438 CALIFORNIA FRUIT SOCIETIES. 



body of raisin-growers into what is practically an effective 

 Trust, Mr. M. Theodore Kearney, of Fresno, was undoubt- 

 edly the leading spirit, heartil}^ seconded by most of the 

 leading men of Fresno. Previous to 1898, Mr. Kearney had 

 not, so far as I know, been identified with any cooperative 

 movement. Mr. B. F. Walton, of Yuba City, and Mr. John 

 Markley, of Geyserville, are entitled to mention for helpful 

 effort in many cooperative enterprises. Mr. Markley was one 

 of the first directors of the California Fruit Union. Among 

 those who were most prominently connected witli the organiza- 

 tion of the wine-makers were Colonel F. Bendel, Mr. P. C. 

 Rossi, Mr. A. Sparboro, and Mr. W. B. Rankin. This personal 

 mention is made, partly because it is ])roper that those who 

 have been specially active should receive due recognition, 

 and partl}^ to give to any one who may be interested to 

 look further into the history of these organizations the 

 names of some who, if still living, may give further informa- 

 tion. For reasons already stated, I have usually omitted, in 

 the narrative which follows, to make personal mention of any 

 one. 



To the student of social movements, the cooperative efforts 

 of the California fruit-growers are of interest in several 

 respects. While the numbers involved are trifling as compared 

 with those of the great cooperative societies of Europe, there 

 are at least six or seven thousand scattered over an area 

 of seventy-five tliousand or eight}' tliousand square miles. 

 The amount of business transacted, while small in comparison 

 with that of the European societies, is respectable, and tlie sale 

 of produce to the amount of nearly $5,000,000 in contested 

 markets from one thousand to six thousand miles away, 

 represents an expenditure of cooperative vigor equal to that 

 required for the cooperative purchase of commodities of many 

 times that sum in a thickly settled country like France. 

 The interdependence of classes, and the frequent necessity of 

 compromises between them, is shown by the fact that the raisin- 

 growers were unable to effectively combine among themselves 

 for the control of their product, except by a compromise with 

 an adverse interest — the commercial packers — by which tlie 



