The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-12-01
The Chaplin Cheese Factory-What the
Farmers Get out of II.


of The TIMES that brief sketch of some
of the features of the business will prob
ably be of interest to the majority of
TIMES readers.
Not many rods south of the corners
around which cluster the Chaplin post
office and the one or two other stores of
the place is an unpretentious little low
building, somewhat long, and running
right out over the edge of small hill
looking towards the corners. This is
the building where the Chaplin cheese
is made. Though unpretentious it is
neat and clean even on the outside and
while a person residing in this section
of the country would have expected to
see larger building judging from the
reputation of its product, yet this build
ing is the center of interest every morn.
ing from five until eight o'clock to some
sixty three farmers whose dairies are in
some, perhaps in all, cases the most pro-
ftable features of their farms
The factory was built and the bust
ness started in 1891 by stock company
composed Of various farmers and dairy
men who expected to furnish milk for
the same but it was run only about u
year on this basis before difficulties
arose over the manner of keeping the
accounts and settling with the patrons.
At one time the trouble came near be-
ing serious and it also came near induc-
ing them to close up the business en-
tirely, when acting on the advice of an
Ohio cheese maker for whom they sent,
they got the tangled accounts straight
ened out and balanced and sold the plant
to one of their number, George Hanes
Mr.. Hanes lost no time in engaging Ben
ton CHASER, the Ohio cheese maker who
had shown his value in the assistance he
had given in Strengthening out affairs,
and he has been retained in charge of
the work ever since.
In April 1895 j. b. Hoffman purchas.
ed the factory from Mr.. Hanes and the
business has been growing steadily ever
since. Up to the time of his purchase
of it the factory had never been run
during the winter months but it has
been run without a single stop Of
any kind since, while the winter busi-
ness has been steadily increasing with
the rest and promises to average three
or four moro cheeses per day this win
ter than last, tho of course the output
has already fallen off considerably from
that of the summer months. Mr.. Hoff'
man, the proprietor, is himself the own.
er of the largest herd supplying milk for
the factory, and his nephew. S. T. Leon
ard, young man who came to Michi-
gan from Binghampton, N. Y, two
years ago to make his home with his
uncle, is now engaged as assistant
in the factory and is adding to his
knowledge of the dairying business by
learning the cheese making trade from
the start to the finish. Previous to en-.
tering the factory he spent some time
on the road selling the cheese and was
only succeeded in that position last
April when the present hustling sales.
man, VIM. Murlin, of Chaplin, took up
that work.
The interior of the factory is kept so
scrupulously clean by Mr.. CHASER and
his assistant, Mr.. Leonard, that the
very floor itself looks as clean as the
kneading board in any good house.
keepers kitchen after,i 1t il cleaned up
to put away, and this is an Indication
of the strict cleanliness of every part
of the factory and of the condition the
milk must be in to be accepted at this
factory.
The machinery is simple and there is
not great amount necessary. Atpres-
ent the factory is turning out ten
cheeses per day while in the summer
months the output runs nearer twenty
four and twenty-five.
The amount of business done and the
significance of 1t to the farmers of the
community can be seen at glance when
It is said that for the %, 1893 10 worth Of
cheese sold during the six months end
ing September 30th the farmers supply.
ing milk TO the factory received 81, 355.-
"a or an average of 81, 1925 SO per month,
the amount each receiving depending
on the amount of milk he delivers dur
ing the month. The milk Is not bought
at the factory however, but each farmer
is credited with the number OF pounds
he brings. When all the cheese for
the month Is sold and two cents is de-
Quoted by the proprietor of the factory
for each pound of cheese made aud
sold. that being his charge for all OK.
penses of making, selling. and keeping
up the plant, the balance is divided
among the farmers. The system thus
becomes in q measure cooperative one
in its operation, each patron receiving
monthly statement showing the mum
ber of pounds of milk furnished during
the month, the number of pounds of