The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1922-05-25
A CREAM DEPOT
FOR PORT GIBSON
Arrangements Being Made to Erect
One Here in Near Future. Meet
ing Held for That Purpose Tuesday.

Last Tuesday morning the business
men Of Port Gibson met at the May
ors Office for the purpose Of hearing
talk by Mr.. F. f. Becker Of the
Brookhayen Creamery on the subject
Of establishing cream depot at Port
Gibson.
There was large attendance, and
much interest was manifested in the
proposition, resulting in the appoint
ment Of committee for the purpose
Of making all arrangements for Sc
curing the necessary data and funds
)required
Mr.. Becker was introduced by J. NJ.
Taylor, who forcibly again brought to
the attention of his hearers the need
Of dlversitication. calling to the minds
OF those present the misery of the
one-crop system and the vast oppor-
tunity presented to clover section
like this for the dairy farm.
Mr.. Becker, declaring that he was
no speaker, talked in a business-like
manner to business men, and made
deep impression upon every one in
the room. He said he had known for
some time that this is one of the best
dairy sections in the country, and he
felt sure that dairying would add
greatly to both the wealth of the land
owner and the value of the land.
The speaker told of the beginning
of the Brokhaven Creamery eight
years ago. He said the cows in that
section were not near so good as those
here now, and the land was much
poorer. The farmers did not have the
money with which to buy better, and
the creamery had no money to lend
them. He went to the banks and fin
ally got them to cooperate by buying
two cows for every person who had
two, taking a mortgage upon the four.
In this way about 500 cows were pur-
chased, and not more than 5000 was
ever lost by the banks on the trans
action.
The creamery started by making so
pounds of butter per day; now it is
making 2500 pounds and handling
5000 gallons Of whole milk, all Of
which represents 10000 or 1000 gal
Ions of milk per day That the cream
cry will pay out this year something
over $500.000 Besides this income
to the people of that community, the
skim milk enables them to raise many
hogs and much poultry He said that
his county is just beginning in the
poultry business, declaring that there
was great opportunity in this alone,
as the state ships out $15,000,000
worth of poultry and ships in $40,000,-
900 worth.
Mr.. Becker stated that if the bust
ness men of this community would e.
rect a building for a cream depot his
company would put in the machinery
and employ local man to operate
it; that after the first year the cream
cry would begin paying for the build
ing.
Mr.. Becker stated that Mississippi
can produce butter much cheaper than
the great western dairy states; first,
because we have much cheaper pas
ture lands; second, our grazing seas
on is twice as long; third, that we can
house our cows through the short
winter at about ten per cent Of what
it costs the westerner, and fourth.
our labor is much cheaper.
It was decided by the business men
to have President We'll of the Busi-
ness Mems Association to appoint
committee of three, with J. M. Taylor
as chairman, to look into the details
Of the proposition, canvass the town
for the money necessary and make
survey of the surrounding community
for the purpose Of determining how
many cows will be milked to supply
the cream.