The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-24
CLOSED FOR ONE YEAR.
Crop Prospects Cause Farmers t
Close Mapleton Warehouse.
From Fridays Daily.

| FROM fTlday Dauy.
Crop prospects are not very bright in
| this locality and as a recult the farmers
at the annual meeting of the Farmers
Warehouse association, last Saturday
voted to close for one year, although it
may be opened later if in the discretion
OF the board of directors it will be profit
able to do so.
The past year the grain market has
| not warranted the farmers keeping the
house open, as was shown by the annual
report of the secretary which indicated
a loss of $d02.55. \ profit was made on
| all the grains handled except flax, the
trouble being that not sufficient grain
| was marketed to put the business on a
paying basis. \ total of only twenty
| five cars was shipped, against seventy
seven the previous year. The business
has been well managed and it is doubt
| full if any of the elevators here made
| any better showing.
Secretary Stroebel who goes into every
detail with his comprehensive reports,
gives the total expense of keeping the
house open as 81 ,022.64, the largest item
OF which is salary to buyer, secretary
and directors. \ total of q ,409 bushels
of grain was purchased, costing 49,,
066.l5. OF this 1868 was wheat, cost
| ing $0,932.60 2,l55 bushels of flax, cost
| ing S2,31S.l0; l,l37 bushels of oats, cost
ing $27l,25; l,427 bushels of barley, cost
| ing S505.70; and so bushels of millet
costing S305S. The average cost of buy
| ing bushel of grain this year was As
cents against Is last season, the grain
receipts the past season beng the lowest
in the history of the house, the next
lowest year being in 1899 when 10000
bushels was purchased. The best year
was in 1900 when 1870 bushels were
bought. The average cost per bushel of
grain this year was as follows: Wheat,
So; flax, 1918; oats, 23.9; barley, 35.4 !;
millet, II. The average price received
per bushel was, wheat, 62.3; flax, $l0l.7 ;
oats, $50; barley, 1915; millet 92.2.
The company property is valued at
IS4,S77.S0 and they have cash on hand to
the amount of $9S2.52, so they are not in
the hole by any means but consider it a
matter of discretion to keep off the mar
ket when so little grain is in prospect.
/ An interesting feature Of the secre-
tary's report was the fact that the COM
Ipany is the owner of 1856 sacks which
cost $l902.32 not one of which is in pos
session of the company but are scatter
ed about among the farmers and the
management would appreciate their re-
turn very much.
| Another interesting item in the re-
port was the average price received and
Ipaid for grain for the past eight years:
The average price paid for wheat dur
ling these years was as follows: 1895,
l48.5; 1896, $50; 1897, SIG; 1898, 57.5;
1899, SAG; 1900, GA; 1901, 600; 1902,
59.7. The average price received for the
same years was: 1895, 49.l; 1896, COZ;
1897, sci; 1898, 58.5; 1899, Sc; 1900,
IG4.7; 1901, 63.2; 1902, 62.3.
The officers elected for the ensuing
year are: VIM. /. Mcqueen, president;
L. Throendle, treasurer; C. E. Jones, Ma
pleton: j. L. Drews, Sterling; Thos.
Howieson, Lyra; John Morrow, Beau
ford; Alex Latourell, Danville; G. n.
Alderman, Medic; directors and Judd
Cornell, Mapleton, director at large.
The Mapleton Farmers Warehouse is
one of the few farm elevator associations
which has kept in the field for years
with showing ON the right side OF the
ledger and in closing down this year the
association have but given another evil
| dence of good business management
Mapleton Enterprise.