72 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 
When the Stock Yard Company first took up the cooperative en- 
terprise with the wool growers of the west, Mr. THOMSON was 
selected by Messrs. Spoor and Leonard to represent their inter- 
ests. The obstacles at first appeared insurmountable, and at 
times the lack of support and cooperation would have troubled 
the soul of many with more sturdy frames, but Mr. THomson 
never faltered, and continually pushed forward the plans for 
the wool growers’ cooperative movement. The opening cam- 
paign of the winter of 1908-1909 was directed toward marketing 
the western wool clip to better advantage for the producer. At 
that time no other agricultural product had been sent to the 
manufacturer under more adverse conditions. The gap between 
the producer of wool and the mill men was so wide that the 
average shepherd had no idea many of his practices such as 
tying his fleeces with binder twine and overproducing fleeces of 
the blanket and carpet type, were matters objectionable to the 
mill owner. Largely through the efforts of Mr. THOMSON in 
his position as secretary of the new organization this gap was 
bridged. He conceived and carried out the educational schemes 
of the movement, personally preparing a series of unique 
pamphlets and circulars which told the sheep men of the per- 
manent injury done by breeding from animals with black fleece, 
or using insoluble paints, sisal twine and indiscriminate pack- 
ing. Wool samples were sent by him to flock owners, giving 
information on market grades and illustrating the effect of qual- 
ity and length of fiber on fleece values. Market letters were 
issued at intervals indicating the trend of prices and a wool 
exhibit full of helpful points for the shipper was prepared for 
exhibition at the International, at Wool Growers’ Conventions 
and other meetings. When the preliminary educational work 
was over and the market and trade terms well understood, he 
began the fight for cooperative warehouses. These were strongly 
opposed by the wool trade, but his spirit never quailed, and his 
