Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-01-10
A $500 HOG SALE
At HAWK CREEK
Big Time at John SWenSon'S
Fourth Annual Dur0c
Sow Sale.

SOW sale.
tongued orator and a word painter of
the first order attend one of John
Swenson's hog sales. Col. H. S. Dun
can Of Clearf1eld, Iowa, was orator of
the day at the Hawk Creek conven-
tion Of hog breeders last Friday, offic-
tally known as the Fourth Annual
Duroc-Jersey Bred Sow Sale.
Col. Duncan gripped his audience
as strongly as any chautauqua lectur-
er we ever heard. Col. w. N. Davis,
our local sales Demosthenes, opened
Duncan did most Of the talking. He
traced the progress of the world from
the dawn of civilization to the pres
ent day, he pictured the westward
march of Empire to the Great West,
he spoke Of the hardships of the ear
ly settlers and the slow but sure pro-
eliminated in the red hog industry
producing prosperity am lifting mort
cages for the farmer. And every lis
tener felt that he meant every word
Highness, E. Us Crimson Wonder,
the big pig which won the grand
championship at the Minnesota State
in the spot light, and Big Wonder
N.rf0 ofh nj,
Of the blood in their respective show
being pronounced upon their breed,
while their numerous progeny, which
the Industrious drovers were lining
up for the sale at the other end of the
barn, squealed their displeasure at
the proceedings.
It was a sight well worth while 60
ing some distance to witness. On
both sides of the barn were elevated
seats where two or three hundred In
terested buyers and spectators were
seated. At one end was the speak
er's stand and at the other a gate
thru which the pigs were taken in and
out of the ring. Ranged alongside of
Col. Duncan was the tall figure Of the
manager of the Weum Clothing Co.,
Mr.. Ed. M. Elkjer, whose particular
duty it was to see that the electric
spot Hght4Wass directe6 son the animal
t being sold as It cavorted about the
ring. In the ring were the field men
and assistant auctioneers, eagerly
scanning the faces of the crowd to
make sure that every move of pos.
sible buyer was correctly interpreted
and reported to the speakers stand
But none saw more quickly and talk
ed faster than Col. Duncan. AS the
SOW to be sold entered the ring a
burst of admiration from the speak
er's stand was followed by the main
points of the animals family history
often elaborated upon by the assist
ants and by the owner, Mr.. Swenson
who with his staff, was the ring mas
ter The bids usually started at $40
and whenever the offering looked par
ticularly good to the outside breeders
the price mounted by $21s, IS and $1(
jumps. If interest Jagged, Col. Dun
can would command silence and drop
ping his voice would make an appea
that usually straitway brought $40 o.
more additional.
AS the list of sales will indicate
there were buyers here from all part
of the Northwest The Great North
I ern placed a sleeping car at the dis
i posal of about fourteen hog men VIII
came by way of the Twin Cities. Al
| the leading farm journals were repre-
sented by their hog experts. The roa'
from Willmar, five miles, had beel
/ opened for auto travel, and the Ha1
/ dy-Lewis garage had several cars rur
/ ming all the time.
At the residence a bountiful Dime
/ was served by Mrs. Swenson and
large corps of assistants, to all VIII
wished it. Ye scribe was there wit
an appetite whetted by the ride in tn
biting wind, and we tried to do ju:
tice to the occasion. Thanks, to tn
ladies'!
\ The following is the list of the sale
from the records of the clerk Of tn
sale, Assistant Cashier Nels S. Swe1
son Of the Bank of Willmar:
4 No. IA, G. T. Johnson, North
Branch, MINI. ............$ 1850
/ No. /, Mitchell Bros, Milbank,
S. Oak. .......:.......... 1o7.E
No. 2, Desmond & Manning,
Il St. James, Minn.. ........ g.!
No. 8, P. J. Fosse, St. Cloud,
Il MINI. %. ............... 137.!
= No. 4, Carl Berg, Clarkfield,
:. MINI. 3d.
:. No. S, Ben Bush, Morris, MINI CO.,
No. s, Olof Gilbertson, Violin,
J S. Oak. .................. CO.,
! No. 2, John REIN, LaBolt, S.
Oak. -. 100.
No. 8, T. H. Hagen, Mime
apolis, MINI. ............. 200.
No. 9, J. G. Murphy, Delano,
MINI. oV.
No. 10, George Pagel, Zum-
| brota, Minn. ........... 40.
No. II, L. P. Larson, LaBolt,
\ s. OAK. 6V.
No. IL, A. H. Anderson, Mon
tevideo, Minn. ............ II.