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Show 139 remember to return what they borrowedo Referring more specifically to economic life in the Order, one rule stated, "We will patronize our brethren who are in the ordero ,,12 Participants were expected to free themselves of debt before joining the organization, and after joining were asked to avoid finding fault with the managers of the Order. Members were expected to work diligently and give an honest day's work for a dayVs credit on the books of the cooperative. And in regard to the "extravagant" fashions of the world, one rule required members to dress simply and live with econo~ and prudence. Beyond these ver,y general rules p nothing more than the combined wisdom of general and local leaders seems to have guided policy in Farmington's cooperative enterprises. The United Order in Farmington encompassed two related spheres of economic activity: (1) mercantile and manufacturing enterprises, and (2) agricultural companieso The latter, which were discussed in Chapter VII, included stock herds 9 fence and field companies, and a cooperative rancho Business included a cooperative store, which was the topic of Chapter IX, a tanner,yp a shoe shop, and a broom factory. (A hand-operated machine for producing brooms from broomcorn, apparently grown locally, was owned by the Farmington ward. 13 more is known about the tiny enterprise.) Little In both spheres of economic activity, the cooperatives functioned until 1876under ward direction and then as part of the county United Ordero 12Ibido 0 po 3950 13"Co~op Account Book," pp. 14, 210 |
