The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-11-06
WHERE cAsHlIs NOR NEEDED.


In the extreme southwestern corner
II Utah is cotton and wooden mill
more than hundred miles from the
nearest railroad, run with practically
no cash capital and doing business al
most entirely through trade and barter.
The story of the factory is closely ASSOC
ciated with the early colonizing efforts
Of the Mormon church directed by Brig
hahn Young. 1t was his policy to estab-
fish colonies wherever the land and wa
ter rights seemed to offer prospect
Of permanent homes for his people.
He selected number of families to
establish a mission among the Indians
In what is now Washington county.
The mission was begun in 1861, and had
among it's objects the cultivation of
cotton with which to supply the people
with cotton goods. The soil proved well
adapted to the purpose. and the first
crop gathered In 1862 was about 100000
pounds. TO save freight on the raw
material and at the same time afford
work for skilled labor plant was
shipped by wagons to Washington,
where there was water power adapted
to manufacturing purposes. The plant
had originally been brought across the
plains by OK team, and was set up at
first in Salt Lake City, but had not been
used much for lack of cotton.
Since it was first established the mill
| has been run regularly, supporting
number of families and forming the
center of very interesting Industrial
community. The resources of the .couns
try are. necessarily limited, and com.
munication with theouter world is diff
cult. The present manager is Thomas
Judd. He has been Mormon mission.
airy In England, he was for long time
bishop OF one of the wards in st. George,
his home town, and he is partner in a
large mercantile firm, manager of sill
yer mine and mill at Silver Reef, and
owner of a big ranch on the Rio yirgen.
To dispose of the cotton and wooden
goods made at Washington. Mr.. Judd
has found it necessary to take anything
in payment that is offered. The man
who wants overalls or towels or sheet
ing or cotton bagging may come from
away down on the Muddy in hottest
Nevada, hundred miles away, He
may bring rock salt to trade, or butter
and eggs or dried fruit. He may come
from across the Arizona line and bring
lumber from the forests that fringe the
grand canyon Of the Colorado.
Wherever the customer comes from and
whatever he brings he is accommo-
dated. Possibly $1,000 in cash passes
the door of the mill in year. but Mr..
Judd declares that the total is not more
than that. The cotton batting manu-.
featured Ii sent to the big cooperative
store belonging to the church in Salt
Lake and brings cash or its equivalent
in merchandise credits. Outside Of
that the expenses are met without the
passing of dollar.
Pay day furnishes one of the novel;
ties of lifetime to the visitor. The
cashier, who is also bookkeeper, time
keeper and paysnaster, takes his place
in warehouse adjoining The mill.
When the time comes for closing on
Saturday evening the men. women and
girls file into the warehouse. Each
operative checks up the time credited
for the weeks work and makes his
wants known. The groceries, meat,
butter, eggs and sundries are weighed
and measured out and charged as an
offset against the credit for work. Gen.
orally the balance Is In favor of the
workman, and generally the balance is
allowed to accumulate until the EN-
ploye needs II. Then II It happens the
mill cannot supply the creditor employe
| with the things he wantsp1ost, an order
on the big store in st. George is given
and the account is squared. II the en-
ploye is about TO be married and needs
/ furniture for house and lumber for
| the construction of his home, he gets
| ansorder for his furniture and lumber,
l If he wants to buy piece of ground,
| he can always find somebody who will
trade ground for mill orders. His doc
tor will accept the orders in payment
for services, but that is an exceptional
thing, for the primitive Mormons, those
| who have not been afRected by 0entils
associations, rarely call in hysiciaul
for anything except surgical ceases.
They still believe in the LAYING. on Of
hands and amounting with consecrated
| oil as cure for all the ills flesh Is he'll
1 ton. Y. Sun. ~. 6fsssis
crawnsh Gives Aw2y ssaskman.
II have dend sure case against my
milkman," said a prominent. railroad
official day or two ago. He waters
his milk and ]. hayes or rather my wife
has, caught him dead to rights The
-other-day when we got our-usnalquan
-tity of milk my ifeswas going to pour
some from the can into a glass. She
heard something hit the glass with 4
kind of dull thud and could zee some.
thing dark in The bottom of the glass
Pouring Il carefully out into nnothez
vessel, what do you suppose she foundl
| A live crawfish. by Jove. A bio. luxtr