The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-06-14
ST. LOUIS COUNTY
GAN Do LIKEWISE
WHAT CARLTON COUNTY HAS
ACCOMPLISHED IN DAIRYING,
ST. LOUIS COUNTY Do LIKE
WISE OR BETTER BY REASON
OF LARGER TERRITORY-CAT-
TIE GOOD EVERYWHERE.

Carlton county creameries are rapid
ly climbing into the big money. An
account was recently published Of the
progress of the Kettle River creamery,
the youngest of the nine in the coup-
ty. The account told how it was or
ganized in 1924 and began operating
in 1925; how the initial capital Of S10,-
600 was raised with difficulty, includ-
ing a loan of $4,000; how the company
made 100000 pounds of butter last
year, spent $4,000 for improvements
and new machinery, and closed with
a debt reduced to $1,000; how 1t IS
third in volume Of production among
the 81 creamerieS in this district in
the Land OLakes association; how it
is hitting a pace that distributes
nearly $1,000 apiece among 500 patrons;
how it started in fear and trembling
and how, in less than five years, It
achieved a solid footing.
Fear and trembling was no more
than reasonable.
Back in 1911 the first creamery in
Carlton county started IN Barnum, or
rather was revived on the wreck Of a
premature attempt to run creamery
in q sawmill town. By 1911 the saw
mill was gone, the farmers were go
ing and the attempt TO revive the
creamery looked like forlorn hope.
How it was done, how il got to its
feet and became notable success I'M
der the leadership of H c. Hanson is
another story which has been told
before.
About the same time, another wreck
of a premature creamery attempt was
resuscitated at Moose Lake, five miles
south of Barnum. If one creamery
vas a desperate chance, two creamer-
les in the same territory would he
sheer recklessneSs. But after strug-
gle, both Of them prospered.
Within ten years a creamery started
At Mahtowa, five miles north Of Bar
num. If there was barely support for
two creameries, how could three sur
vive in the same territory? But the
Mahtowa creamery also flourished and
prospered.
Then in 1925 the Kettle River
creamery began business six miles west
of Barnum Four creameries in the
same territory that could not support
one less than fifteen years earlier. No
wonder there was fear and trembling,
both for the Kettle River project and
for the older concerns in the same
field Now, 10 and behold, all four
are prospecting nightly.
Meanwhile, two more creameries are
operating in the western part of the
county, at Cromwell and Wright. And
three others on the eastern edge at
Carlton, at CloQuet, and the Arrow-
head at Eskos Corners. Nine cream
cries in all, and all prospecting and in
addition, there are liberal shipments
of milk from the county and cream to
the central plants.
The milk in the cocoanut, or the
cream in the creamery, is revealed in
the account of the Kettle River cream
cry by John Manni, town clerk, and
promoter in general. Who would
have believed that a creamery in Ket-
tie River would be able so soon to
make two tons Of butter a day and
haul it to Duluth, in its own truck,
over a paved highway" Anyone who
remembers what the country roads
were fifteen or twenty years ago can
share in his exclamation.
The natural advantages are what
they always have been-the cool
rich grasses and lush clover, the
abundance of water The Arrowhead
region has long been marked as the
most opulent dairy country in America.
Other advantages have been ac-
quired Within twenty years, the YES
sci lines on the lakes have been
equipped for refrigeration, and sto--
age facilities have been created at
Duluth Rates have been made that
save more than a half a pound to
the shipper via the lakes to the east
ern markets. Roads have been built