to the emergency. At 2 p. M. the club was called to order by Mr. Olsaver, the president. After listening to a splendid piece of music, Mr. Stark, in his inimitable way, made a few remarks on "The Principies of Reciprocity," his aim being to urge all who did not already do so, if any such were present, to take some good county paper. If they were democrats, then take the Argus, if they claimed allegiance to the grand old party, then The Register was the paper for them to take. If they could afford it, then they should take both and see both sides of the question. This is a very sensible view, and one which more people than do would do well to follow. The committee on entertainment then reported that the next meeting of the club would be held at the residence of Wm. Ball, of Hamburg, in Livingston county. The committee on program for the next meeting reporled as follows: 1. Music. 2. Select Reading by Miss Burnham. " 3. Recitation, Walter Tubbs. 4. Music. 5. Question Box. 6. Paper by Rev. G. E. Lincoln. 7. Discussion of paper. 8. Questions for discussion: (1) How much of our health and happiness depends upon the use and abuse of the flat iron? (2) Through what sources can the farmer find relief from the present financial difficulties? The discussion of the first to be led by Mr. Keene and the second by Mr. liordman. The second question, how "ver, developed some opposition, as it would lead to political discussion in the club, a thing which it was stated was always avoided by the club, it being organized and kept up for an entirely different purpose. It was then moved and carried that in place of the second the following be substituted: "The cause and prevention of goitre in lainbs." This being settled, Dorr Queal gave a recitation entitled "The European Guide," from Mark Twain, which brought down the house. Following this was the principal feature of the day, consisting of a splendid address by the Rev. S. T. Morris, of the Dexter Congregational church. His talk was upon the subject of public school textbooks. After pronouncing the highest eulogy possible on the public school system of Michigan, he said that it stiil had faults and serious ones, too. One of these was the fact that, though we had the best school system, less than four hundred thousand of the six hundred and twenty-five thousand children of school age in the state were in school. The speaker thought that this would in a large measure account for so many in the penitentiaries of our state, and that the condition of things which brought this about was increasing. Much of the absence of children from the public schools was due to the very large and unreasonable expense of school books, due to the exorbitant prices asked for them and the frequent changes which were made. The speaker's remedy for this was in the state's manufacturing its own books. He declared that he would have the state appoint a commission composed of, say five of the best educational men to be found in the state, and pay them a salary sufficiently large to insure their services permanently. He would then authoriza these men to eitherbuyl copyrights of the text-books already "in use, if such could be had, and, if not, to prepare copy for a complete series of text-books in each of the various branches, and then have them printed by oonvict labor in our state penal inStitutions. In tfeis way firs:-class books could be furnjshed to school children at a mere nominai cost, or at no cost at all to the poorei child, if need be. This would also aviid the use of many books that are espjcially designed to have a wrong influeace, as is the case with Barnes' Histoiy of (he United States, which lauds fhe cause of the confederacy at every pissible opportunity. Mr. Morris becane very enthusiastic on his subject, and, as many present thought, took stther extreme views. However much hat he said on the_ subject was very pertinent to the question which he was tnating. After the address quite a live.y discussion was had. Mr. Ball, of Hamburg, Mr. Stocking, of Chelsea, Mr. Nordman, of Dexter. Mr. McColl, of Webster, and Rev. Mr. Morris, of Dexter took part, after which the meeting was brought to a close. Before leaving, Mr. Boyden took the representatives of The Register and the Argus in tow, and showed them about the premises. Mr. Boyden is, without doubt , one of the most successful fine stock raisers in this part of th state. Every thing about the premises showed that he knew his business. The fine blooded sheep and cattle, and heavy weight horse, and the excellent care with which everything in and about 'he numerous buildings was kept, and the evidences of prosperity throughout, prove conclusively that it pays to exercise good common pense on the farm as well as elsewhere. There are thousands of farmers in this state who would be greatly profited by making a more thorough study of this business as Mr. Boyden has done. While diiving home in the evening we could notbut feel glad that we bad attended the meetinit of the Webster Farmer's Club, for we certaiuly had had a very enjoyable time.