St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-19
THE GIGANTIC ROBBERY.

Four Methods Under Which It
Was Sh-ewdIy Conducted.
The four principal systems 81 robbery
practiced at the country elevators are
taken up and described seriaIim. Il is
alleged that. as ali The elevators are
banded together and refuse 10 pay more
than the fixed price. which Is the list
price. for grain. the farmer Is prevented
necessarily from going 10 any other ele-
vator and getting higher price for his
wheat 1t IS claimed that the railroad
companies cooperate with the elevator
companies and refuse him ears so
that he cannot ship the wheat
10 terminal points himself and
is obliged. therefore, 10 sell il 10 the
country elevators. Numbers OF indie
pendent buyers have gone 10 country
towns where combine elevators are pay
ing this low or list price for wheat. and
have paid the farmers a higher price:
but they have not been permitted to
continue paving good price for wheat.
The trust Is alleged 10 have gotten rio
OF them by one means or another. In
some cases II IS said they were bought
Oft: in others they were Illuminated.
and Il others they were ruined by tricks
which, # the book did not contain 50
much that was powerful evidence,
would read more Ike romance than fact.
The country elevators, by this cOInbina-
ton each received pro rata share Of
the wheat Brought IN by tie farmer. il
IS claimed, and averaged upIheir profits
in such q way that 10 one elevator had
any advantage over another elevator.
Ihe heaviest part OF the country el5vat-
orS' pro1lS. IL Is alleged. IS by the four
systems OF robbery heretofore men
toned. 4 description OF these four sys-
TENS Is this:
tiTst-Ihe country agents alleged 10
use a brass kettle. graduated, into
which. by Z simple trick and fsIeiEht-ui-
hand. he lets the heat fail. Because
the wheat Is u0l Soii3lv compressed in
Inc kettle il IS possible by manipulation
for four different grades TO be maize OF
The same wheat. The wheat may be
Ire nrst quality 81 wheat. No. ! hard.
but OY This device il Is made - al pear
10 be only No. I northern. which is a
grade lower. and between WhIch two
grades there Is 3 difference Of four cents
per bushel Eunning il down 10 The
lowest grade. Which the agent is able 10
dc 10y sElAful practice. there IS & steal
OF as much - i cents on The bashel.
See0aa-i'hls Is the use OF = seive 50
coarse that II permits kernels OF wheat
10 20 through i and tai on the 1iO0T.
am0unt OF dGckage- that Is the amount
OF dirt or refuse in The wheat which
must be subtracted from lis proper
weight. By The use OF a serve with
coarse meshes the country agent Is
alleged 10 steal i've, SIX or seven
pounds. as tie case may be. ont Of q
busbel OF wheat which weighs sixty
pounds.
Third The charge IS made. and Is
accompanied by an illustration. that tle
country agent has q board under me
floor OF he elevator, one end Of which
Is communicated with by a nail under
lis foot over which nail he pats his
heel. The pressure drives that end
Of the board down and ills the
other end Of the board mp. The
latter end presses upward III
derueath the scale. and by Inc pressure
with his heel Tie agent can make The
wheat weigh light, and can rob in pro-
portion Is he puts force iato his leC.