The Mankato free press., 1904-08-26
Pres. Jackson Addresses Bust
ness Mems Association.
Meeting of AgricuIturists Call
ed For Wednesday.
Matters Discussed by the Mer.
chants Last Night.

To establish a farmers exchange in
Mankato was the project taken up at
last nights special meeting of the Man
kato Business Mems association in the
city hall building. Besides the atten-
+, dance of the regular members of the
! association, the meeting included also
three farmers of Hebron, L. Hodson, L.
Burrell and William Clark. The sub
Henry E. Hance, who introduced c. E.
Jackson of st. Cloud, representing the
Minnesota farmers exchange.
Mr.. jackson is trade occupation a
farmer, his farm being located at Buck
man, Morrison county. He makes his
headquarters, however, at st. Cloud. Mr..
Jackson informed the meeting that he
/ felt that he had been forced into the
formers exchange work that he is doing.
i He had been forced into it by being rob-
bed In April, 1908, he took two car
loads of cattle to sell at Chicago. The
parties in control of the market so manip-
ulated things as to rob him of thous-
and dollars at least. The object of these
people was to keep individuals from
shipping cattle to Chicago. Those powers
were determined to make it so hard for
every individual shipper that he would
never attempt so audacious thing
again. Mr.. Jackson felt very badly, but
f, could do nothing to obtain redress.
In May, 1908, he went to Chicago in
response to the national call for con-
ference on the matter of the national
farmers exchange. He met several of
the leaders of the movement and told
of his own experience with the cattle.
He declared that he would rather be held
up at the muzzle of a revolver, be-
cause then he would know who
was doing it. His conversation took well
with the national exchange men, and
they made him member of the nation
al board of directors. He was also made
the chairman for the state of Mime
sofa.
| Since that time Mr.. jackson has done
a great deal of work in the matter of
organizing exchanges. He is president
of the Minnesota farmers exchange and
was the prime mover in the organiza-
tion of that body. The first subordi
nate organization that he brought about
! was that at Little Falls. This was real
ly a county organization. The second
was at Crookston, another county or
ganization.
The whole exchange system is worked
in much the same way as is social or
der with its various ramifcations. The
| local exchanges send delegates to the
meetings of the county exchanges, the
county exchanges to the state organiza
tion, and the state organization to that
of the country at large. The national
J organization now includes twenty nine
states. Minnesota is not yet one of the
states whose exchange is directly af-
filiated with the national, but it probab-
F, ly will be very soon.
At the time when Mr.. Jackson went
to Crookston to organize an exchange
there, about two hundred farmers had
gathered in a hall to meet him. These
farmers had been selling steers at Crook
ston for cent and half a pound
and good steets at that. Not wishing
to sell for this price they had tried the
experiment of butchering their own beef
at home and selling it already dressed.
For thus selling beef on the street they
were fined $40 for each and every offense.
They were angry and it was no wonder
that they focked to the meeting.
1T that meeting the farmers received
some very good slvice from Colonel Will
kinson of ST. Paul, one of James j.
Hills attorneys. The colonel told the
farmers to a,e concerted action to cut
Crot Fstcn cpt and do their marketing
elsewhere. The farmers took upsreadily
with this proposal. 1t was not long be-
fore Crookston came to time. The farm
ers were gladly given an opportunity of
establishing an exchange in that city
and have secured better treatment ever
since.
| When it was proposed to organize an
exchange at st. Clo6d, ST. Cloud said,
"No, you shall not do this" The farm
ers began to do their marketing at
Cable statian not great distance from
st. Cloud. 1t was not long before St.
Cloud was ready to receive the farmers
and their exchange with open arms.