The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-21
4 SERIOUS Charge.
A Cunning Conspiracy Alleged to
Rob the Farmers of Southern
Minnesota of Many Mill
ions of Dollars.
THE MILLS OF THE PRINCIPAL
CITIES OF THAT REGION
SAID TO BE IN 1T.
The Results of Raising "Succotash'
on the Recommendation OF
Sharpers.

We cheerfully give place to the fol-
lowing interesting communication. 1t
is from one Of our subscribers, farm
er. If true it represents terrible
state Of affairs. The writer gives the
names of certain individuals who are,
it is alleged, the parents of the iniqui-
tous scheme. We do not want to do
anyone an injustice and therefore
omit this part Of the letter. If our
correspondent has not deceived him.
self prosecutions will probably follow
for fraud. In England they would
give men guilty Of such practices long
terms in the penitentiary. We will
probably hear more of this matter
ED. REP
NoRTHFIELD, Minn., Aug. 13.
Editor Representative:
Probably one of the most gigantic
pieces Of fraud and deep conspiracies,
quite equal to the great wheat steal
of Pillsbury-Mill fame, two years ago,
has just been put into operation by
the Southern Minnesota Millers' AsSO-
cOciation.
Two years ago some forty millers
and wheat buyers in Southern Mime
sofa advised the farmers to ''stop rails
ing so much clear wheat and sow most
ly "succotash." "Succotash" is spring
wheat and oats mixed, about half and
half. On account Of the low price of
wheat such move was advised by
these fellows.
The scheme was successful, under a
promise by every mothers son of the
association. that oats price would be
fc rh
separate the mixture for them and
buy both, minus the separating cost.
When 1t was learned for sure that
millions of bushels of this mixture
was to be sown, then it was that hund
reds Of "special' seperators were put
in. Then every little mill and wheat
buyer in all Southern Minnesota were
notified to "come into the deal and
get rich quick; if you don't we will
competition you out of business"
These were the threats; and almost
every little thief concluded to stand
in with the big thieves. And this fall
and this very week, too, the greatest
conglomeration of big and little
thieves have sent out the word to sew
eral thousand farmers that their ''suc-
cotash" is not marketabl only at the
beautiful price of II cents per buShel,
for 81 pounds, half wheat and half
oats; and such crop of this mixture
never was raised in Southern Mime
sofa before. The common yield is from
60 to IS bushels per acre, from the ma
chine, while the best estimates place
the whole yield at 30,0O0,00O bushels
for Southern Minnesota.
1t is so fixed that the farmers can
get no practical hand-mills to separate
the stuff and when some of them do
fix their tanning mills and do pret-
ty good job the wheat is refused, "be-
cause there are too many oats; the
wheat is too soft to make flour and it
will have to be ground into feed; that
there are no mills made to take all the
BILE the conspiracy is made to rob our
farmers out of almost all their crop
this year.
Your correspondent has 1000 BUSH
els of this mixture and thus has the
positive proof of this gigantic deal. I.
At present spring wheat is 81 cents
at this market and along the lines Of
railroad in Southern Minnesota, while
1T is 81 in some places, with oats at IA,
succotash II.
Now, l have the proof positive that
every miller and wheat buyer at Fari-
bault, Owatonna, Rochester, Walcott,
Mankato, Winona, Northfield and at
Dundas, and large number Of small
cities, with population of from 400
to 1900 people, with mills ranging
from 300 to 1000 barrels Of flour daily,
are grinding this Succotash wheat,
which costs them 90 cents per bushel,
into first class flour, which they are
selling. for 81. 10 per hundred, while the
''specu1ators" are separating the stuff
and shipping to MINNEAPOLIS for 81
cents, making a net profit of 33 cents
per bushel, allowing cents for ship
ping, and selling the oats for "A cents.
1t is understood that this Sche me is
to be carried out the entire fall land, if
1t is, our farme rs will be robbed of
anywhere from $7,00O,00O to $4,000, 900.
The main instgators Of this con-
spiracy are: with
combined milling capacity of 1000 bar
rels per day.
All these facts are denied by these
instigators and every coworker and
every local paper seems to be secured
to "huShH for what there is in it,