The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-04-30
THE PRAIRIE CITY
CHEESE FACTORY.
History of One of Bates County's Lead
ing Industries.

=
| ing Industries.
twenty-five years ago four slat
buildings were constructed near Rock
vile, Bates county, No., in which
| were installed very crude machinery
| to be used for the manufacturing o.
cream cheese. Whether from the
tempting desire to get rich quick, bad
management, or the lack of brain and
brwn, these-then-great enterprises,
suspended business. Later, several
German farmers who lived neal
Prairie City, conceived the idea that
cheese factory would pay and after
considering the subject for some time
purchased one of the defunct factories
and moved it to Prairie City, and in
the year 1890 organized what is now
known as the Prairie City Cheese
Company.
The capital stock of the concern
was $1,000, or forty shares at $25
The first officials were Fred Fix,
president and G. w. Sundwirth, sec
rotary.
For few years the production OF
cheese was small, and for while the
life of the enterprise hung in the bal
ance until G. w. Sunderwirth came
to the rescue by purchasing some of
the idle stock and assuming most of
the responsibility and taking control
ling interest in the concern. A few
months went by and the enterprise
began to grow in strength, and the
production began to double and triple
until success was the only outlook for
the factory, and the quality of the
Prairie cheese was known far and
wide.
On March 3, 1904, the small COM
pany was incorporated under the
State laws of Missouri with a capital
stock of 5000 or forty shares at $50
per share. Of this company G. T.
Yoss was made president, G. W.
Sunderwirth, secretary and Ida Sun
derwirth, secretary, and Ida Sunder-.
with, wife G. w. Sunderwirth,
treasurer. G. w. Sunderwirth still
held controlling interest.
The factory now has reached the
stage where it was on paying basis.
No dividends were paid, but all the
profits went into the fund for rebuild
ing and improving the factory. Year
by year the enterprise grew, and
every year made money for the firm.
A cooling room was built alongside
of the factory-new and up-to-date
machinery was installed, and in a
short time the old factory building
was placed in the scrap pile and the
new one erected.
In the year 1909, the company Sc
cured the services of an experienced
cheese maker, Geo. F. Eickels of
Madison, Wisconsin, who is also a
German. He holds a graduates GER
tificate from Cream Product School
as a butter, brick cheese maker. He
made cheese for fourteen years in
Wisconsin, the greatest cheese pro.
ducing state in the union. His cream
cry cheese took the blue ribbon at
Fon du Lac County Fair, where there
were thirty-five entries from other
factories in the state.
Mr.. Eickles says that the best cream
cows for making cheese are the Hob
stein and the Brown Swiss, while
many Of the herds are Red Poll and
Jersey. At present the company is
getting milk from 296 cows. Thirty
five to fifty customers bring milk to
the factory daily. The average price
paid per pound for butter fat in the
last year was 32ac.
Last year l.l73, 794 pounds Of milk
were handled, producing in cheese
over 10O, 600 pounds. 81. 200. 90 was
raid n r,,atovnara 1aaf war FIR milk.