Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/86

 railroad corporations. When the active agitation of the control and fixing of rates for transportation, by act of the Legislature began, there were but few railroads in the State. All communities were desirous of securing railroads as they were essential to the development and prosperity of both town and country. The first aim of citizens was to encourage the building of railroads and, in addition to the land grants of the general Government, free right of way and local aid by voting taxes, were common inducements tendered to the construction companies by various towns, cities and farm communities. Such localities were unwilling to have any “hostile legislation,” as it was termed, that would retard railroad building so that this influence was for many years used to defeat legislative control by limiting or fixing rates for transportation. The combined influence of the corporations and these communities was so powerful that many years elapsed before the reform could be accomplished. During the period when the conflict was most determined it is generally conceded that no one agency was so powerful in molding public opinion as the Grange.

The Granges also did a good work in promoting a spirit of sociability among families in rural neighborhoods. Women became deeply interested in the meetings and were important factors in the social work. Their home and household duties were talked over at these gatherings which became educational as well as social. The order of Patrons of Husbandry had a permanent helpful influence upon hundreds of farm neighborhoods in bringing the people into closer relations with each other and thus disseminating various improvements in farm and household labors. They were also valuable in introducing into the rural districts a general knowledge of conducting public as well as private business. Their tendency was to elevate the aims of the country people by the introduction of improvements among them both educational and coöperative. In Iowa, General William Duane Wilson was for several