The Republican., 1935-04-18

down order things sent up. Embassy
cars call for special products and
many of the specialties of the stalls
find their way to the most important
tables in Washington.
At this writing there are 211 women
divided between four markets and
each with a tale to tell of what the
market means and has done for her
and her family to say nothing of what
the steady stream of money has meant
to the county.
Viewing these white-clad women,
smiling and efficient, it is difficult to
realize that less than four years ago
they were faced with utter ruin; with
hunger; the loss of their homes, chill
dren unable to go to school for lack of
clothes. The tales differ, but substanti-
ally they are the same. The farm could
not be made to pay. 1t is interesting to-
day to know that many of these farms
have turned every asset they have into
preparation for the market and that
the men of the family work as hard at
it as the women.
Many of these women have been
teachers, librarians, comfortably set
tied married women, trained nurses,
business women who had bough coun-
try places; one woman had bought her
farm at peak prices, stocked it with
blooded cattle and fine chickens. Bit by
bit it went. Borrowing was impossible.
Her stock sold at sacrifice prices.
Then she heard of the market. Could
it be true :. were women actually
pulling themselves out of the depres-
sion mire by their own efforts. True it
all was. That woman has rebought her
herds, paid her bills and is supplying
SINE of the best butter, eggs and
cheese to be found in the stalls.
Merchants Objected
A storm of protests from established
merchants greeted the first months of
the market. There was not enough
trade :. the women were upsetting
precedent.
Extra statesmen are now put on by
all merchants near the market centers
on market days. Why? Because once
more carriage trade" comes a-shcp-
ping. Smart women drive themselves
to market. They park as near the mar
kets as possible and having filled their
cars with fresh green produce, special
bakery goods, fresh eggs and so on,
they make for the nearest grocery and
there get the necessary dry GROCERIES.
Further flung still is the effect upon
the merchants of the small places
from which the market women come.
There the local dealer does, indeed,
lose some of this trade, for the market
women buy where it is convenient.
But to offset this, they are paying bills
which had long since been given up as
hopeless, and then, too, they are buy
ing luxuries; timed salmon, sardines,
bits Of sewing material. Last but per-
haps the most important result and
one in which the whole county shares
is the constant turnover of cash.
Better Every Year
A minimum of 1926, 400 in a county
of only 330,440 acres in extent is do
ing much to restore prosperity. Actu-
ally that two hundred and ninety-five
thousand four hundred must be multi
piled many times as it goes from hand
to hand. And it is interesting. Most Of
the market women have bettered their
earning steadily each year. They ex-
pect to continue and also to enlarge
the number of stalls and sellers. And
their fame spreads.
The rules say that each woman must
be of good character, must farm not
less than six acres of land (the indie
pendent markets don't make this re-
striction), must keep her herds and
focks at standard, or better, as set by