The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-04-23
HON. F. P. GRAVES SUR
MOUNTS DIFFICULTIES
SEES OK TEAM AND DINGY Of
FICE HUTS REPLACED BY
STEAM ROAD AND PALA-
CIAL OFFICE RESI-
DENCES.
Bonne Terre. Mo. 4-2O-15.


From the recent issues of some of
the county papers ! have read ex-
pressions of eulogy Of our fellow-citi-
zen, F. P. Graves, and worthy com
mendations of Mr.. Robert Holmes Of
st. Louis.
While those expressions are coming
from SO many different individuals,
each looking at the same thing from
his own viewpoint, yet they all re-
fleet a sentiment which l am sure per-
meates our entire community.
Having resided in and about Bonne
Terre since the early seventies, am
in position to contrast its early his
tory with the present and to review
the progress and development Of what
we all term, to-day, st. Francois
County's greatest industry.
am not now in the service Of any
company, though have spent the
more active part of my life in the SER
vice of the st. Joseph Lead Co. By
frugality, economy and hard work /
have reared my family, own my home
and have sufficient savings with some
assistance from my children, to spend
the balance of my days, not in lux
ury, but in comfort 1t is with no
feeling of vanity that | make this per-
sonal reference, but rather for the
comparative idea between myself and
others who have been the cheat of
the day" in the Service Of company
under the successful management of
such men as Fred Graves; and those
in the prime of life now engaged in the
service of the same company and its
present management.
Now, if | may be indulged, will
refer to circumstances and conditions
which have known personally or
have come to me through reliable
sources. These references will not be
news to people who have resided here
as long as have, nor to many, per-
haps, who have resided here much
shorter length of time. However, it
would not be amiss, in my judgment,
If the present management of the st.
Joseph Lead Co. would study, care
fully, all of the history of their COM
pany and especially the personal
struggles and sacrifices of the found
ers of their company. Lead was first
transported, from this camp to points
on the railroad, by OK and mule teams
and sold for much less per hundred
than it is sold for to-day. The time
was when pay-days were few and far
between on account of the scarcity
of money with this company. A per-
iod of time existed when money was
not used to pay the employees, instead
they were given punch books to be
punched out as the employee and his
family consumed their earrings, at the
company store. The men who were
then guiding the destiny of this com
pany through such circumstances,
overcame the obstacles, and were glad
in doing so, to go to some who were
in the employ of the company as or
binary miners and borrow money to
tide through stressed financial condi-
tions. 1t took men Of great courage,
unlimited patience, tact, and superior
Judgment, such men as Fred Graves,
to pilot the business to success and
make money sufficient to replace the
OK team with a railroad, erect mod
ern plants for the reduction Of their
product ready for the market, to ride
on private-owned railroad trains, to
live in palacial homes, to furnish au-
tcmobiles by the dozens, and many
other luxuries too numerous to men
tion.
And do not want to be understood
as criticizing the use to which the
money has been applied, but there
should be some limit, some balancing
power. Why, remember sdme years
ago, when a gentleman, one Of the
first, modern mining engineers, was
a