Milford chronicle., 1932-05-13
EXPLAINS RABBIT
BREEDING BUSINESS
James A. Cochrane Tells What Has Been Done In
The Industry

the business and is real enlighteninf
1t follows:
May 3, 1882
MIR. g. Marshall Townsend,
Milford Chronicle,
Milford. Delaware.
Dear Mr.. Townsend:
Your issue of Friday. April 90
1882. containing front page warn
ing entitled rabbit Raisers Ar,
Warned. has been called to my at
tcntion by II. IIcsscy Miller, prcsi
dent Of the Pendelmar Rabbitry
Inc. of this city. and has asked me
as solicitor of the company and alsC
as a director. to write yOu setting
out in brief manner first. the per
sOnnel of our company. second. tho
financial stability of our company
third, the value of the product which
we offer to sell. and fourth. the buy
back contract.
Mr. Miller informs me that some
weeks ago he was invited to address
a meeting in Milford in reference to
the rabbit industry, which meeting
was well attended and he personal
- AtIlh AHt AAteNuts NisuA it 6dNN
that evening was welcome to those
who attended. lie feels, however.
that en- account of the story which
appeared i'm your paper on April %,
that much damage has been done to
the interest not only of Pendelmar
Rabbitry, Inc, but also to those who
are presently interested and those
who are contemplating engaging in
this business. With that in mind
am writing TO you TO see if I cannot
present TO you some facts which may
lead you to believe that the motive
prompting the rabbit business is not
comparable to the sale of television
stock but on the other hand is re-
ally a worth while endeavor.
Early last fall Mr. H. IIessey Mil
Ter of this city, who incidentally is
a native of Maryland and who for
some years has been located in this
city and has met with more than Or
dinary success, became interested
in the rabbit business and did asso-
ciate himself with the Quaker State
Packing Company of Plumsteadvillc.
Pa, knowing virtually nothing re-
garding the business. In a short
time Mr.. Miller learned from expe-
rience that the directors of that COM
pany were not honest to goodness
business men, that while they were
serious they did not have the facil-
tiles for developing business that
would not only be remunerative to
themselves but would be helpful to
f1tneA +ln
learning something of the business
and more of the personnel Mr.. Mil
Ter felt that he could not afford to
be associated with u company such
as the Quaker State Packing Com
pany and consequently resigned from
the board of directors and with the
knowledge which he had gained, al
though of short duration, had ell
Ough vision that warranted him in
assOciating himself with two of the
outstanding business men and bank
ers of this city. !. knowing nothing
about rabbits. was asked to come /
along. l will be perfectly frank with
you in saying at this time that I then |
was possibly in the same state of :
Iuind that you are now, in that | q.
looked with a good bit of suspicion
upon rabbit raising as business.
However. we incorporated the com
pany in Pennsylvania with Capi-
talizatiOn of $4,000. and started
with but 10 per cent paid in, The
original purchase which the COM
paDy made was three units of rab-
bits which entailed an expenditure
Df $450.00 A small tract of land
was leased from the Delaware COun-
~ Sportsmen Association. credit was
extended from one of the directors.
who incidentally was i'm the lumber
business, the name of the company 1
being W. S. Mcdowell g. Company.
which. can accurately state, is the
argest lumber and coal dealer in
his county. and the business was
itarted. For several months the
seemed to flourish, needless
o say of the story frequently told to
hildren about the rabbits multiply
ng, proving true, and at meeting :
leld in February of this year we
we're surprised to learn that from
n inventory taken, including a bank !
ccOunt. rabbits on hand, hutclcB !
nd contracts, the company repre- I
cnted valuation of 1900. AT this {
articular point would like to state {
hat from the momentum which this {
gained early in it's life the |
irectOrg were amazed that d bust /
ess in the six months. including |
'ebruary, of $14,00O.00: that 1t was l
yorthy of deepest investigation and d
S a consequence trips were taken a
y the directors TO virtually every u
abbitry in the State of Pennsyl- Il
ania, New Jersey and New York, p
nd needless to say valuable infor- !
latiOn was received. b
Up to the time of February the To- d
alton which we had, which about a
mile in from a state road, was il
semed poor location. particularly il
lie to the winter months when the p
Iads were snow covered or muddy c
nd il was then decided that to the o
sst interest of the company more b
litable location was imperative. All p
lring this time we had on hand a
1t four paid employees, one man W
ith an experience of Is years i'm n
e rabbit business, to whom was 81
id the sum of $500 weekly: an tC
deTly man whose entire time was u
,voted to the cleaning of the de- ct
,lnping pens and hutches who was %
ven board and room and $500 e
sekly; two girls in the office whose al
tire time was devoted to clerical rc
1rk resulting from the activities OF