J. P. Walsh_ cleared to-day for Buffalo. Three hundred and ten
thousand bushels. Last boat out. KENNEDY.

[1] See Appendix--Par. 7.

[2] See Appendix--Par. 8.

[3] This resolution was confirmed at a meeting of the shareholders,
February 5th, 1907.

CHAPTER VIII

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR

Every man is worth just as much as the things are worth about which he
is concerned.--_Marcus Aurelius_.

That big shipment to Buffalo, along with several others which were
placed in the East with the market recovering, relieved the situation
greatly. Also, the Scottish Co-Operative Wholesale Society's Winnipeg
office decided to stand by the farmers' co-operative marketing venture
and risked disapproval to buy some of the young company's wheat; not
only that, but the farmers' company was allowed the regular commission
of one cent per bushel on the purchase and the cheque paid in to the
bank amounted to $58,298. This friendly co-operation the farmers were
not quick to forget and they still speak of it with gratitude.

It began to look as if the struggling farmers' agency might worry
through the winter after all. The strain of the past few months had
told upon the men at the head of the young organization and especially
upon the provisional President, who felt keenly the responsibilities of
his office. Of a sensitive, high-strung temperament, E. A. Partridge
suffered reaction to such a degree that at times he became almost
despondent.

He began to talk of resigning. He felt that he had done quite a lot in
getting things under way and that the hard fight which the farmers
would have to wage before the trading company was established
permanently would be carried on more successfully by a younger man. So
frequently had his motives been questioned by suspicious farmers at
organization meetings that he thought it would be better for the
company if he occupied a less prominent place in the conduct of its
affairs. The idea seemed to be prevalent that the organizers were
enthusiastic for direct financial reasons. "Those fellows are talking
for what they are going to get out of it," was an open accusation at
times--a misconception so unjust that on several occasions Partridge
had refuted it by pledging to resign from the presidency as soon as the
company was on its feet.

"You men keep saying how much I've got out of this," he reproved in
disheartened tones. "Gentlemen, I'll admit that I've got a little
silver out