Cheyenne record., 1914-01-22
BY MATHEW S. DUDGEoN

dissolved bone instead of worthless
tion was already half won. for there
was no further question as to the ad-
vantages to be gained through CO.
operation.
The old methods of buying and sell
ing were the cause of much poverty in
this district" said Mr.. Gallagher.
THE traders have generally kept the
public houses. They were gombeen
men-money lenders. Poor farmers
here could not pay cash for what they
bought. They had to get goods on
credit. Once farmer got into debt
to these retail dealers he seldom got
free from the big mans clutches.
While he was in this state he was no
better than slave. He was charged
tremendous prices and had to pay big
interest. I myself have been charged
interest on what l bought on credit
at the rate of 144 per cent per annum.
My father had this sort of interest to
pay while he was bringing up his fam
lily. That is where the three pounds
went that it took me six months to
SdIu "ueu l SIdTleu " WOTh
What Cooperation Is Doing.
But Notwithstanding the smallness
Of the holdings, and the poor soil, con-
ditions in Dunglow are improving. l
never knew an organization to do so
much for community as the Temple
crone Cooperative Agricultural soci-
ETY. is doing for Dhnglow. The so.
niafv 70 rfn IN cnt-
tage on farm where l lived. We be-
gan by buying manures and later a
few groceries. We had fierce opposi-
ton at first from the gombeen man
and traders, as fierce as any communi-
ty ever had. Some of the members
were in debt to the gombeen men and
had to come into the cooperative quar-
ters at night and over the back walks
in order TO conceal from the gombeen
man that they were members. If
the gombeen men found out that any
with US they refused him credit and
issued writ If he owed them.
On the UPGRADE.
THE boys are learning to farm bet
ter than their fathers farmed. We
are raising better cows, and pigs and
chickens, and producing better eggs,
poultry and meat than we ever did
before. Through our little co-opera-
tive society we have steady market
at good prices for all we can raise.
We are not rich, for this is not a
rich country, and never can be. There
are too many stones and bogs in Don
egal for that. But we are doing our
best, and we are going to reach a
point soon where every man can go
up and down Dunglow and say that
he owes no man anything. Co-opera-
tion has brought us together, and we
are all good friends. We are not
fighting with each other any more.
We are helping each other. We are
SCALE of course. We are poor people,
and we must always be that. There
is no chance for wealth in a five or
six-acre farm. We raise little patch
of oats for oatmeal for our family.
Most of US get enough potatoes OF
our little places to last us through the
year. We couldn't live without pota-
toes. You know the great famine OF
184S, when SO many died in Ireland.
was caused wholly by potato blight.
..- Cost Of Living.
by purchasing goods direct from
original sources, this society has made
it possible for the poorest farmer to
fertilize his potato patch and in
crease the crop which he raises. The
seeds which come through it are test
ed and guaranteed as they never we're
before. 1t has lowered the price and
improved the quality of tea, Indian
meal and sugar. In one case, for ex-
ample, where rival trader was cnarg-