The Dickinson press., 1911-11-18
Farmer WINS HIS CASE
FROM Minneapolis OUTFIT

oAAu OOAs " We IOACy 10 okNsA4AsAs I =
pretty sure 10 get so'ue publicity. Here
is what he says in the Bismarck Tribune
of the 18th about the Farmers General
Service Co. suit last Saturday 1t Me-
dora:
An interesting case was heard before
Justice Hesser. The case was the Stat e
of North Dakota versus Kohn Kossi-
anchuk in which the defendant was
charged with destroying a,promissory
note. made by himself. The complain
ing witness was Simon Peter Lessel-
young. Siunon had the appearance If
being a clean cut sharp Minneapolis
business man. finely groomed and be-
decked with diamonds, of which there
was one on his finger and another in his
shirt. Simon Peter, when on the stand,
told that he was the President of the
Farmers General Service Company, a
Minnesota Corporation, whose place of
business is on Washington Avenue,
Minneapolis, Minnesota F.; that the bust
ness of this company was to aid and as
sist worthy farmers who were possessed
of a certain amount of property, and
to place such farmers next to the whole
sale dealers. thus saving the middle.
mans profit : to purchase the farmer all
kinds of supplies. including machinery
and horse medicines to figure IN lum-
Der bills. and, in fact, everything that
a gooo thrifty farmer might want to pur-
chase and was able to pay for. That
this. company also maintained a veter-
mary department to give advice by cor
respondence as to the care of stock of all
kinds, and to furnish veterinary medi-
cines to sick stock when the symptoms
were sent by mail to the main Office
also to sell live stock which might be
shipped to their company's. care.
In fact, it was and is a great eleemo-
synary company or one organized for
eleemosynary purposes.
That for their services they first re-
quired of the farmer a signed statement
of all the property of which he was
possessed, and it's value, and a state
ment of all debts due by said farmer.
Then the farmer is required to sign a
promissory note for one hundred and
seven dollars and fifty cents. and for
this he was given a chrome Cor we
should say a premium of a box of veter-
mary medicines, which Professor Ladd
has pronounced to be worth aboutsdvq
dollars.) 1t was also explained that the
president did not solicit the notes.
There were sub-aeents who were resi-
dents of the county to do this. These
sub-agents were men who had the conf.
dence of the farmers and could fully ex-
plain the benefits to be derived by the
farmers joining the Service Company
They did.
Simon Peter, on cross-examination by,
Attorney Haney. stated that his COM
pany had not filed it's articles of incor-
poration, nor had it appointed the
secretary of state. its resident attorney i.
that he had been advised that it was
unnecessary to comply with the law of
our state. How strange some people
dislike to obey the law" 1t was then
moved that the case be dismissed as this
law had not been complied with.
States Attorney Gallagher objected to
the dismissal of the case for the eason
that the transaction came under the In
terstate Commerce Law.
The defendant was then placed on the
stand to tell his part of the transaction.
After being sworn he stated that he was
of foreign birth, ard knew very little of
the English language; that he could
neither read nor write in his, own or any
language; that he had a little farm and
a wife and children; that one Knutson
came to him and asked him to join the
Farmers General Service Company and
told of the vast benefits which would
accrue to him on becoming a member of
the company how he asked Knutson.
who was his friend, to explain to him
the nature of said company; how Knut-
son told him he must make q statement,
in writing. and sign the same, of all the
property he owned. and of all the debts
against said property-which he did
asking said Knutson if the same was a
note-and that Knutson assured him that
it was not. He then told how he signed
five papers in all and that Knutson had
assured him none of the papers were
notes. He also told how Knutson told
him about the elevators which this COM
pany were to build and that if he
wanted to order any goods. say, if he
wanted to write to the company for
twenty dollars worth he must send five
dollars with the order then he did 50
send. and certain goods were sent to
him with a draft to the bank that he
had to pay the bank in full. and that
for the part of the goods sen back he
had never received any credit.
After all this, Mr.. Simon Peter ap-