Fergus County argus., 1894-02-01

>~0k II
lay to do this work, sometimes clean
ng the wheat four times before it is
it to grind into -four. Our charge is
10 cents per cwt., bringing us 81 so for
what costs us So. This would not be
SO bad if we collected the 1 cents, but
we don't get it one time in a hundred;
ask the farmers if they pay for this
only as they have the
wheat cleaned for seed then he accuses
us of retaining the screenings. Well we
plead guilty to this. in part because
many of the farmers know from exper-
ience that the screenings are not
worth the drawing home and refuse
to take them away. For over two
years we have made it rule to offer
the farmer his screenings if they will
take them away and now offer pub
licly to give to any man all the
screenings he claims we have robbed
him of, providing he will furnish sacks
and pay Mr.. R. G. jackson for the
storage as we had no other recourse
than to store the screenings which the
farmers failed to remove. We con-
slider these screenings of very little
value and would be glad to get rid of
them at any price. The fact is that
this same Mr.. Weydert contracted
with us for a certain amount of them
at 65 cents per cwt. He went to the
storehouse, selected as suppose the
best he could find, took them home
and later returned them to US, claim
wouldn't have them on his ranch if
given to him. In this matter we think
Mr.. Weydert was right. so why make
such a fuss about the screenings. The
fact is we don't want them, they are
only a nuisance to us and no miIlers
in the land but your humble servant
would think of receiving wheat in the
condition we have been compelled to
receive it.
Then Mr.. Weydert says that the
farmer must take the weights of the
miller and here the miller gets in his
dirty work by taking overweight, for
all the farmer knows. In reply to
this We will say that the seller usually
has to take the weight of the buyer.
Is not this the case when you buy or
sell of the merchant; but the farmer
has the privilege OF seeing his grain
weighed at the mill and we frequently
request them to remain and see to the
weighing, which is their privilege as
well as their duty. Mr.. w. says, "evi-
IDENTIFY Miller Stiles and his associates
came out here to reap the benefits OF
the pioneers hardships and trials
Let's see if this assertion is sustained
by facts. When We came here flour
was selling at 81. rs per cwt. and wheat
was selling for about 81 per cwt. in
store pay-no cash. Remember we
reduced the price of flour to So per
cwt. and advanced the price of wheat
to S1.25 per cwt., making a saving on
each 100 lbs. of -four to the consumer
of $1.75. and to the farmer who had
wheat for his own bread of fully $2.5 so
on every hundred of flour consumed,
or about $50 year to an ordinary
family of five or six persons. Now
these facts cannot be disputed. No
farmer has ever brought grist OF
good wheat to this mill who has not
received $1.5O per cwt. for his wheat
in exchange for flour at So per cwt.
and shorts and bran at 81 per cwt.
While these have been our published
rates OF exchange we have often had
to put in from five to eight pounds OF
our own flour to make up the weight
OF 40 lbs. to the cwt. OF wheat because
the wheat was frosted or damaged,
and it is simply impossible to get
more than 80 or 35 lbs. of flour from
100 lbs. of frosted wheat, but we have
stood the hardship, knowing we would
be called robbers if we didn't come up
to our promises.
One word as to the market for
wheat. There hasn't been a day or
hour on this crop year that we have
not been ready to pay cash for wheat
and as good or better prices than any
market in America was paying for
wheat under the same conditions.
Now, gentlemen, don't you think it
would be wise on your part to prac.
tice the golden rule to some extent
The miller is not to blame for all he is
accused of and if you will only treat
the miller as you wish to be treated
you will find us willing to meet you
half way and we can dwell in broth
erly love and we will then 60 to work
stop ranting about our neighbors and
thereby grow in prosperity and as We
prosper we will grow sweet in our dis
positions.
Now gentlemen, we will submit the
following proposition to you for your
consideration and then we are done
with this newspaper controversy. 1t
is proposed by the farmers to organ
ize a company to build a MILL In case
you don't succeed in bringing this
around We will sell you the Judith
mill at fair valuation with a small
payment down and give you any
reasonable time to make deferred pay
ments with fair interest thereon. II
this proposition shouldn't meet your
views and you feel like going slow and
feeling your way, We will rent you the
mill for year at a reasonable rent,
say nearly interest on the einvestment,
taxes included, and you can secure an
honest miller-if there is such a per-
son belonging to the craft. This will
enable you to ascertain the profits