ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 83 



because it had quite a few patrons from this county. It com- 

 menced to operate August 7, 1899, with forty patrons and 1615 

 pounds of milk. It was the first creamery that was operated 

 successfully in this part of the country, having paid as high as 

 40 per cent dividend one year to its shareholders. It received as 

 high as some over 22,000 pounds of milk in one day. 



The next co-operative creamery established was right here 

 in Effingham. It opened up to receive milk April 21, 1900. It 

 paid out to patrons for the first full month of May, $587.97; 

 June, $597.63; June, 1901, $996.65; June, 1902, $1,274.02; 

 June, 1903, $1,377.15. It paid a fair dividend to its shareholders 

 for two years. It, however, closed its doors July 15th, 1904, 

 on account of the condenser paying better prices for milk than 

 any creamery could afford to pay for milk of the average test, 4 

 per cent butterfat. However, I hope it will open up again some 

 day when this part of the country will be developed enough in 

 the dairy business to produce milk enough to supply both plants 

 satisfactorily, and those that prefer the creamery business will 

 have the cows that will be the most profitable for the creamery 

 business. 



The condenser before alluded to was built in 1902, after a 

 long, persistent effort on the part of the citizens of Effingham to 

 have a milk condensing factory located here. My farmer, as 

 well as city friends, all remember the grand, jolly time we had 

 going to Greenville and Highland viewing those factories and 

 the dairy conditions around there, and especially remember com- 

 ing home more than going there. Well, those hopes and 

 expectations failed to verify, but as before mentioned, we later 

 on succeeded in getting a first-class, latest, up-to-date milk con- 

 densing factory located here. 



It opened up to receive milk February 3d, 1903, with 2936 

 pounds of milk. It kept on increasing from month to month, 

 until in a year's time, on the first of February, 1904, it received 

 15,239 pounds. Excepting the following month, when it was a 

 little less, it has kept steadily increasing until on August 9th of 



