White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-04-01

n MIGHTY oak from little acorn
C1grew, and so it was with the
Enumclaw Cooperative Cream er y
Company, for when it started back in
the year 1899 with capital stock of
$50 shares, par value of $500 each, 1t
was a very small concern. These $50
shares of the capital stock were dis
tributed among the dairy farmers of
that mountain valley, of which Enum-
claw is the center, each member of
the new organization being required
to purchase at $500 each, one share
of the capital stock for each COW in
his dairy herd. And so it came to
pass that in due time the $50 shares
had been absorbed, and in their place
the new organization had in it's treas
sury a foundation fund of $1,500.00
not much money for these times but in
that day sufficient to start on it's way
an association that has developed to
be one of the most successful farmer
owned co-operatives in the west
With part of this money was pur
chased the local creamery that had
been started in July, 1897 by Fred j.
Cheal of Tacoma, and that had later
passed into the hands of John B. Agen
of Seattle. AS originally established
by Mr.. Cheal, the creamery was
located in one end of an old ware
house that stood near the Northern
Pacific depot, and not far removed
from the plant of the White River
small village of Enumclaw, but the
village, like the creamery, has grown,
and is now flourishing and prosper
Gus city.
The creamery opened for business
on July 18th, 1897, and to Robert
Montgomery, then a struggling young
dairyman, went the distinction of de
q. livering the first milk which he hauled
I to the weighing platform in wheel
barrow. From this small beginning
the creamery grew, and encouraged
by the citizens and business men of
Enumclaw, was soon receiving prac-
tically all the milk produced in the
surrounding country, which was not
a very encouraging supply, for dairy
ing was just in its infancy in that par
ticular locality, and but few farmers
kept more than half dozen or sc
cows
In January 1899, Mr.. Cheal sold his
creamery to John B. Agen, whole
sale butter and egg merchant of Seat
tie, who was attempting to establish
Swimming stations in different local.
ties.
In this early day of dairying IL
Washington, just prior to the adven
of the hand separator it was the prac
tice of the farmer to deliver the days
milk each morning at the creamery
and then to wait his turn at the skim
milk vat there to measure out his
share of the skimmilk as 1t came from
the large cream separator with which
each creamery was equipped. Later
the hand separator appeared, which
proved a great labor saver,and it was
in turn followed by the commercial
cream hauler who called at the farm
on regular days and gathered up the
cream.
Not satisfied with the returns they
were receiving from their milk the
patrons of the local creamery com
menced agitating for one of their own
and on December 2, 1899, a group OF
dairymen met in Enumclaw and there
and then organized the Enumclaw Co
operative Creamery Company, with 6
capital stock of $1,000. The organ
izers were Geo. Bruhn, Mat Malner
itch, Chas. Schomburg, B. B. Seville
Otto Tamm, Otto Bruhn, r. Lanier
and D. P. Jones'. The first board oil
directors was composed of Otto
Tamm, president; r. Lanier, vice
president; Otto Bruhn secretary; B