The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-05-29

tire car at sl.25 per bushel and every
potato looked sound. What's more
he just told me you sold the other car
| load at the same price
Naturally, the old Jew was beginning
to feel embarrassed at this stage OF
the game. He was cornered and knew
it, He also knew that he had been
guilty of a penitentiary ofiense. The
farmer did not have time to remain in
Cincinnati and prosecute the case. SO
he demanded full pay at l.25 bushel
| for both carloads of potatoes. SO per
day for the time away from home and
every penny of the expenses OF the trip.
| The merchant paid without word.
And this is not fanciful incident. 1t
serves to show how the unsuspectin@
farmer is held up every day by long
distance highwaymen.
Here is aaother incident where a So
called ''old hayseed from southeast
Missouri got back at the ''commiss-
ion thieves as he termed them after
wards: He shipped a carload of beau
tiful melons to St. Louis to commits
sion house. They We're the prettiest
and best that had been sent out OF this
section of the state. After awhile
along came a telegram saving that the
badly glutted. etc, and asking what
disposition should be made of them
He answered: Hold the melons: |
am coming" Now. it happened that
this carload of melons was so fine that
even the commission men were ecstatic
over them. Instead of being unsala-
BILE as alleged, they had been sold al
most Immediately for a cool 800 cash.
The farmer was not to get any OF this
and possibly would have been required
to pay part of the freight. But.
he was an old ''haysecd" who did not
know enough to come in out of the
rain. he t ok the first train for st.
Louis. He saw the situation at a
glance. Then trouble began for the
commission men who had tried to ''don
him. and they had most interesting
time squaring themselves with Mr.. |
Farmer. The next carload If melons
received from him were handled strictly |
on the square.
Usually the men advertise that they
do business on Il 10 per cent commits
sion. Here is sample of the way the
honest commission men-at least
some of then-do business: A farmer
ships in a carload of produce. 1t is
sold very shortly for $500. The COM
mission man figures out about what
the farmers outlay was. his labor.
etc., and sends him $500 The m
mission man pays, say, SGD freight and
pockets the balance, 500, for his few
hours work. This illustration may be
extreme. but my friend is prepared to
subSlantiate it, also.
apparently, the only way to guard
against the commission merchants
EODDlluH up ulOSt VI tilC ldl llleI
profits is for the latter to organize
into bodies like the fruit
growers associations for the purpys'
Of marketing their wares. Then they
and not the commission men will get
he bulk of the returns. For example.
A few months ago there was organized
A body for the purpose of marketing
.he Georgia peach crop of this season.
Il seems that the Woodworking GeOc
eians had not been getting anything
ike they should for their peaches.
This organization has its headpuar
ers right here at the national capital.
Every carload OF peaches shipped uuI
1f the Georgia orchards is assigned to
his body. Meanwhile a telegram i
sent on stating the numbe: OF cars en-
quite or about to be shipped. by tn
lime they reach Washington they hay.
oeen placed in the north and are billed