The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-09-24

ing from the same farm. All these
thlngs taken together brought about
such a general state of dissatisfaction,
that Mr.. Van Deusen devoted a great
deal or his time and thought to work
ing out a solution of the problem.
he had as his chief competitor. a
gentleman we'll known to the earlier
settlers of Iowa, John Stewart, a very
progressive man and the man to whom
above all others Iowa gives the credit
Ior the success of the first creamery
In the world. Van Deusen and Stewart
were friendly rivals, working side by
SIDE, day after day, each following his
W method as to- testing and buying.
Mr.. Stewart bought and sold unaided,
Dut Mr.. Van Deusen bought for a COM
pany. or which he was manager.
Inc former was of more daring DISPOSE
ton than his rivals, and many times
during the year bought great quantities
or butter when fluctuating prices did
not seem to warrant a successful deal.
yet always coming out ahead under
such adverse circumstances. People
on a less speculative turn came to have
great confidence in his business saga
city.
Van Deusen was one of these. and
when Stewart bought, he and every
one else followed his example. From
5000 to 5000 pounds of butter we're
marketed every day, when favorable
prices prevailed, the greater part be-
ing shippd to Chicago and New York.
The state of New York at that time
produced the best butter. The dairy
men OF the older states practiced more
u~p-to-date methods, and SO their but
ter was more uniform in quality.
In Iowa it was a custom of the
farmers to hold their product some
times as long as six months waiting
for a favorable time to market ii.
Thus it came about that all butter
had to be graded before it was ship
ped. That which was neal the ton
was strong, but as the center of the
RECEPTACLE was reached, the flavor was
better.
Mr.. Stewart and Mr.. Van Deusen
often talked over schemes of buying
milk from farmers and churning it Ca
creamery, in fact, though they called
the plan a butter factory"). BY this
means they believed they would be
able to make as good butter as did
New York state. The scheme appeal
ed to both, and Mr.. Van Deusen was
asked to- make a trip east and look up
a certain dairy that was supplying the
hotels of Chicago with a superior
brand of butter. He was to interest
himself in the method of manufactur-
ing and learn every detail in cornec-
ton with it.
About February /, 1872, he gave up
his position in Manchester and visited
the dairy to which his attention had
been called. This was near Chicago
and was managed in connection with
a large farm. The wne was Mr..
Boyse. He was churning the milk
from seventy-five COWS and buying. the
product of twenty-five more. Mr.. Van
Deusen found it an ideal place in
every respect, and its product was
such that it commanded 45c per pound
IL Chicago, while 80 per cent of all
the other butter in the country sold
for nearer Csc.
Mr.. Boyse invited Mr.. Van Deusen
to remain with him indefinitely at a
good salary, but could not prevail on
him to stay.
On March 1 Mr.. Van Deusen return
ed to Manchester with a report so fav-
Vi tidL VIII. oLCWdIt d6lCCu "
build a model creamery. The con-
struction of the building was begun
Immediately. Spring Branch, three
and one-half miles from Manchester,
was chosen for its location, this being
considered an ideal place because of
its many cold water springs.
Milk was contracted for and an or
der given to Mr.. Butler, of Manches-
ter, for 400 ten quart cans. BY April
/, 1873 the first creamery building In
the world was completed. Although
a very crude affair in many respects,
it was to have an important and very
far reaching effect upon the country.
The dimensions of the building were
36x16x12, the board being placed per-
pendicularly, with a weather strip
over the interstices. A room 16x12
feet in size was partitiOned off for
the churning room. the remaining
space being utilized for the storing of
milk. which was placed on racks built
for the purpose.
The churn was operated by horse
power. and this power and a Bennett
butter worker constituted about all
the machinery in sight.
The butter factory completed, Mr..
Van Deusen now inquired as to the
delivery Of the milk pans previously
ordered, and found that they were not
ready.
The farmers came to the rescue by
donating such pans as they could
spare, and altogether .forty-eight were
obtained. The lack of pans caused a
great deal of inconvenience and in
creased the cost of handling the cream.
Nor was the weather favorable to the
enterprise, for the spring proved a
very wet one, and the roof leaked
badly.
AT the end of the first month the ex-
perimenters found that the butter was
costing them soc per pound, but it
was of a superior quality, and brought
a good price in the New York market.
Mr.. Stewart realized that a larger
and more convenient building, with
better machinery. would enable them
to- make butter cheaper, and so more
capital was interested and the con-
struction of another building com
menced. :.
From this on, Iowa's butter forged
ahead and led all other brands. due no
doubt to Iowa's superior prairie grass.
The brand became known as Prem