DIDN’T NO. 38 DIE HARD!

New England Homestead:  “The eminent men”—­George B. Loring, Daniel Needham, Charles L. Flint, Benjamin P. Ware, and George Noyes—­composing the late Massachusetts grange No. 38, couldn’t appreciate what had happened to them when the State Master’s action in revoking the charter of their grange was sustained by the National Grange tribunal.  So Brother Ware hied him to Barre, last week, to bring the matter up before the State Grange at its annual session.  No doubt the “eminent men” supposed that the presence of the Hon. Mr. Ware would alone be sufficient to cause the State Grange to tremble and humbly beg pardon for their Master’s action in disturbing the serenity of this mutual admiration society.  Alas, pride must have a fall!  Judge of the consternation of these “eminent men” when the State Grange unanimously refused admittance to Brother Ware because he was a suspended member!  Now if the honorable delegate from No. 38 deceased had known when he was “set on,” he would have silently packed his grip sack and returned to the secrecy of the obscure agricultural newspaper office at 45 Milk street, Boston, the “headquarters” of the corpse of No. 38.  But like all “eminent men” he made a grave mistake.  At a subsequent session he induced a friend to move that he be given a hearing, but the grange again voted against taking any further action in the matter.  This double rebuff was effectual.  With his hopes dashed to the ground, the honorable suspended brother crept sadly away to the depot, and when last seen was trying to derive some consolation from his flattering picture as it appeared in the Homestead of December 15.

As our able contemporary, the Maine Farmer remarks, it was a triumph of principle, proving that the grange recognizes no aristocracy.  Thus may it ever be!

A GRANGE TEMPLE.

At its last meeting the National Grange determined to enter upon the work of erecting, in Washington city, a building in which the records and archives of the Order may be preserved.  It is proposed to raise the money needful to erect such a building in a way which shall enlist the brotherhood at large, and yet not to be burdensome to even the least wealthy of the members.  The National Grange asks each subordinate grange to solicit from every name on its roll a contribution of not less than fifty cents.  The money so collected is to be kept separate from all other funds, and is to be used for no other purpose than the building of a Grange Home in Washington.  The treasurer of the National Grange is directed to procure a book in which the names of all contributors, and the sums contributed, shall be properly entered.  In due time a building-fund certificate will be prepared, containing an engraving of the building, and such other devices as may be agreed upon, and a copy of the same will be sent to every individual who donates the sum of fifty cents or more.