St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-19
LOUCks' CHANGE.
The Farmers Alliance Presidents
Position at Least Suspicious.


The affidavit connecting President H.
l. Loueks, of the Farmers Alliance of
The United States. with the sitting of
competition by the wheat ring. is made
by c. c. WolcOtt. NOlcott and Loucks
were associated together III establishing
the Scandinavian Elevator company.
the name Of which was subse-
Quently changed 10 the Farmers
Alliance Elevator company. While
LOuckS transacted the business
Of the company in Minneapolis
/. N0lc0tt went TO Europe, and tried to III
teTest foreign capital in the enterprise.
His failure 10 do so. he alleges. was due
To the efforts Of Charles A. PiIlsbury.
who followed him 10 Europe, and made
the English millers believe that there
were no profits in the elevator business
IN the Northwest. 9lr. PillSbUTy Is said
10 have offered. as = proof. TO sell his
elevators for 50 cents on the dollar.
WOlcott's mission IN England was an
successful, and Ee returned to Mime
apOlIS. where the facts as set forth in
his affidavit occurred The affidavit
states that UP 10 q certain day, when he
had an interview with c. A. Pillsburv,
President LOucks had always taken the
position that the elevators paid. and
that there WAS IN existence q wheat
combine such as is described in the
book. After that interview, IL is al
legged, he took an entirely opposite po-
Sition. and claimed. as did Pillsbury
and the rest OF the members Of the al
legged ring, that there was no money in
the elevator business; that the farmers
were treated well. ana that they had no
cause to complain.
The interview between Loucks and
PillSbury referred to is described by
WoleOtt as follows: Be saws that about
The last of July. 1883, he was called upon
at the West hotel. Minneapolis, by
Charles a PillsDury. and that in gen
eraI conversation Mr.. Pillsbury brought
ont The tact that he thought Noleott
was able TO handle the farmers and that
be wanted the Iatter's help ana was
willing TO pay for it. He SAID that
L0ueks. who was then president Of the
Dakota Farmers Alliance, gave him
more trouble than anybody else, and he
asked WolcOtI If he thought he (NOl-
cott could handle LOacks. Welcott's
reply. as he swears to 1t. was. i think.
MIR. PillSbuTy, that Mr.. LoUcks Is built
like you, that he is out for money"
W0lcott says he told PIllsbury that
LOueks' farm was mortgaged. and that
he knew Of 10 one who objected to
making money easily. He says that
PllsbuTy inquired Of him whether he
was sure of this. and. upon his stating
that he was, Pillsbury told him that
he must have a talk with A J.
Sawyer. now dead; John Q. Adams and
others who were interested with him.
They parted, and WOlcott says that the
next day, while be was in the once of
the Scandinavian elevator company,
the clerk handed him a letter addressed
10 Il. l.. LOucks. WOieOtt supposed
that the letter was on business OF the
Scandinavian Elevator company, and as
be was as much Interested il that con-
many as Loucks. he opened The letter.
He sWears that II was from q. NJ. Ans
zen, general manager that 1t requested
Loueks to call upon him as soon as he
reached Minneapolis. LoUeks was then
out of the city. ana Oh lis return VOL
colt handed him the letter, explaining
that he iad supposed il was on the COM
pany's business and had opened it.
After reading il Loueks stated that
AmSden seemed 10 be anxious TO
see him as soon as he got home,
and he guessed he bad better 20
al once. He said he did lot know Dir.
AnIslen and went Out. He returned
shortly afterward and Iold WOleott that
he had called Gp0D AmSden- VINO had
said that il was not he who wanted to
9CN 41OtASho- LHe Lei - " a. - u. = lis
bury; that Mr.. Pilisbury had made
mistake in signing Amden's name 10
the letter. He advised Loucks 10 20
and see Pillsbury at once. Loucks told
Wolcott that he called on Pilisbary. bat
was out. NOleott says ne left the Sean
dinaVian elevator Office, was absent
probably an hour. and On his return
found fills5ury and Loueks together,
engaged 10 q deep and animated con-
Yersation. " hat passed between them
he does not say, nor is be prepared to
state, but he sWears he had a talk with
Loueks the next Gay on TIE wheat quss-
ton. and that Louek's views and ideas
upon the subject OF the wheat combine
had experienced a sudden and eXtraor-
binary change