Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-03-26
WOOL GROWERS ORGANIZE.
Effected at E,lsemont Last Week-Otiicers
Elected and business Transacted.


The Western South Dakota and East
ern Wyoming Wool Growers associa-
tion, is now an assured fact, having or
ganized on Monday afternoon. The
meeting was called to order by John
Berry, who acted as chairman, II. C.
Crofford, secretary. After short adj
dress, the chairman stated the object
of the meeting and then followed the
election of officers. G. w. Webster of
Custer was elected president: w. l.
Harmon of Edgemont, vice president:
John Berry of Edgemont, secretary
Il. Hall. o. p. Shay, G. ID. Crotford,
Tom Harmon, all of Edgemont an; n.
S. Tubbs of Custer City. executive
committee. ID. w. Webster, John
I Berry and John Moran were appointed
IL committee to draft u set of rules. Or
der of business. constitution and by
laws. and are to report at meeting to
be held i'm Edgemont April u. The
meeting was n most enthusiastic one
and everybody took part in the discus
sion that followed on different sub
iects. The price of shearing was fixed
at 6 cents sheep, shearers to board
themselves, or 5 cents and the sheep
men to furnish board. The feeling
was present during the meeting that
the sheepmcn were organized for mu-
tual benefit and that the object of the
organization would be to get better
prices for wool, a council to arrange
for anything that would benefit the
sheep men in all cases and that the en-
ecutive committee was one that would
act as an advisory board in all cases of
dispute that might occur in the future.
The men present represented 100000
sheep and each one was appointed IL
committee of one to get the other sheep
men of the district to enroll them
selves in the organization. W. V.Phil-
brick. superintendent of the wooden
mill, addressed the flock masters and
stated some very pertinent facts in,re-
gard to the packing of wool. Silirting
the tleeces before packing was one of
the chief points taken, and the evil
effects of the failure to do this, were
plainly shown. The wool required in
different articles was explained and
the bad effects of bright hairs and dis
colored wool shown. ninformal dis
cussion was had as to the building of
sheep pens and the location of them.
Several places were mentioned, but
| Argentine was about practically set
tied upon as the place for the pens.
john Berry. as secretary of theassocia-
tion, was appointed to wait on the Bur-
lington officials and have them erect.
if possible. the shearing pens and dip
ping watts at that place and the sheep
men pledge the shearing of their sheep
at that point. 1t is estimated that
ovor 100000 sheep could berepresented
in the association and the advantage
to the Burlington company from the
shipping of over 100000 pounds of wool
from that point will no doubt be fully
appreciated and the necessary pens
and fixtures provided. Mr.. Berry will
come before the railroad officials with
carefully devised plans of the proposed
pens and dipping watts and will be in n
position to fully explain the wants of
the sheep men. w. V.Philbrick stated
that the Edgemont wooden mill COM
pany intends to put in machinery for
wool securing and extracting the burrs
from the wool and would be ready to
scour more wool than the mill would
use and that the plant would scour
custom wool. After the business was
completed the meeting adjourned to
meet in this city April 18th in this
cito.
The organization just formed is the
neucleus for IL large amount of good to
the wool growers. 1t will put the mem
bers in touch with like organizations
throughout the states and also encour-
age the raising of better sheep. The
flock masters will get acquainted with
one another and will quote past sue
cesses and failures and thus guard
one another's interests. The
industry is one that is growing in the
west, and with the tariff on wool that
Mckinley government is going to put
on, the shepherds will see their inter
ests steadily grow and by associations
like this their wants can be heard and
carry weight. There are several wool
growers in this district that should
send in their names and belong to the
association. Membership can be had
by writing to John Berry, the secre.
tary. In union there is strength and
by combining their wool outputs al
one point, say Argentine, buyers
would come there and the wool would
go to the highest bidder, giving the
owners chance to reap the benefits
Edgemont Express.
l@R AQlDE vo,, ont xuhof von x,or,