Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-03-09
THE CREAMERY OUTLOOK.

manager Of the Belle springs Creamery COM
panyl
Going back as far as 1887, which
dates the infancy OF the creamery in
dustry in Kansas, there were but two
separator plants in the State. One
was located somewhere in the eastern
part of the State, the exact location
of which do not now remember, and
the other in Dickinson county, at a
small postotfice called, "Belle
Springs
From the time OF the establishment
of these two plants to the present
time there has been an unchecked
growth in the creamery industry in
this state. During these years we
have passed through extremes and
conditions, which believe would have
hindered the continued advancement
of the creameries, were it not for the
great benefit derived from them in
the communities were they were es.
tablished and properly managed.
wish to emphasize properly man
aged, for in our experience in this
business one of the meanest things we
have to contend with is localities in
which creameries have been built and
not properly managed. Up until
within the last few years there were
companies with travelling representa-,
tlves going over the country and or
ganizing stock companies among the
farmers. The plan upon which these
concerns worked was to organize a
stock company with about $1,000
capital stock. and for this amount
furnish them a creamery fully equip
ped and ready for operation. The
equipment was of the cheapest sind.
Cheap separators, cheap boilers, cheap
engines and in fact cheap everything.
And the actual cost of this 1000
creamery was about $4,000, making a
net profit for the promoter Of $4,000.
This was poor management in estab-
fishing Then again, among these
stockholders there was no one capable
of operating same successfully, which
resulted in a great many cases in the
stock being assessed $50 per share and
upward. 10 my definite knowledge
there were at least half dozen of
these companies in the central part OF
Kansas, who experienced an assess
ment of 800 per share, making the
total cost of from ten to $l4,00 and
today worthless. This loss of money,
however, does not represent the total
loss in these communities, but has
established the idea that all creamery
concerns are humbug institutions and
absolutely refuse to patronize them.
But concerns which had established
these creameries have been forced to
seek other territory, leaving the field
open for the man who wishes to estab-
fish business on a solid basis.
10 give you an idea of the growth
Of thiS industry | will submit the fol-
lowing figures for your kind consider
alton: 1886, 100000; 1887, $4,000,
1888, 800, 900; 1897, $1,000, 900 and
in 1898 we have 500 creameries,
which handled product worth over
80, 900, 900 plus 5000, 900 cheese and
private diaries or $S,0O0,OOO. As a
matter of comparison, in 1888 we had
only two separators creameries in the
State and the product valued $780,.
600, and in 1898, ten years later, a
product worth $S,0O0,O00. This bus
mess as the above figures indicate
has increased steadily year after year.
The drouth and hot winds, which are
so destructive to the most of our
agricultural products, have had very
little effect on our dairy product. 1t
has been proven by actual experience
at our Agricultural College, as well
as by the practical dairy farmer, that
the necessary feed can be raised in
what we call our "crop failure year.
Besides the figures have given you
concerning the States production in
this line, wish to mention the re-
cord made by Dickinson county in
1898, which makes the best showing
of any county in the State on this
product The farmers of Dickinson
during the year of 1898 delivered to
the 20 creameres and cheese factories