78 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
tor the protection of the patrons of our associated dairy factories against the frau< 
which have been practiced by some of those owning and controling such factone 
In not a few instances parties who have conducted factories on the system of assoc 
ated dairying, after having sold the product of their factories have failed to pay the 
patrons for the milk which had been entrusted to their care. As our farmers are n 
expert as commercial men, and are not well versed in the system of judging and di 
criminating men, there is danger lest this system of fraudulent dealing should 1 
extended. 
If our law-makers have deemed it wise to protect the public against frauds 
banking and in insurance, they should be wise enough to devise means for protectii 
the patrons of factories engaged in the business of associated dairying from fraud ai 
peculation on the part of those having the charge of such factories, otherwise tl 
whole system of associated dairying is liable to be brought into discredit. 
HISTORY OF DAIRYING IN ILLINOIS. 
BY I. H. WANZER, OF DARLINGTON, WIS. 
Wliat I may have to say at this time will only bear upon the history of dairyir 
in Illinois as immediately connected with the rise and growth of associated dairyii 
at Elgin, as there, and there alone, have been my labors and opportunities for obse 
vation, going back only to those facts which we think led directly to this form < 
husbandry. 
In the winter of 1850, whilst mining in one of the gulches of California, a travel* 
bearing a heavy pack came to our cabin door and. weary from the long march of tl 
day, asked that he might lay down his blanket and sleep with us that night. He net 
not have asked, for he was an old acquaintance—a welcome guest—and none oth< 
than the late P. H. Smith, of Elgin, Ill. He, in company with many of us the pre 1 
ions summer, had crossed the plains in search of gold ; but he had now made up h 
mind that he had made a mistake in coming to California, and was on his retui 
home, expecting to go as far as San Francisco on foot. He shared with us our miner 
fare that night and when ready to pursue his journey next morning I proposed 1 
carry his pack down the ravine two miles, to a point where I, two weeks before, ha 
buried our mutual and beloved friend, Dr. Torry, who had died of cholera while upc 
a professional visit to our camp. As we walked down the narrow and rugged pat 
Mr. Smith unfolded his future plans to me. He said if spared to reach homo 1 
would buy some cows and go to making butter, adding that Mrs. Smith was a goc 
butter-maker. At this lonely grave we parted, Mr. Smith for his home and I back 1 
the mines. Two years later I too returned home, and, after visiting my father’s fan 
ily, I sought out my friend Smith, who I learned was living on the farm of Dr. Josep 
Teft't, one mile east of Elgin. As I approached the residence of my friend I met hii 
coming into the road, driving a yoke of oxen that were attached to an old-fashione 
ox cart in which was a single can of milk. After exchanging our expressions of jc 
at meeting lie bade me to go to the house and await his return, as he must neec 
hurry on the oxen to connect with the train that was to take his milk to Chicago, 
said no, but would rather go with him to Elgin. As we walked beside the oxen 1 
told me that upon his return from California he had bought the cows as he had calci 
lated and had, until quite recently, made butter. But now, through the inliuence ( 
Father Brewster, had obtained a contract with the Adams house, of Chicago, to fu 
nish them with milk; was getting six cents per gallon, which was better than tweh 
cents per pound for butter. I remember his backing the oxen up to the platform ( 
the depot and putting out the can of milk. The depot then was in the rear of win 
is known as the B. W. Raymond store. I mention these facts as they carry us bac 
to the spot where the acorn was planted from which has since grown this mighty oa 
of associated dairying, whose branches not only overshadow your own state but tin 
of her sister states, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana an 
Michigan. As soon as it had been demonstrated by Mr. Smith that it w T as practi* 
able to ship milk to Chicago by rail others entered the field. The late Luther He 
rick was the first to send milk to a retailer in Chicago. Jarris Smith, George Skii 
ner, O. B. Jennie, A. D. Gilford, C. II. Larkin, and Henry Sherman were among tt 
first to ship milk to Chicago. Soon after our return from California we married int 
the family of Luther Herrick and took the management of his dairy farm. And rigl 
here our active work commences as a dairyman in Illinois. About the year 1860 s 
many had engaged in shipping milk to Chicago that the business was found to t 
largely overdone and may of us began to look about for other outlets. Some con 
menced the making of cheese at home, among whom were Frank Webster, upon th 
Henry Sherman farm, C. W. Gould, Kin Larkin, P. H. Smith and myself. Our in 
plements were rude W r e found a market in Elgin and adjoining towns for oi 
goods, occasionally taking a load to Chicago loose in wagons, for we had no boxes i 
which to ship.We remember our first experience in making cheese. We had, on 
