540 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



I sold, equipped and put the machinery in running order at Coles- 

 burg, Iowa — my first sale. I helped organize creameries at Baletown, 

 Luxenberg, Sherrels Mound, Dyersville, Holly Cross, New Vienna, Ep- 

 worth, Cascade, Temple Hill, Petersburg, Worthington and other points. 

 Then it was that I helped the Hamy & Campbell Co., equip their plant 

 near Beach's soap factory, and we began in earnest. Then It was that 

 the Danish "Western and De Laval, came into use, and in a short time 

 thereafter the Sharpies. I went to Tripoli, Iowa, to see the first De 

 Laval which was brought to this country by Mr. Jeppe Sllfsgaard In 

 1882. It was held at the Customs House in New York for two months, 

 because the Revenue Officer could not decide if it was made out of steel 

 or cast iron. They finally decided that it was steel and made him pay 

 $93.00 for revenue. 



The first De Laval separator was used in 1883, and the first Danish 

 Western separator in 1884 by Mr. Marsh, of Waterloo. The first factory 

 separator was introduced in general about 1889 or 1890. In 1893 I sold 

 the first Disbrow combined churn and butter worker which was sold in 

 Iowa. For a starter, we sold Bacillus 41 which we called B. 41. 



As I said, the co-operative movement had made a good start for in 1896 

 Iowa had 725 creameries and 71 cheese factories while Minnesota had 

 445 creameries, 62 skimming stations, and 69 cheese factories. 



In 1890, the festive animal known as the Creamery Promoter, crossed 

 the border, as one of my friends said, and invaded the territory. Mr. W. 

 B. Barney, Iowa Dairy and Food Commissioner, gave the best definition 

 of a promoter I have ever heard. He said, "a promoter is a man who sells 

 something he has not got, to people who pay for something they never 

 get." I claim and always will claim, that the Creamery Promoter and the 

 Skimming Station were the causes of the set-back in the dairy business in 

 Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and, In 

 fact, every dairy state. The promoter got his wish in Kansas and 

 Nebraska, when the dairy business was just beginning, and as a result 

 those states have never gotten down to what we call co-operative work 

 since. These same promoters also started in Minnesota and in North and 

 South Dakota. 



I have stated that the Promoter and the Skimming Station was a set- 

 back for the creamery business. The only real promoters we ever had 

 was a Chicago firm. This firm could not get the agency for any separator, 

 viz., the Danish Western, De Laval or Sharpies, but the Alexander had 

 been invented in the old country, and this company bought the exclusive 

 right to manufacture it in the United States. They called it the "Alexander 

 Jumbo," and it was a jumbo. 



The company would send one of their promoters out (at that time they 

 had 15, with offices in Chicago), and this promoter would get the farmer 

 to subscribe from $5,000 to $6,000, each man subscribing $100 or more. 

 His contract called for building and complete creamery outfit, the farmer 

 furnishing the site. When the necessary amount was subscribed, the 

 agent would send his contract to his company. 



