La Junta tribune., 1917-08-09
BOOSTING OUR coNDENsARY
Arkansas Valley Cannot He Excelled
As Dairy Section According to
Testimony Of Local Banker

In the July bulletin of the agri-
cultural industrial and mining con.
ditions in Colorado. Wyoming and
New Mexico. issued each month BY
the Denver National Bank, r. Phil
lips. cashier Of the First National
Bank OF La Junta, under date OF
July 18th, contributes very inter-
esting article on agricultural condi-
tions In Otero county, and incident-
ally relates the story Of the estab-
lishment OF . milk condensary In
La Junta by Libby. McNeill & Lib
by. 1t Is always an interesting tale
to = good booster. and is made doub-
ly SO by the observations and COM
ment Of the writer. who has been Z
resident OF the Arkansas Valley for
nearly forty years. and has always
been q thirty-second degree booster
for every enterprise that has for its
object the material welfare and pro-
gress Of the greatest and most prom
Using agricultural territory on earth.
Mr.. Phillips report Of conditions Ia
Otero county IL as follows:
"All OF the reports OF the bulletin
this year tell OF abundance Of wa
ter In the bitches, unusually good
crops, and bright prospects every
where in the state and prosperity
abroad In the land. A record of the
year thus far in the Arkansas VAL
ley is practically the same. for we
are. undoubtedly. having. a banner
year.
II think. however. II may be of
more interest to your readers and
fully as instructive II l tell OF the
new milk condensary already. estI1-.
lished here. and the construction oI,
which is now under way. Messrs. Lib
by. Mcneil & Libby. OF Chicago. Who
already have more than twenty milk
eondensaries scattered about over
the United States. had been consid-
ering one for La Junta for two or
three years. They have under con-
struction At this time five conden-
saries besides the one here. three Of
which are In Wisconsin. and one each
In Michigan and Illinois.
"The matter was taken up by the
La Junta Industrial Association. ~
result Of which. the milk from
something more than three thousand
cows were signed up. When the con-
densary was finally decided upon.
Messrs. Libby. McNeiil 4 Libby rent
ed = store room here. and put in
machinery for cheese making and be-
gan receiving milk on June goth.
"a site had already been pur-
chased for the condensary building
and nj this date, Just one month AZ
ter opening the cheese factory. the
contract for the condensary has
been signed up and the construction
Of the building will be pushed ~
rapidly ~ possible. A large amount
Of the material Ia now on the ground.
and practically all Of II has been
purchased. The condensary In to b
constructed Of dark and pressed
brick. -the size OF the main building
being one hundred by one hundred
and sixty-five feet. two stories In
height The original appropriation
for the building was 100000. but
this has now been increased TO $780,
900. and Il Il thought that will
hardly be sufficient for the plans
they have decided upon.
II have Just interviewed Mr..
Thomson. tho local manager. and he
tells me they have one hundred and
sixty patrons on the pay roll Mt this
date. Just one month after opening
the cheese factory. The milk re-
ccivcd thus far. comes from n ter
ritory extending TO Las Animas on
the east. Rocky Ford on the west.
and Thatcher on the south. and
Cheraw on the north. The average
price paid during the first ten days
Was s?:s per hundred and since
the first Of July the price has aver
aged S2.%o per hundred. and the
amount being delivered at the cheese
factory 10 increasing every day.
There have been something like
one thousand head Of high graAs
milk cows shipped In and sold 70 the
farmers within the territory Just 10.
dlcstsd since June 3oth. ThIs den.
pnstrstss that the farmers recog-
nise . good thiss whsa they sss u.
aad ere going 10 DO their part u
mating the milk condsnsary Q great
success. TAs eAct ID the farmers =
ths Arkansas Valley have boea 0ak.
lac Papid Deegrses h eAe 1alsy ~
1usssy Ter . nunbss q yeAso. -.