New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-20
HOW SYRACUSE IS SERVED.
THE ONONDAGA COUNTY MILK ASSOClA-
TON
GROWTH AND EFFICIENCY OF
THIS ORG AyIZATI0N-How ITS WORK
Is PERFORMED.

/ wealth
tonic of discussion, but very few persons nave
! concerrcd themselves with the distribution OF one
article that is closely related to human comfort
and bappincss from the beginning to the very
ond of life namely pure milk. BY combination
If couscs and circumstances this question was
thrust ON the Syracuse public some twenty years
AGO and WAS settled then and there to the entire
| satisfaction of both producer ana cohsuIhoi'
Syracuse was then getting out OF us swauulihH
clothes and beginning TO put on CITY airs i.s
half-doIen big breweries were not theh i'll lull
opcration as now and the people depended more
on the supplies OF the dairy than OF the brewery
As the city grew larger, the pasturage grew
smaller. and the people were thrown more anu
more on the tender mercies OF the mlKmah'
Many of the farmers found IN the city eoou
market for their dairy products and at once "ehs
into the milk business, that their NUMBER soon
became legion. The competition became sharP'
and as a consequence both consumer and producer
suffered. the former by dishonest miikmen' the
latter by the low prices. The mlddleman now
appeared on the scene, and the hard-"orNIh8
farmer was still further shorn of his profits
In this chaotic condition Of affairs the farmers
recognized their deliverer in the happy conception
of fertile mind that had hit upon the happy
scheme Of b<ncing together the producer ana
consumer without tie Intervention OF the middle
man On the 2lst of March, 1871, eighteen
farmers banded themselves together and IN
corporated the Onondaga County MIX AsSocia-
ton The idea Of this organization was 70 ouy
ND the milk of the farmers living in the vicinity
of Syracuse and then deliver II to such customers
as il might be able 10 serve. In TINS way the
farmer had the alternative presented him OF De-
coming stakeholder or of simply selling ms
milk outright TO the association, either Oh Whlch
WAYS was decided gain over the old system
The history of the trials and triumphs of the
new company. rs well as the opposition II en-
couutercd from inc, pendent mllkmen, would form
an intensely interesting and entertaining chapter
for any magazine. 1t Is only necessary to say mere
that the associated farmers, nothing dauh'eu'
kent on ucrfecting their system Of milk dstrlDu-
lion until to-day the Onondaga county Min
Association is perhaps the only successful orgahlza-
ton Of It's kind in the United States IL mas MAO
tie mustard seeds growth. Beginning at hrst
ON a small scale, the business rapidly crew. 50
that an the end Of the first year Of operation
,he hooks showed that over million ana nan
/ oti,rts of milk had been handled. The company
had for IFS first president Il. Austin Avery, ana
+ under this gcnilcuau's wise management tic
/ association became very popular. b''1"NV VI I.
! quality of the milk sent out, IL nov oull lo.u
the custom early gained, put 3d"c" s''""'N
/ tho salrs each month. Nearly I'VE million quarts
of milk were received last year, and three mliHoh
sold from the associations delivery waSoH' sno"-
/ inc that the business now done Il VN'l ulcc
times what il was in ISL Inc aSSoclatlou ~
present consists OF some eighty stockh3lutis
Forty oi thcA own their own larlns' ana pIlhS
mill, 10 the building, WhIe Inc remainder sen
tlcir uroduct 10 the company ana rent STOCK:
The milk furnished by all these is the product OIL
Tbc association now handles upward Of $4,000
ouorts of milk daily The bulk of THIS enormous
quantity of milk and cream Is, Of course, sup
Piled 10 customers throughout the city puO
the business of the company py no We%hs eHuS
al this for the supply is not limited TO the guam
titv consumed in this way. On the contrary,
1t is largely in excess; but whether
IT, IS 100 or LOCO quarts not
single quart is carried over to the next dag sup
nix The amount left over after the regular
patrons aye served is used in the manufacture oil
cc-crcam butter, and COTTAGE ana factory ch Ices
| The manufacture of those products OF the DAIRY
/ is reduced 10 science by The improved hech"Il-
zeal app ianccs employed.
routcs recurring forty drivers and rs many wag-
ons 10 do the same business that formerly Ill pr,
vatc hands ncccssitated twice as many men ana
| teams II can be readily seen that on thlS Item
alone there is a great saving of time and money.
As one of the results Of this cooperation ana
division of labor the cost OF sweet mix 10 the
consumer las been reduced from cents 10 cents
nor ,,u,rt since the organization OF the company
and even a lower figure than this Is obtained by
hotels and other big purchasers Ana vet the as
sociatlou is able 10 pay handsomely Oh the invest
mont The net receipts. after paying the current
! cXnrnscs are dee AIRED in monthly dividends TO
line stockholders on the number OF quarts each
member has delivered 10 the association daring
the preceding month. The average amount re-
crivcd is about lilo cents per quart. Here
aqain the farmer is great gamer by the arrange
mont for he is spared all the trouble OF peGdung
his milk not 10 speak of the loss on bad debte,
and the daily exposure during four or 1--we hours
in all SORTS Of weather. go.
And now a word regards the buildings IN
! which the association carries on It's operations.
| The main buildin4 is a rather unpptentiOus four
story structure, situated On East Fayette-st..
/ near the heart of tho city. II IS arranged with
/ every convenience tor The rapid and Clearly
| handling of the milk. and has. in addition. Il
| perfectly equipped dairy establishment. The
/ milk brought m by the farmers IS placed upon
ear and run 10 the scales 10 he weighed ms
! way of handling and crcditng milk received Is
! found To be much more expeditions than measur-
! ng by quarts or gallons. Back of the receiving
! room is a large covered platform, where the cans
| are washed, for The association iirmN hencNts
! that CLEANLINESS, like godlineSS. Is proltapte III
| all things. The 500 huge milk cans are accord
| ney thoroughly clcanscd each day. ana tnen
! steamed at high pressure, So that not specK
of dirt or other matter can find lodemcnt III any
/ of the seams crcviccs They are then stoou
| IN rows with the covers OF, untli an moisture
! is cyaporatcd. This operation leaves thch clean
and dry and as bright rs sIEcr dol@r ana
! it is no wonder that this washing process Is
/ one of the biggest cards Of the association. fer
cleanliness is next to godliness even III milk
matters.
| where The milk which has to be kept over night
! i'm summer is stored. The temperature of this
! room is kept at 40 degrees, and the milk cans
are set i'm cold water tanks
Under the building and the sidewalk is the
| huge basement where the surplus milk Is worked
| INTO butter. cheese and ce-cream There are two
main apartments, Of which is used for
bntter and cheese factory. and the other for the
| milking of ice-crcam. lmmens" frcc2crs with
LARGE watts of brokcn ice are stationed in regular
| order about the spacious room. whose dina light
and chilly atmosphere strongly suggests the home
Of an EsouimauN Here one man spends his
life summer and winter. manufacturing the most
delicious creams and ices by the tons. Of every
kind and flavor. Large quantities are sent To
| ncighhoring towns for fairs and parties for the
association icc-crcam finds peculiar favor in the
| eyes Of the country girl. discountipg peanuts by
"a large majority. 1t is not unusual for Superin-