Hide Article Text (OCR)
FREEBORN DAIRY ASSOCIATION [Compiled from the creamers records with te assistance of the secretary.) The farmers of Freeborn township early became interested in the cream ery movement, but their unfortunate experience with a creamery man was a serious setback at the start. During the fall of 1892, D. A. Richards, a but termaker who had been instrumental in organizing the Glenville Dairy As sociation, came to Freeborn and by working up the subject among the farmers created considerable senti ment in favor of establishing a cream ery at the village. October 11. Rich ards called a meeting at the school house at which F. M. Snyder presided, and the Freeborn Dairy Association, a stock company of $4,500 capital stock, was organized, 260 shares at $10 each were issued to 55 stockholders, and the first officers were L. T. Scott pres., Mrs. Mary Aldrich vice pres, D. A. Rich ards sec., M. D. Hawver treas., and W. H. Miller, Andrew Peterson, Chas. Derby, F. M. Snyder and Herman Ra foth directors. Upon Richards’ sugges tion it was decided that each sh should represent a vote, and as he held 100 shares this enabled him to keep the management of the affairs of the association in his own hands. At this first meeting the directors were in structed to select a site for the pro posed creamery, and at a meeting of the board the following day a deal was closed with Mrs. Goward for the prc ent location. She received for the property $20 cash and 2 shares of stock. George P. Lattin, G. M. Miller and D. A. Richards were the building committee and work was commenced early in November. It seems that Richards had on his own responsibility ordered the ma chinery, and the boiler and engine had already been shipped and were on the track at Alden. ‘The board refused to accept Richards’ order and early in December bought the equipment them selves. It consisted of two Alpha De G. M. Miller was appointed secre tary and general manager Nov. 13, un iil the next annual meeting, and L. R. Peterson, second man under Richards, was hired as buttermaker at $40 a month. The second annual meeting was held Feb. 7, 1891. Richards and a few friends had been very active since his enforced withdrawal from the associa tion trying to discourage the patrons and a rumor was general, and believed by many, that now the creamery would close down for want of funds. The of ficers were equal to the emergency and determined on a bold stroke. Some money that had been received for but ter and borrowed from the bank was on hand, and the directors declared a dividend of 20 per cent. As a direct result more than 100 shares were sold on the spot and paid for either in cash or notes. The articles of incorpora tion were also amended so that each member of the association was allowed one vote, George P. Lattin was elect ed treasurer and Erick Gilbertson suc ceeded C. H. Derby as director. To prevent a repetition of the experience with Richards the board was instruct ed to select a secretary who would act merely as a clerk of the board and have nothing to do with the manage ment. A. Biddle succeeded Peterson as buttermaker at a salary of $60. In the fall a feed mill was built at an expense of $100. It has been operated ever since in connection with the creamery and has always given satisfaction, 8 cents a sack was at first charged for grinding; this was reduced to 7 cents, and the present price is 6 cents. Another dividend of 20 per cent was ed In February, 1895, and the vital stock increased from $4,500 to 000; extra 50 shares were all sold at the same meeting. C. H. Derby and Hans Stensru led F. M yder and A. Peterson as directors, and the board re-appointed G. M. Mil ler as secretary and manager at $6 month, he to do the hauling of butter and tubs. Patrons continued to haul ud received compensation dec rit Laval separators, a No. 1 and No. 2, a box churn and an open butter worker .The creamery commenced operations early in March, 1889, with D. A. Rich finds as general manager, secretary and Duttermaker. He was allowed compensation for his work In og anizing ad establishing the new creamer At the first annual election, April 5, 1893, all the officers were re-elected. It was decided at about this time to put in a feed mill In connection with the creamery, but the matter was left to the discretion of the board. ‘The mill ‘was not put in till the fall of 18%. | During the first year one director met | ‘with the manager once each month to go over the accounts with him. But | ‘this plan was abandoned as the direc tors could make nothing out of Rich fards’ figures. In June the board found it necessary to raise funds to meet bills and arrangements were made with the Alden bank. ‘The affairs of the association got in to a terrible tangle before the end of the first year and there was consider able dissatisfaction over the way in which Richards managed the cream ery and kept the books. A crisis was reached in November, 1893, at a special meeting