The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-05-26

the manner OF standard oil ana y. >.
steel. The bylaws and constitution
are too lengthy for reproduction here
but they covered every detail of the
cooperative contract. Each member
was to separately cultivate his own
farm, and no liability of one for
another should be incurred, but gen.
eral rules governed all. A board Of
directors, of which Holt was chair
man, was given general control. The
first action of the board was the en-
ployment of an expert farm demon
strator, a graduate of one of the best
agricultural colleges of the country.
Following the directions of a hired
man in the conduct of their own bus
mess came little awkard at first,
but under Hollis urging that such was
the methods by which the big for
tunes of the country had been built
up they soon grew accustomed to the
changed order. The demonstrator's
superior knowledge of the soil and
its treatment commanded respect,
and while no penalty was provided
for failure to follow his advice results
soon forced the closest observance of
It. The demonstration rode from farm
to farm, carefully examining the con-
dition of the soil as we'll as of the
growing crops, and so successful was
his work that before the first season
was half over his telephone bell was
ringing till late at night with in
quiries about planting this, cultivat-
ing that or harvesting the other. Here
were forty men with Drawn muscle
and industry and with soil and tearI
and tools, directed by Drained AMI
skilled efficiency. 1t could not fail.
II Smiths ground was heavy and
Browns dry Smiths teams helped
Brown, if Jones harvests were green
and Perkins ripe Jones reapers went
into Perkins field. Knowing the con-
ditions of forty farms the demonstrat-
or could readily arrange these con-
venient exchanges of labor.
AS purchasing agent for the Forty
Farmers of Fairfield the demonstrat-
or was diligently sought out by the
selling agents of fertilizers, farm
machinery ETC., and by buying whole
sale a large saving was effected for
the cooperation. Another consider
able sum was saved to these farmers
~ the shipment through the dem
onstrator of their live stock direct to
the city stockyards. The marketing
of the matured crops was no Longer
a problem for the farmers of Fair
feld. Millers for a hundred niles
ato, nd sent agents to buy their grain,
commission men and dealers from the
ely came out to buy their fruit and
the Il hay. The wool merchant CAME
for their wool and the prices were
the best and the treatment the fair
est the market afforded.
Ben Holt in his campaign for CO.
operation and economy thought four
stores with seven clerks in the small
village of Fairfield too great tax on
the community, and set about a cor
rection. 1.-THE Forty Farmers Of
Fairfield" said he to the assembled
merchants represents most OF the
trade that comes to this burg, and
we think we are supporting too
many idle merchants here. The one
giving us the best terms on the goods
we buy and the produce we sell gets
our trade. What do you say gentle
mem" When a satisfactory bargain
had been driven with the most en-
terprising merchant. that saved each
family more than fifty dollars year,
one of the other merchants said.
When the rest of us are out OF bus
mess and Speed & Co. have no compe-
ton you will see what you will paw
for your goods" Don't worry young
man." replied Holt, "Old Jim Speed
knows that a Jew would come all the
way from Palestine to supply the
trade of the Forty Farmers of Fair
field"
After carefully checking up the
corporations business at the end of
the first year it was found that, after
deducting the salary of the farm dem
onstrator, net income of the forty
farmers exceeded the previous year
by nearly nine thousand dollars, and
it all grew out of Ben Hollis notions
of cooperation and economy.
If this gets past the Editors desk
we shall later narrate Ben Hollis eX-
perience with Six Block in St. Joe.