Halcyon Days Have Come Again on the Lake Shore 89 



of such developments and of capital to apply them to pro- 

 duction. 



The evident determination of John Keeler to take a serious 

 part in reconstructing country life by introducing up-to-date 

 methods, both of production and distribution of farm products 

 by encouraging the cooperation already begun, aroused Mary 

 Morrison's enthusiasm, until she unconsciously was led to say: 

 "How splendid such an ideal is and how one must wish to labour 

 hard to see it fulfilled." 



John was encouraged thus to hope that she too might become 

 a willing helper in such a desirable work; but was yet too unsure 

 of how she looked upon him, for him to dare ask her to assist him 

 in his task. 



As the days grew longer, preparations were being begun for 

 extended outdoor operations during the coming season; and fre- 

 quent were the conversations with the most progressive neigh- 

 bours as to the possibility of establishing a larger storehouse, fitted 

 up with all the modern appliances for cold storing, at the seat 

 of production, the bulk of their perishable products such as eggs 

 and butter and cheese, and later their apples, instead of selling 

 them at half price only to be stored later under less wholesome 

 conditions in the city. He knew very well the large city ware- 

 houses, where great piles of food supplies were heaped up, often 

 after their first freshness had gone, and urged that the local 

 storage would benefit most both producer and consumer. The 

 problem of obtaining local capital proved, when attempted, 

 somewhat discouraging; but gradually as he obtained accurate 

 estimates of the amount of available produce within an easy 

 distance of the warehouse at the railway siding and the cost of 

 erecting a proper building and installing machinery he succeeded 

 in getting a fair number of shares taken in a cooperative com- 

 pany by several dozen farmers and, with this accomplished, laid 

 the project before his father. As the idea was wholly in keeping 

 with Mr. Joseph Keeler's views and as he saw in the scheme the 

 fulfilment of his hope, that John would not only develop a per- 

 manent interest in rural affairs and show an inclination to engage 

 actively in them, but also promote rural reconstruction, he 

 readily promised to see that any balance of capital needed would 

 be forthcoming to establish the business on a modest scale, trust- 



