Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-03-21
RIVER FALLS. -
It's Facilities for Manutactur-
ing Wheat.
Mutual Advantage OF the Far
mer and LumbermaH.
More about Consolidation. /"

EDiTOR JOURNAL I'll learn from recent
number Of the Hudson Star ana Times, that
in my article on the consolidation of the two
counties Of Pierce AID st. Croix, published
some time since. I made my self appear very
ridiculous before the people.
The Times says that now that the consoli-
dation scheme is dead-killed entirely, it is a
good time TO examine its merits, when the
Discussion is free from personal interest, feel-
ing or prejudice. Some people feel much sa.
fer hunting dead lion than q living one. but
if the Tunes wishes to debate the consolida-
ton scheme on It's merits, why does it try to
get up side issue on me to divert the eyes OF
the tax payers from the MAR issue, like the
rogue who win warn you against some one
else while he is stealing from you
do not notice this, Mr.. Editor. on my own
account. as have become so accustomed to
being politically denounced that l require
certain amount of abuse to enjoy good politi-
cal health, (by the way, Lutte, perhaps / am
in your debt for favors of this kind, but it is
impossible to reward all my friends.) yet /
do not believe that the farmers and tax-pay-
ers who are mainly interested in this matter
will be blinded by the dust of small With
cisms aimed at me.
The idea that it is better time to talk
over this matter, now that the scheme is kill
ed. than when it was live issue, is original.
But is it killed entirely-killed so that it will
stay killed, or will its ghost, Banquo like,
keep rising TO sex its murderers. and viii not
down at their bidding. Time viii show.
The only place in the article in the Times
| where brains and reason are used instead of
brass and cunning, is when IN summing up,
it says: "Men as a rule, do their county
business in connection with some other BUSH
ness and the place for the county seat is
where they go to market and to trade
That is good sense. 1t is exactly what be-
fore told the people in the woods, am
willing to leave county seat at Hudson. so
long as she ships more wheat than River Falls
grinds, but no longer. That is fair. That
suits River Falls. viii it suit Hudson 2
But let us look at the effect of the two
kinds of business, and see which is doing
most for the farmer, Hudson which ships his
wheat, or River Falls which grinds it p
Which is benefitting the country the most
which doing the most to develop its resources
and augment its wealth :
| will use the figures of the Times for the
purpose of examining this point. 1t says
that last fall Hudson shipped 100000 BUSH
els of wheat, while River Falls bought 49,
900 bushels. Now, Mr.. Editor, wish the
| farmers of these two counties to look closely
at the deductions which propose to draw
from these figures.
C. B. Cox d. Go. bought 10000 bushels Of
wheat that was ground with two pair of burrs
at their new mill in two months after harvest,
! making 5000 barrels of -four, and thus re-
tanned $4,000 worth of feed in the country
for the use of the farmer and lumberman, in
stead Of making them pay for freighting it
from below, besides big profit to the mer-
chant, sufficient to enable him to play bill
! lizards all winter with the Office holder in fine
warm hotels.
Now want the farmer and lumberman to
! cypher little. II Touring 40, 900 bushels of
wheat saves to them $4,000 in feed, and 50 :
600 more in freights and time, how much will
the Touring of 7O0, 900 bushels save in feed,
freight and labor, and thus enable the lum-
herman to procure cheap supplies and SO
| lower the price OF his lumber which the far
| mer needs for Improvements, and in this way
help the whole country. 81
We find that the 100000 bushels of wheat
will make 40 900 bbls of -four, and the feed
at $l.00 per Dbl amounts to $40 900, which
our Hudson friends have sent out of the coua-
| try, and which the farmer and lumberman
viii have to re-purchase at great expense or
stop business. Cox It Co. have already sold
all of their feed. and are buying corn and
oats at st. Paul, hauling to River Falls.
| grinding and selling the feed to the farmer
and lumberman. / ask would it not be bet
ter for us to save this amount to help build
railroads and make other needed improve
ments, than to have it sent out of the conn
try, and as much more by the way of Pres
colt and other points
But when We speak of grinding the wheat
here, many viii deride the idea. and say that
the millers can do nothing with the wheat of
this country. This is not 50, for nothing viii
be lacking this season at River Falls to ena-
| bic the mills there to handle and aour every
grain of wheat shipped at Hudson, but rail-
road facilities for transportation. Cox 1t Co.
-four at their new mill at the rate OF rs bbls
per day with each run, which amounts to
375 bushels Of wheat day for each burr
NOW multiply that by 3l3 days. and it gives
| lit ,375 bushels year for one burr Cox q
Co will put two more burrs in their mill, Of
the same capacity. and Mr.. Barker's mill viii
run two burrs same capacity. Now multiply
the ,575 by six and it gives you 7e425O
bushels, besides the capacity, Of the two cus-
tom mills here for merchant work. Now
where win be the wheat. shipped at Hudson,
to say nothing of the extra work the fine
mill there would do. if there were railroad
| facilities for an outlet in winter
/ The question is. shall we get railroad ad-
| yantages to enable the millers to handle the
| wheat and save the feed where 1t 10 needed 7
No. not 80 long as we keep divided up, and
let things be in the hands of the Office seek
ers and wheat spectators. Union of the
| counties would take away half the chances oI
| the Office sharks and railroads would kin the
| wheat sharper. The millers could then not
ouly handle ali the wheat OF this sectioz, bat