held on the 1th. According to the original plan of voting, one vote for each share, Richards could easily secure a majority of the votes, but at this meeting he consented to allow each stockholder present only one vote and it was something of a general sur prise that the ballot, which was secret, went against him, leaving him prac tically without support except for his ‘own vote. It was decided to buy up Richards’ stock at par and pay him one-third of the sinking fund of 5 cents per hundred pounds of milk which had been set off each month. Richards had put in about $1,000 in cash and labor, and at the settlement he received $1,516.83, $174.04 of which was his third of the sinking fund. Im mediately after the meeting and before the settlement, Richards bought up 11 more shares at a considerable discount ‘and turned them in to the association ‘with his other shares at par. In 1896 Fred Fiene succeeded Mr. Derby as director and the by-laws were amended to make the vice pre member of the board of direc At this time, in addition to his as secretary and manager, G. M was made buttermaker and his fixed at $50 a month. A. D evill was awarded the contract for hauling butter and supplies for $150 . In March W. J. Althouse was fed as helper at $25 a month. At the annual meeting It was decided to reduce the sinking fund from 5 to 3 cents, and F. M. Snyder and C. J. Derby again became directors, su ceeding Messrs. Fiene and Gilbertson. A semi-annual dividend of 10 per cent was declared, and buttermaker Mil ler's salary was increased to $50 a month. New floors, new ceilings at ‘4 coal house were among the improv ments ordered for the creamery. Chas Leonard was hired as helper at $30 a month, and was allowed $100 a year for hauling. ‘The increase In milk made it neces sary In 1898 to put in a new separator. Another Alpha No. 1 was purchased, and two Boyd vats and a larger Dis brow churn and butterworker were a so added. The old box churn and open butterworker had been replaced In '96 by a Disbrow combined churn and but terworker, and the new one purchased in 1898 was of the same make but larger.This gave the creamery three Alpha separators and two Disbrow combined churns and butterworkers During the year , skim milk heater was also put in. To meet the extra expense caused by the purchase of the new machinery, the sinking fund was again fixed at 5 cents a hundred pounds of milk. Henry King, John ‘Wille and Erick Gilbertson were the new directors. ‘The last of the original debt was paid in February, 1898, and another dividend of 10 per cent declared, Chas. Leonard, the helper’s, salary, was increased to $35 a month, and he was allowed $140 a year for hauling. Herman Rafoth, who had been a di rector and one of the largest patrons of the creamery since it started, died this year, 1898, and his son Henry was* elected to succeed him as director. —* In 1899 another dividend of ten per cent was declared and with this pay ment all who took stock at the begin ning had been paid back what they put in, and they still own the building and equipment. It has been the policy of the association to interest as many of the patrons as possible in the cream ery, and for that purpose, as men tioned above, the capital stock has been increased to $5,000 and all the stock is sold. The present officers of the Freeborn Dairy Association are L.. T. Scott pres. Mrs. Aldrich vice pres., George P. Lat tintreas, Henry King, Erick Gilbert son, Henry Rafoth, W. A. Brooks and, I. H. Seth, directors, George M. Miller was born on a farm near Cornet, Wis., June 26, 1856, and when nine years of age he came with his parents to Freeborn County, set ting on a farm in Carlston township one mile and a half from Freeborn village. He attended school at the village and completed a course at the Mankato normal. Mr. Miller then formed partnership in a general merchandise store at Beaver Lake, Minn., with T. A. Southwick, and op erated a cheese factory in connection with the store.This business venture, however, did not prove a success finan cially, and two years later Mr. Miller returned to the farm. For several years he followed carpentering in the summer and taught school winters. Mr. Miller served as county surveyor three years. After Freeborn cream ery's unfortunate experience with D. A. Richards, Mr. Miller was selected by the board to act as secretary, and a few years later he also undertook the position of buttermaker. He has serv ed the association faithfully and well and to his management is due in no small degree the success of Freeborn reamery. FREEBORN CREAMERY. M. MILLER, BUTTERMAKER AND SECRETARY.
Newspaper Details
Albert Lea Freeborn County Times
Albert Lea, Minnesota, US
Fri, Feb 09, 1900
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Shalane H.
USA 19 Feb 2026
Other Publications Near Albert Lea, Minnesota
Albert Lea the Evening Tribune Farm Tab
Albert Lea Evening Tribune Farm Tab
Farm and Home Magazine
Albert Lea Sunday Tribune
Standard
