St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-29
Neutrality-suspicious.
FARMERS MUST TAKE WHAT IS
OFFERED OR HAUL THE
GRAIN HOME.
NOW THEY SHIP FROM TRACK,
AND, AS A RESULT, ELEVATOR COM
PANIES AND BUYERS COME
TO TIME.
INDIVIDUAL CASES AT STEPHEN
Which Leave No Doubt but That
Farmers Have Been Getting
the Short End.
Special to the Globe.

STEPHEN, Mimi, Jan. 2S.-The let
ter from this point. which was pub
lished in the G ] o b on Monday, gave
a brief outline of the wheat situation.
Additional facts We're found, and the
details are given below. AS there were
about $50 carloads of wheat shipped
from Stephen from the crop Of 1895, up
to Jan. l, and only about one-fifth of
that was loaded from the track, an
estimate Of the loss to the farmers
shows that they came out behind to
b the tune of over $4,000. This is con-
servative, and is based on the aver
ages of the figures that could be had,
making due allowance for the COM
parative1y fair market that existed
during the first few weeks of the sea-
son If all the facts could be had, there
is no question that this estimate of
the loss to the producers, of 500, 900,
would be found to be only about one
half Of the actual loss sustained by
the farmers in the territory tributary
to this market.
The greatest loser has been the small
farmer who lives at a distance. He
had only few hundred bushels of
wheat, and besides his grain another
crop had matured. This was a crop
of debts, and every creditor wanted
his money MIR. Poor Farmer must
pay up or they would foreclose the
mortgage or sue on the note. 1t made
no difference to them that the work
vas away behind on account of the
heavy crop and all its attendant de-
lays They didn't care whether he was
able to plow and prepare his land for
another crop; all they knew or cared
about was that their money was due
and they wanted it instanter Fearing
all sorts of dire disaster, he hauled his
, wheat Cmany of the small farmers
having to drive from twenty to thirty
miles to reach the markeO to town,
where he found the buyers very indie
pendent He tried one elevator after
another and found them all full-at
least they told him SO. He could not
maui his wheat home again, for he
must have money to satisfy his cred
1toTs. Then the kind-hearted wheat
baron took compassion on him and Of
fered to take in his wheat as rejected
or No 8. AS there was no alternative,
the poor farmer had to submit to the
squeezing process to the extent, in
many cases, of one-fourth of his crop.
these are the ones upon whom the
dow fell hardest, for they were the
least able to stand the squeeze The
wheat barons took advantage of the
situation and screwed down the press
on this little, defenseless one until the
last drop Of blood was squeezed out of
him.
This condition of affairs would not
have existed to the extent that it did
had the farmers followed out their
intention in 1894 and built an indie
pendent elevator. They had about de-
-cided to do so, but the elevator com
panies :joliied" them out of it. While
the matter was under consideration
the prices at Stephen were two cents
q bushels better than those at War
rem or Argyle. The farmers were led
to believe that they would always have
q falr market, and, through the
CAJOLERY OF THE AGENTS
of the wheat barons, the plan of build
ing farmers elevator was killed.
NOW the producers realize their mis-
take, and they have been made to suf-
fer because of it most keenly during
the last fall. The crop of "a was a
light one, and the farmers nearly all
shipped their wheat direct. Very lit
tie of it graded lower than No. 1 hard.
and they gained, even with a close
market and sharp competition, three
cents bushel over the local market
when they shipped direct. This caused
them to open their eyes and to plan to
build a cooperative warehouse Then
came the "iollying" process on the
part of the barons, and now the farm
ers are crying over the milk which the
elevator people spilled for them
The farmers took the bit in their
teeth after the market had been opened
at Warren and succeeded in breaking
the blockade themselves. They were
not assisted by the merchants as gen
orally as was the case at Warren and
Argyle, but had to fight the battle
alone. Two of the merchants. II. r.
McMahon and J. P. Lundin, joined with
them. The business of the town was
being diverted to Warren and to Dray-
ton, across the river in Dakota, but the
merchants feared the power of the ele-
Vator combine. They saw their business
fall off and their collections drop be-
hind. The farmers committee succeeded
In getting cars and raising the block
ade,and 1t has been the continue ton of
their efforts that has kept the market
open. For over month there were no
cars for track shipment, and only enough
Tor the elevators to keep their houses
open. Under the order which reouired
the cancellation of all untitled requests
for cars on Saturday night the farmers
were unable to get their quota; so the
farmers started from home to be on
hand when the station was opened for
business in order to get their orders
In as soon as the elevator companies.
1t was claimed that a better market
existed In Donaldson for part of the
season than was the case at Stephen.
Much OF the wheat hauled there brought
@ grade higher than the same wheat at
stephen. There was considerable No
hard bought at Donaldson and very lit
tie at Stephen. At the former point
there are two houses, line and an in
dependent. Early in the season the in
dependent buyer treated the farmers
well and the line house was compelled,
In self-defense, to follow the lead. 1t
was not satisfied to do 50, and the re-
port, which is current all along the St
Vincent branch, is that the independent
house was compelled under the threat
of being driven out Of business to come
down and do business on the terms die
tated by the combine. That the prices
and grades Of both houses, after the
conference between the superintendent
of the line company and the owner of
the Independent house, were very near
ly uniform, is true
The capacities of the elevators at Ste
phen are:
Line Houses; Blu Capacity. Blu.
St. Anthony & Dakota So, COO
minnesota Dakota .............75,00 600
Total 70 line houses. ......... 1876, 600
Independent Buyers.
r E,T. bfos' '.......... .......... 30 900
GllleSple .-........ ................45,00 600
Total Of line houses 135 0Oo
Total capacity all elevators. 100000