Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-14

reliable of all farm products; that
wind or weather will not destroy nor
rust nor chinch bugs devour and destroy
1t will require no costly machinery to
harvest the milk crop; no unreasonable
freight to pay to get it. to market; no
rush at certain seasons of the year to
save it from the weather.
We have thought, and freely ex-
pressed that thought. for a long time
that creamery at Great Bend would
be the best investment our citizens
could make, and it now looks as though
our hopes would soon be realized and
the thing brought about which the DEM
oCRT has so long advocated.
The Merchants Club of this city
have undertaken to see that the stock
is taken. OF course some time will be
required to get the business under good
heading. In the first place steps will
be taken to see that we get value re-
ceived for the money expended for
machinery and buildings, and after
thorough investigation the cost of the
plant may be modified. It is well un-
derstood that the best machinery will
give most satisfaction, and it will not
be good plan to start without having
everything in good mechanical con-
ditiOn.
EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS.
From Pratt county paper we CLEAN
the following report of committee
sent out to investigate other creamer-
les. 1t will be read with interest by
those who want to see the creamery
succeed and we believe that means
every reader of the DEMoCRAT:
''Dr. Wakefield and M. Coates re-
turned from their trip to Investigate
the creamery enterprise last week and
have made report. In order to illus
trate fully the workings of the fac
j tory we furnish in full the report of
their Investigations at Brookville which
are as follows;
'sBrookville creamery started August
1887. A little over half of the stock
was taken by farmers. Mr.. Shepherd,
a farmer, was instrumental in starting
it. President Dick and secretary and
manager Dunlap say the creamery as
sociation declared dividend of 10 per
cent. at the end of the first six months
and at the end of the year an addition
al dividend of 6 per cent, making the
investment realize l6 per cent. the first
year.
s'The average price paid for milk the
first year was ss3 cents per 100 pounds.
The lowest price was 55 cents during
last July and the highest price S1.1O
which they are now paying. The great
est quantity Of milk used per day was
$4,000 pounds. At present they use
4,500 pounds daily. A little over AZ
pounds of butter is made from 100
pounds of milk. Butter sells now at 20
cents, last week brought 81 cents, and
the week before 33 cents. They are
not making any cheese at this factory
because they have a six months con-
tract with firm in Denver to take all
the butter they make and pay them
New York prices. Last year they made
cheese and realized OH the same 12aa
cents on the pound. No hogs are kept
at the creamery because the farmers
have arranged to take the milk home
with them, no trouble is ever expert
enced in finding market for the but
ter. The last pound was shipped from
the creamery the evening we arrived at
Brookville.
''Mr. Shepherd lives five miles from
Brookville and owns ten shares of stock.
The first year he MIXED Al COWS and
his gross earnings from the sale of the
milk was 81 800. A little over S45 per
COW. They were nearly all range COWS
but he has been changing them gradu-
ally for better grade. He now receives
from 1925 to $3.50 for his milk per
month. Mr.. Shepherd estimates that
if he hired his work done it would take
one man one half day to milk Is COWS
and deliver milk five miles. Mr.. Shep-
herd came to Kansas from Connecticut,
He is enthusiastic over the creamery
business, and urges upon farmers the
necessity of caring for their cattle in
the same manner that they do their
horses.
"Mr. Dick. president of the associa-
lion, lives five miles from Brookville
He says that during the winter months
the creamery is supplied mostly by the
farmers who own stock in the factory
but that during the summer they have
purchased from many others. He says
they have paid out on an average oj