Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-03-28


next year they tried lot Of six tons and
realized 8 profit Of forty dollars. With
varying fortunes they coasted along until
I941' when lucky stroke Of fortune await
eI 81 a. tnem. One speculation returned them
$4,'VOO. They discharged their debts in
!ull' ana then the demand for cheese hav-
ing greatly increased, they extended their
trsde, and bought largely, and moDOpo-
L!ed tne almost entire Western trade. while
with the South they held an even raca Win
the now numerous competitors
About the year 1910, and for several sub-
| Sequent years companies were formed in
town to carry on the cheese and butter bne-
mess. Among the earliest was that Of
Alanson and Harvey Baldwin; the latter
was the first man to offer q cargo of cheese
to the Inhabitants of New Orleans. No
cheese had ever before then been seen in
the market, and dollar pound in gold
was realized for some of it as q curiosity.
Another man, Samuel Granger, who after
ward became very prominent in the trade,
carried on very extensive business until
his death in 1850. The Gillettss. Seth and
r. A, the latter, afterwards. the we'll
known landlord at the Weddell; Hopson
Hurd, Sr., l. G. Dow, Perry Babcoek. now
Of Water street, Cleveland, and perbaps
Others, bought and sold cheese, in greater
or less quantities, for many years; but fin
ally the field was left clear to the Harmons
and Hurds, and by the retirement Of Mr..
Harmon from business, Frank Hurd now
remains Aurora's only cheese buyer.
In lS4S the firm made their first Eu-
roPean venture, consigning 500 boxes to
London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Manehes-
ter, respectively. This trade they eontin-
ued Tor many years. Meanwhile, Calvin
Harmon associated with him Oliver Kent.
now Of Weideman, Kent & Co., of Cleve-
land, and Mr.. Charles Harmon took as
partner Charles 81. Root, now Of the great
house OF Root & Dow, OF st. Louis. The for
mer opened up purchasing house IN Ches-
ter, Geauga county, the latter continuing in
Aurora, but both firms worked joint stock.
Their yearly purchases became enormous,
going from 100 tons the first year, to over
LOO tons the year Of the dissolution Of the
company.
In 1852 the firm made a great advance
in the matter of curing cheese. Formerly
each dairymsn cured his own cheese, with
total disregard Of uniformity. That year
huge cheese curing house was erected,
and the cheese was purchased green from
the producer, the cheese being delivered
every two weeks at the curing house.
While it was quite impossible to wholly
eradicate the Individuality Of the different
makes, the system Of curing to which they
were subjected gave them a more uniform
appearance, and nearer approximation to
the demands Of the market.
Later in the day, the introduction Of the
factory system put an entirely different
phase upon the methods Of the dairy. and
to keep apaee with the demands Of the time,
large and well-appointed factory was
built and operated several years, until the
withdrawal of Mr.. Root from the firm and
the death Of the senior partner. For ssu
years Mr.. G. R. Harmon conducted the
great business, but having aecummu!aIed
8 fortune sufficient for all the needs OF TINS
| life, gradually contracted his buying, and
with q seorner" on the New Orleans mark
ct few years since-tO let the younger
ones know that they had not an entire con-
troll Of things-Mr b. retired from the ac-
tive business life and is deToting the re-
malnder of his days to the superintendency
of his large and Well-appOinted farms, and
with modest aspiration in political circles,
which has been accorded him by an election
to the present Legislature.
During these years the price Of cheese
has been a very tickle quotation, and has
ranged all the way from cents store pay
TO 91A cents, the highest price ever paid
by this firm.
A consignment of butter to Australia In
Nmay not be without interest. Butter
tuoted there at 81 gold, and so thirty
hipPed to Melbourne.
- in strong IRON
ing space being
water. 1t Vas
news - Lne
bil Of particulars
I'D the charges was 81
.va4gnterage, wharfage IS, ETC.,
tY items being enumerated, the
ges amounting to 81, $40, and in
check for $500, which was not
ssFentHre, The butter sold at an
r -aYeS,-ys price Of seventy cents per pound.
The narration Of the above was inter-
spersed with many ''good time,R and in
eidents Of local interest and Of sharp prae-
tices, and the fact and fancy Of basiness
of forty-hve years, and when one comes to
set up The standard Of the s'good old days, -
and how much better OF every one was in
the days Of good ''0ld Lang Syne," we say
except the dairy business. We believe the
world does move in relation to the products
Of the dairy. Thanking Mr.. Harmon cor
daily for these glimpses into the past, We
bade him goodnight, and the readers Of
the LEADER have the result Of very pleas
ant two hours talk.