Bert discusses the importance of life-experience, wanting to work in bank. "I soon decided I did not like bank'n." Story of working long hours to make books balance at bank. Story of Mark Waggoner rising in bank. Mentions Mark Waggoner going to Chicago & working a week or so to verify "wheelbarrows" of bonds.
FARM ORGANIZATIONS
Bert notes Farm Bureau covered all aspects of farming. Recalls importance of Farm Bureau in developing egg business. Taught farmers how chicken bone structure was important in determining egg productivity.
LIVESTOCK
Recalls development of egg laying business ("battery") along railroad west of Waggoner. Chickens got so productive that some people developed non-farm egg-laying businesses. Battery had 4000 hens. Story of culling out soft-shell eggs by the thousands at this business. All culled eggs thrown away instead of being given or sold to people who needed them. Business did not want people coming around & begging. Mentions farmer named Fuchs who built henhouse like the battery business in Waggoner, had expert "cullers" come to farm & cull bad eggs & chickens. But they (Fuchs) couldn't sell eggs because of other businesses selling to big markets in St. Louis. Then henhouse converted to hold hogs. Mr. Fuchs repaired radios. Fuchs had a big investment ($1000?) in egg business. Bert recalls his costs at setting up his hen-house & acquiring lumber for his hog business. Bert got the best lumbar because he was a good customer to the lumberyard run by Mr. Galloway. Recalls Ben Lohman sheared sheep & bought wool in Waggoner. This sheep business was in old lumberyard (which has moved). Mentions the job of "tramping" wool in a sack, a hot & dirty job that Ben hired local boys to do. Ben dealt with Jews in St. Louis, but Ben was as big a Jew as they were so they couldn't take advantage of him in his wool business.
