The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-10-06
ASKS RECEIVER
FOR SHEARER'S
DREAM COMP ANY
Former Representative
of Organization Here
Charges Cheerylanes
Concern is Insolvent.

That w. S. Shearer, given national
publicity as the head lettuce king
of Idaho and his company, the
Cherrylanes company with headquar-
ters at Lewiston, are insolvent, is the
central theme of complaint filed
in the district court here
by J. S. Meyer of Middleton, former
representative of the company here,
in which the plaintiff asks that re-
ceiver for the alleged defunct COM
pany be appointed to protect creditors
who, Mr.. Meyers alleges, have no re-
course against the company.
Mr.. Meyer further charges in the
complaint that w. S.. Shearer made
recent assignment of his interest in
the Cherrylanes company to other in
dividuals, fraudently, to prevent col
lection of obligation owed the concern
by creditors.
This statement, which was embod-
led in wide circulated report made
in this section recently, was emphatic
ally denied by w. H. L. Neimeyer of
Nampa, now the district representative
of the company. Mr.. Neimeyer sent
a statement to various newspapers in
southwestern Idaho last week in
which he said that while the assign
ment has been, made, it was due to
Mr.. Shearer's i'll health and by no
means caused by financial circum-
stances in which the company was
commonly said to have become involv-
ed. 1t is a matter of court record,
however, in lewiston that banks
there have attached certain of Mr..
Shearer's lettuce producing machinery
and equipment.
Mr.. Meyer asserts that he was en-
ployed by the company to work in
Ada, Canyon, Payette, Gem and
Washington counties to organize farm
ers for the Cheerylanes Head Lettuce
league and Inland Empire association
and to obtain contracts under which
the growers would produce lettuce for
the Cheerylanes company. AS re-
suit of Mr.. Meyers efforts, he sets
forth a large number of contracts
were signed for which, he adds, Mr..
Shearer agreed to pay him $4,000.
None of this has been paid, the plain
tiff AYERS. Meyer claims that of $651
spent on behalf of the company in
connection with his work, $426 is still
unpaid.
Continuing the complaint says:
Plaintiff is informed and believes
that W.. S. Shearer, either for himself
or in agreement with the other men,
bers of the partnership, during the
closing weeks of September, 1922,
made an assignment of trust deed
with the said defendant, w. J. Nc
Farland, for the benefit of the said
Mcfarland and Denney & Co., c. H.
Robinson & Co., and Stein, Hart &
Kelly, three produce commission firms
to which the Cheerylanes company
and w. S. Shearer are indebted, for
the fraudulent purpose of preventing
this plaintiff and other creditors OF
said Cheerylanes company and w. S
Shearer from collecting the sums OF
money justly due this plaintiff and
thee other creditors. Su:h
trust deed or assignment was placed
on record in Nez Perez county
Idaho"
, Among the assets of the company
n Mr.. Meyers asserts, are large num-
S Der of contracts with farmers and let
c tuce producers which provide that The
: Cheerylanes company shall receive II
per cent of the sale price f. o. b. ship
ping point. The acreage covered by
these contracts is expected to yiell
approximately 800 carloads to b,
Il shipped from southwestern Idaho anC
(, the commission on this amount, Mr.
;. Meyer estimates, will be about $4,000
Z. Other assets are declared to be ;
in number of tracts planted TO lettuce il
IN several southwestern Idaho countie
l. which, it is estimated, will produce
Of probably 20 carloads of lettuce, whicl
III depending on market conditions
De ought to be worth about $4,000.
* Unless a receiver is appointed, at
a torneys for Meyer aver, the latter will
IL be unable to realize on any judgmen
he might obtain.