Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-13
WOMAN WHIPS Trust
Nebraska Woman Victorious
Over Grain Combine After
Fight Lasting Ten Years
GAIT OF TRUST REFUSED
After Fighting Mrs. Kate kehoe for
Years, the Trust Changed It's Tao
tics, But With Equal Failure--Plucky
Woman Forced ..so to Fight Rail.
roads for Supply of Cars.


roads for Supply of Cars.
Omaha, Nov. 13.-In a fight lasting
ten years, Mrs. Kate A. Kehoe, OF
Platte Center, Neb., has beaten and
put to flight the Nebraska grain trust,
the most nefarious combination in the
west. Today Mrs. Kehoe is prosperous
and successful, while the great grain
men who control the Nebraska grain
trust are lodging around in their eff
forts to escape the summons server and
the federal grand juries.
The story Of Mrs. Kehoe was
brought out in the recent investigation
into the grain trade in the west before
the interstate commerce commission at
its Omaha session, and at its close the
commissioners congratulated Mrs. Ke-
hoe upon the remarkable fight which
she has made against the big combi-:
nation.
And while the fight has been going
on Mrs. ,Kehoe has risen from "shov-
el house" to be the owner of two bis
grain elevators, and from handling a
few wagon loads of corn, she is now
one Of the largest grain buyers along
the line Of the Union Pacific railroad.
In addition her fight with the grain
trust, Mrs. Kehoe has been obliged to
fight the railroads for her supply of
cars in which to ship her grain, as we'll
as to whip the. members of the Oma-
ha and other grain exchanges into line,
thus forcing for herself market for
her grain, once she had purchased 1t.
Ten years ago. when Mr.. Kehoe died,
about the only asset he left to his wild
ow was small grain business trans
acted thru a Shovel house" In grain
parla.nce a Shovel house" is a dealer
who buys from the farmers and show
els the grain into a warehouse, after
wards shoveling it into a railroad car,
instead of handling the business thru
an elevator Every elevator man con-
siders it his business to down" a
SHOVEL house" wherever he can do it.
Mrs. Keloe continued the shovel
house" business, and In addition she
opened an implement house, selling all
sorts of farming implements.
How Trouble Began.
Then the grain trust got after her.
They wanted her to quit buying grain
from the farmers. She refused to give
up her business and the trust began
work" against her Her customers
In the cities were coerced into refusing
to buy from her. She met this attack
by securing new customers in Men,
pnis, st. Louis and other cities,
Then the railroads began shutting off
her supply of freight cars. She was
compelled to sit idly by and watch her
competitors load car after car, while
mono was given to her She took the
matter up direct with the general man
ayers OF the railroads and got her share
Of the empties.
Then the trust naised prices on her.
Prices at Platte Center were several
cents above the selling prices at Oma-
ha and Chicago What the trust lost
ct Platte Center 1t made up at other
points. Mrs Kehoe had MO other point,
and here she was forced to close her
shovel house temporarily. But just as
soon as prices returned to the normal
she opened for business AGAIN. and her
old customers came back to.her Every
little bit prices went up and she would
drop out of the game until prices went
back to a business standpoint.
Failing to run her out of business,
the trust invited her to come i'm AMI
share with them the results of the
.deece.' She ordered the emissary
from her office in indignant refusal.
: But Mrs. Kehoe turned this last Of
fort Of the trust to good account, and
by showing the farmers In that vicin-
ity that the trust raised prices only
to eliminate competition, after which
the price of grain would fall below the
regular market, she secured their CO.
operation, and thereafter, when the
trust raised prices above the regular
markets the farmers continued selling
their grain to Mrs. Kehoe at the regu-
lar quotations.
Then, one night, the Shovel house"
burned. 1T was set on fire, but on one
was ever punished for 1t.
Forty-eight hours after the fire con-
tractors started building a fine new
grain elevator along the railroad track,
and in short time Mrs. Kehoe had one
that portion of the state. After a year
S OF TWO SuG UullL dAOIA1SA O4S'SoSS4 IL
Tarrow, Neb, and went into the grain
business ON a large scale.
The trust kept up its fight against
her, but her methods with the farmers
and buyers were so square" and her
business was operated with so much
sagacity that she has continued to run
her elevators in spite Of the combina-
ton that has ruined so many small
dealers.
Today Mrs. Kehoe owns two eleva-
tors, a first class grain business, a big
implement and seedhouse, the finest
residence in her county, and is the big
gest business man" in Platte Cen
ter.
Deafness Cannot Be Cured.
BY local applications as they cannot
reach the diseased portion OF the ear.
There is only one way to cure deaf
ness and that is by constitutional
remedies. Deafness is caused by an in
-. Ill