The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-18
RUINED BY TRUST;
TEARS AT RECITAL
Opening OF Grain Combine In.
vestigat,on Attended by
Pathetic Scene.
IOWA ASSOCIATION IN IT
Secret Letters and Circulars Astonish
the Interstate Commerce Com
nission-immunity for
Oil Witness.

Chicago, Oct. l7.-Tesiimony was
heard today before three members OF
the Interstate Commerce commission
relative To the possible existence OF u
grain trust.
A. T. Aygarn, OF Pontiac, Ill. who
told OF his struggles against the Illinois
Grain Dealers association, broke into
tears while on the stand. and IL was
necessary to excuse MIN from giving
further evidence. He declared he had
been ruined because he had dared deal
with farmers and track shoyclers. He
declared the discrimination against him
had been double because the railroads
had refused To give him cars In which
60 transport grain.
Secret letters and circulars to- MEM
bers OF the Iowa State Grain Dealers
association ana similar documents Is
sued TO the Illinois association were
read tn the commissioners. and the
statements were considered so unusual
by the commissioners that the wit
uesses were rigidly examined.
Friendship Net Permitted.
Witness Aygarn. when he recovered
his composure. resumed the stand. He
said he had $1,000 invested In his bust
ness. but that has disappeared and he
a as many thousand dollars behind. lie
has a crippled wife and child To sup
port. lie declared ali hts troubles fol-
iONCl To Alu II Nnb
was "A farmer. by purchasing his grain.
He said ut one time the Illinois Central
Railroad left 5000 worth OF his grain on
the tracks for weeks without moving H.
this being. he declared. part OF the dis
elimination against him that brought
about his ruin.
IL. H.. Carr. an independent grain
dealer. claimed he had been ruined by
the grain combination and by diEcrIm-
tr. Nsafa .F taFslrs hat
lime after time he had called the atten-
lion OF the Interstate Commerce COM
mission. President Roosevelt and At
torney General Moody To the state OF
things. but nothing had ever come of
a..
at the request OF Commissioner
Prouty he promised To furnish the COM
mission with further information.
5laeslisted and 6oyeotted.
=. 4. Brennan and l.. q. Dunn. grain
collectors for u Chicago house, told OF
the struggle between farmers and or
ganlzed commission men la Illinois and
Iowa. Both declared their firm had
been blacklistcd and boycotted because
IL persists In buying grain from farm
or elevator companies and not alone
from members or the grain nssocia-
lions. a number OF letters were In
troduced In which members OF the ILL.,
nois association protested against the
firm doing business with men whom II
termed Irregular. Because the firm de-
tlined To obey the expressed wishes OF
the association all the members OF that
organization, IL was said. had refused
TO do any business with IL.
Dunn told OF the refusal OF the Chi
.ago and Northwestern and Illinois
Central roailroRds To farmers To build
elevators along their rights OF WAY.
Other witnesses told OF the operation
NJ the Tri-Statc Grain Dealers assoc
citation, which operates. they declared.
I'm Minnesota and the Dnkotas. They
declared this organization had been re-
quested by the Iowa association 10
boycott certain dealers. but had re-
fused To do this nv an association. IL
is also said the Trl-Statc organization
Hoes not discriminate against track
shov.lers, rs do the Illinois and Iowa
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