108 DEEP FURROWS 



before the trading company was established perman- 

 ently would be carried on more successfully by a 

 younger man. So frequently had his motives been 

 questioned by suspicious farmers at organization meet- 

 ings that he thought it would be better for the company 

 if he occupied a less prominent place in the conduct of 

 its affairs. The idea seemed to be prevalent that 

 the organizers were enthusiastic for direct financial 

 reasons. " Those fellows are talking for what they are 

 going to get out of it," was an open accusation at times 

 a misconception so unjust that on several occasions 

 Partridge had refuted it by pledging to resign from the 

 presidency as soon as the company was on its feet. 



"You men keep saying how much I've got out of 

 this," he reproved in disheartened tones. " Gentlemen, 

 I'll admit that I've got a little silver out of this. But 

 it isn't in my pocket ; it's in my hair !" 



Partridge had no respect for a " quitter," however. 

 He did not propose to take it easy until the farmers' 

 agency did get into proper running order. Although 

 his associates tried to dissuade him altogether from the 

 course he had planned, the best he would promise was 

 to remain at his post until the first annual meeting. 



Immediately preceding the annual convention of the 

 Manitoba Grain Growers' Association at Brandon in 

 February a general meeting of Grain Growers' Grain 

 Company shareholders was held with about two hun- 

 dred represented. Until now the company had been 

 operating under a provisional directorate only and it 

 was the purpose of the meeting to complete organ- 

 ization. Since opening for business the shareholders 

 had practically doubled in number and over 1,500,000 

 bushels of farmers' grain had been handled by their 

 own agency, its ability t<T dispose of wheat at good 





