o which the farmers of Sintaluta subscribed to a
man. Two hundred shares at Sintaluta to begin with and Sintaluta only
one point in the West! The Committee went to work with enthusiasm.
Ten dollars was spent in printing a prospectus. E. A. Partridge got a
card and blocked out on it: GRAIN GROWERS' GRAIN COMPANY. This he hung
in the window of Wilson's old store at Sintaluta, where a dollar was
paid for the use of a desk. Here in the evenings would assemble
William Hall, Al Quigley, William Bonner and E. A. Partridge to send
out circulars and keep the pot boiling till enough funds were on hand
to let Quigley out canvassing on board wages.

On February 28th the Manitoba Grain Growers' Association held their
1906 convention and as chairman of the committee appointed the year
before to report upon the matter, E. A. Partridge again urged the
advisability of establishing a company to handle the farmers' grain.
By this time the plan had taken more definite shape and he pressed the
claims of the proposed commission company with such logic and eloquence
that besides having the committee's report adopted by the Association
unanimously, he secured the interest of quite a few delegates. There
was, nevertheless, much adverse criticism, not a little apathy and some
levity.

"Let's hold a meeting of our own," suggested someone. The word was
passed for all who were interested to meet in the council chamber of
the Brandon Town Hall. Between twenty and thirty farmers attended this
meeting and the plans of the Sintaluta men for a co-operative trading
company were approved. It was decided to meet at the Leland Hotel in
Winnipeg some time in March or April to formulate plans for an active
campaign.

For two days those in attendance at this second meeting discussed the
details of the undertaking. A great many different views were
expressed, not all of them favorable. There were those who objected to
the chosen name of the prospective company as being a handicap upon the
Association movement in case the venture failed. The Sintaluta
provisional directorate was allowed to stand and the canvassing
committee was enlarged to include a number of Manitoba men who were to
take the field for a stock canvass.

That stock-selling campaign will dodder through to the Final Memory of
those who took part in it. The man who stood on the street-corner and
offered ten-dollar gold-pieces for a dollar had no harder task. Blood
from stones! Mi