The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-06-27
A Day Among the oheesa=Makars

popular man IN Wisconsin.
A Day Among the Cheese-Makers.
We have been for some time past, promising |
ourselves the pleasure of "a day among the |
cheese-makers, but various causes have con-
spired to prevent US from putting our inten-
ton into effect. On Thursday last, however,
we set aside all hindrances, and availed our
self Of the offer of our friend and fellow cit
izen, D. B. TEARS, of the well-known Flour
and Feed Store on Market Square, to show us
around.
We may premise that the town of Pleasant
Prairie, adjoining the city, is at present the
great cheese making locality of this county
ride through the town at this season of the
year, will convince any one of its entire adapt
alton to the purposes of the Dairy. The pas
lures are everywhere q perfect marvel of
thrifty verdure, and the cows may be said to
be revealing in "feed up to their eyes"
In a description of the cheese makers, we
shall not follow the order of our visit, but shall
begin, as it were, at the head of the stream
we may so designate the dairy interest, that
from small beginning has in few years over
flowed the whole town, and comparatively
speaking, swallowed up all other interests
Seldom has the industry of a town been so
entirely changed in so short time, as it has |
in this. This change is due in great meas
ure to the enterprise and foresight of Mr. WARD
c. WHITE, still one of the most successful and |
enterprising cheese makers in the town. He |
purchased fine, productive farm in 1858, we
think-put in large fields Of wheat, oats and
barley, and for two years his crops were al
most total failure And these failures were
the result of no negligence, bad calculation,
or defective management Of his own. He felt
that he had done his duty-he had prepared
the ground and put in the seed, but the in
crease did not come. Under these circumstan-
ces he concluded that change in the pro-
gramme was imperative, and for some time he
revolved the subject in his mind, before decid-
Ing what branch of industry to choose. He
knew he had as fine farm-as productive
land-as could be found anywhere, and he de-
termined to stay on it, and make it support
him and his family.
After weighing all the chances, Mr.. White
finally concluded to try cheese manufacture.
He ordered from Ohio modest-sized vat,
hoops, press, &C., and bought few good COWS
In addition to those he already had, and six or
seven years ago commenced the manufacture
In good earnest He commenced by making
just as good an article as it was possible to
make, and he had had some experience in the
State Of New York, which helped him in the
enterprise, and his first summers work was
perfect success so far as the quality of his
cheese was concerned. The next thing was to
make sale of the cheese he had made. Every.
where he found prejudice against Wisconsin
cheese. Dealers thought it would be madness
to invest their money in Wisconsin cheese =
Who would ever want to buy it? But Mr..
White was not to be discouraged. After try
ing various markets. he finally took a load to
Racine, and found dealer there who wanted
to buy cheese, but did not want Wisconsin
cheese. Mr.. White determined to leave his
load of cheese with him. and if he could not
sell it, told him he need not pay for it, Finally
he dealer was induced TO look at it. It looked
fine; very tempting indeed he tasted it and
tested three or four cheeses, and found them
all alike, and he concluded to take the load
at SC per pound, the price asked, and Mr.
White took his money and went home, salts
fed with the first returns of his new enter
cheese would make its own market, and he
was correct m his conclusions. week had
not elapsed before he received an order for n
other load of cheese, and from that time to
the present he has never had to look for pur-
chasers. They have come to him. And thus
was laid the foundation of one of the most i'm
portsnt branches of industry of our county,
that has since grown into mammoth proper
tions. And thus was the market opened for
Wisconsin cheese. .
Mr.. White is milking at the present time 10
COWS, and makes four cheeses daily averaging
about 81 pounds each, making 24S pounds per
day-an average of 81 pounds per COW. This
we believe is the largest amount per COW in
the town, and is due to the fact that he feeds
his cows regularly through the season, and al
so that he has the best herd of COWS, as all his
neighbors told US, in the town. He has five
more cows that will be soon be added to the
cheese-making force. With the usual favora,
bic season be will turn out not far from Al, O0C
lbs. of most excellent cheese. Last year he
made little over 46, 600 pounds. Mr.. White
is at present making his own cheese with some
assistance from his sons. He has all the facil-
tiles, an excellent cheese-house, large sized
Western Reserve Vat and furnace, of Roe's
patent, patent metallic hoops, and the usual
screw press. We may say here that with two
exceptions, the same apparatus-vats, hoops
presses, etc.,-is used throughout the town.
Messrs. FRANK Holt & BROTHER, are the
most extensive manufacturers in the town.
They are at present milking 20 COWS of theil
own, which number will soon be increased to
50. They are also making up the milk of %
cows for Walter Dexter, IL for Dennis Shine,
and IL for Chas. johnson, making altogether
the milk of lis COWS. They make five cheeses
per day, aggregating about 3l5 lbs, or shout
"5oOO lbs. fop the season. The MessIs. Holt
use one Roe vat, and one of the Oneida patent
Fats, with the same hoops and presses used
oy Mr.. White. They have a capital cheese
mouse with all the facilities for carrying on the
business successfully. Our old friend. L. c.
Holt, father of Nessrs. Frank & Bro. with one
assistant, carries on the inside work Of the
cheese house. His cheese stands AMONG the
first In the market. And we can cas- ilv accorpt
for it when we look around the factory an5
see how perfectly sweet and clean everything
is kept, and how much pains is taken to make
only the very best article. They are having
another cheese room finished off, which will
nearly double their present shelving capacity
The terms on which the Messrs. Holt max
Up the milk for Others shows the benefit ofth