Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-21
n. c. MlchAElSEN TELLS OF De.
VELCPMENTS OF INDUSTRY
IN CARS DOMAIN.
COMPELLED TO FIGHT
AGAINST SUPERSTITION
Establishment of Creamery Business
in Fertile Field Made Difficult by
Fears 81 ignorant Farmers Eo-c;s"
Promoters Held Responsible For
Drouth and Loss of Crops.

Special TO Times Republican.
Cedar Falls. Jan. 2l.--H. {. Michael
SEN agricultural and dairy expert
formerly connected with the Danish
embassy at Petrograd. who is in Cedar
Falls after thirty years residence IN
Russia told thru an interpreter today
the interesting story OF how he estab-
Nshed the creamery and dairying busl-
ness in Siberia several decades ago.
MichaeIseH is in America To assimllate
American IDEAS which he hopes to APP
ply TO Russian agriculture after the
war The popular American idea that
Siberia IS nothing hut great eXpanse
of snow and ice used by the car as
a place of exile for political offenders
: is all wrong, MiChaelsen says. siberia
4 IS vast territory. some of it bleak
and barren. but a great portion OF
which is choice agricultural land that
is producing rich returns.
MiChaelSen was made an honorary
member of The Imperial Agricultural
Society of Moscow and was accorded
many other hOnorS in recognition OF
his establishment of the creamery
business in Siberia. Micha eisen's story
Of his strug giles to overcome the Unborn
~upsrstitior of the Siberian farmer,
many of whom still fear the deadly
effects Of the Evil Eye" reveals the
utter ignC rance in which the peasants
live.
Superstition Prevents Progress.
The Siberian farmer is more adj
vanced in some respects. however. than
MS Russian brother. Michaeisen says.
because ne owns the land he tills and
has never experienced the blighting
effects of serfdum like the latter. But
ne has inherited all the many super
Stitious beliefs OF his forefa theirs, which
it will require several generations to
eradicate They are extremely sus
picious of foreigners. whom they are
quick TO blame for any misfortune that
might hefall them during the foreign
visitors stay in their midst To il
lustrate the strong grip superstition
has on these people. Michaelsen told
OF an experience of his a few years
after ne had started the creamery
project on its way to success. 1t was
in the early nineIies. \ severe drouth
occurred. the crops withered for want
of rain. and not dry DAYS succeeded
hot dry days. The superstitiOus farmers
thought they We're being punished for
offending God Finally they decided
the drouth had been visited upon them
! because they had committed sin by
allowing the milk from their COWS TO
; be sent thru the separate of the
creamery.
Timely Rain Saves Promoter.
They immediately burned three
Creameries and murdered two foreign
born buttermakers But the rain didn't
come. Soon after this Mcha elsen, who
had been away from that district for
some time. passed thru on an inspec-
ton trip which would take him one
hundred miles beyond. Some Of the
more enlightened farmers told him
what had occurred. y Michaelsen
laughed away their fears and told them
it would rain again, probably within
day or two. and went on his way
That very night the rain came down in
torrents and quite wet spell followed
On Michaelsen's return he was made
much of because, the farmers firmly
believed he had caused it to rain.
1t was in 1889 that Michaeisen waE
sent TO Siberia by Moscow firm
which was trying to establish cream
cries in western Siberia. sThey hau
found il losing proposition. The
three creameries they had built there
couldn't turn out butter fit for ex
portation. Michaelsen took charge. i'm
ported some Danish and German but
termakers and vas able to turn out
grade of butter that commanded
good price in the markets of Europe.
Extends Field Of Operations.
His employers then sent him pros
pecting for new fields in which to To-
cate creameries. After extensive
travelling he found a good agricultural
colony at Barnaui. At the foot Of the
Alta mountains, in south central Asia,
near the Chinese border These
settlers had emigrated from Tomboff.
a district near Moscow in the I0's and
had lots of cattle. But they refused
TO sell milk 20 the creamery, consider
ing II a sin to let the milk go thru
separator. However. tempting offers
of cash for their milk finally induced
some Of the poorer farmers to over
Come their superstitious beliefs enough
10 bring their milk to the creamery
under cover Of darkness and others
finally followed MIchaelsen's firm
was not in the creamery business. but
was trying to establish a market for
butter making machinery and a supply
of butter for exploration. II tried 10
sell the creamery ii had established to
business men in Barnau1. but the lat
ter refused TO buy. Micha elsen's firm
then opened big store and sold goods
TO the farmers at cost and finally
forced the business men to buy their
creamery. This was the beginning Of
a movement that resulted in a string