pened for business on September 5th (1906). It
was so small that even two or three people got in each other's way,
though all they were doing was to watch the mails anxiously for the
first indications as to whether the farmers would stand behind the big
idea that was now put to the test. Then came the bill of lading for
the first carload of grain consigned to the new company, followed
quickly by the second, the third, fourth, fifth, sixth--two at a time,
three, ten, fifteen per day! Every foot of space in the little office
was a busy spot and the lone typewriter clickety-clacked on the
second-hand table with cheerful disregard of lunch hours. By the end
of the month the weekly receipts had risen to one hundred cars of grain.

It became necessary to move to a larger office and accommodation was
obtained in the Henderson Block. At the present rate, a whole floor
would be needed soon.

Over at the Grain Exchange some men were talking seriously. They were
talking about E. A. Partridge and they were not laughing. The
Secretary of the Exchange was instructed to write a letter.

Partridge hit the desk so hard that the paper-knife with which he had
sliced open that letter hopped to the floor.

"They're after us already!" he exploded.

It looked that way. The Company's seat on the Grain Exchange was held
in the name of the President and the letter summoned him to appear
before the Council of the Exchange to answer to a charge of having
sinned against the honor and "diginity" of that institution and of
violating its rules. A short time before the young company had issued
a circular setting forth their intention of dividing co-operatively
whatever profits were earned; in other words, the man sending the
larger amount of grain would receive the larger profits. This, the
Exchange claimed, was a violation of the strict rules of the Grain
Exchange and would have to be abandoned.

"You are virtually splitting the commission with the shipper," claimed
the Exchange, "and we can't allow that for a minute."

"It's up to you to prove I'm guilty, not up to me to come here and
commit myself," argued Partridge. "If you can find any profits that
have been distributed co-operatively by the Grain Growers' Grain
Company, go ahead. Nor have I sinned against your 'diginity'!" he
added, sarcastically taking advantage of the stenographer's error in
spelling. "For that matter, you've been digging into me ever since I
came on here!"