The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17

total of tWenty-eight cars for the year. This
state is eminently better adapted for butter
and cheese industry than California, hav-
ing as we do more nutritious grasses, an
abundant and never-failing supply of pure
water, a cooler climate, and on the western
slope almost perpetual green grasses. l am
firm believer in cooperative creamerieS.
and If l may be allowed to digress, ] wish
to impress every delegate from the coun-
try sections with this one idea of co-opard-
ton. If the entire state could take it up
and get boom on Ike the shingle mill
business on Puget sound did a few years
ago, am sure the results would be a thou
sandfold more remunerative. I nave fire.
quently thought that if a stock company
could be formed, something on the line of
a building association, or even better with
paid UP capital of $4,000 to develop this
dairy industry, it would do more for the
general welfare of the state than all the
big schemes talked of, even though some of
them should materialize. We frequently
hear of large sums of money being raised
by localities to induce some large enter
prise to locate, receiving immense sli)si-
dies for the same. Now, if you could have
company and the stock subscribed to from
all sections of the state with capital as
above mentioned, with the sole object in
view of increasing the dairy industry, and.
for instance, in locality where there were
300 to 500 cows; say to the citizens of that
plete costing $1,000; they to take one-half
the stock and the parent company the
other half, and operate it on the co-opera-
tive plan, feeding the skim milk to hogs
that might be allotted to each Stockholdar
pro rata (Which would be a very great
source of revenue to the creamery; then
give the local stockholders the option to
purchase the stock held by the parent COM
pany in, say two years, at a small bonus
and a reasonable rate of interest it WoulI
encourage and open up this industry very
rapidly, would be a paying investment for
the parent company and at the same time
make money for the local stockholders.
putting them on a solid foundation. and
they certainly would become prosperous
I believe the state, by such action. wonld
every year become richer by ST. 900 900 or
perhaps more. OF course, this is merely a.
suggestion. In 1867 and 1868 I lived in the
northeastern part of the state of Iowa
which was at that time essentially wheat
producing country. Wheat sold at from
SIPS to S1.50 per bushel, and still the farm
ers were all poor. They had sod houses with
occasionally a small frame house, their
barns consisted largely Of straw stables
The families were very poor, and many Of
them did not have the necessaries of life
Wheat kept on going down. The condition
of the farmer kept getting poorer until the
maintenance of the families devolved on
the housewife, who saved up the eggs and
made a little butter (Which ordinarily was
Of a very poor quality, and by so doing
they barely kept body and soul together
About this time a live Yankee came out
from Massachusetts and started a small
creamery in Jones county. 1t was a very
hard matter for him to make the farmers
understand they could bring their milk to
the creamery and get money enough out of
it to pay them, but they were so sore
pressed they finally, one at time; began
to deliver their milk. In the year 1898 this
same county produced 4.243,21S pounds of
butter and 400, $40 pounds of cheese. which
sold for 1884 1870 1t so happened that in
1890 visited this same section of the coun-
try for the first time since leaving there.
The change was something morvelous.
The wheat fields were gone, but in their
places were fields of luxurious grasses, fine
herds of cows, creamery at every cross
road In the place Of the old shacks were
large residences. The straw stable had
wives had sewing machines and all the new
devices for keeping house. The daughters
had pianos and organs. The young men
had fine buggies and fast horses. Their
houses were well furnished, the children
were being educated at schools and colleges
and general air of culture and knowledge
pervaded the entire section. To sum I'D.
they had become a cultured, intelligent
class Of people All this change was due to
one thing-the cow. A few figures and I
will leave this gentle animal, which, now
that the horse has become an article of
diet, must be recognized as the noblest ami
NAL. to chew her cud in peace and add her