Ruby Warne was one of Beacon Milling Company's most dynamic and colorful salesmen. He came with the company in 1931 and was a poultry man first, last and always. Ed Evans used to say Ruby would travel the territory over and over and never see a dairy farm.

Ed told Ruby one time at a sales conference that his territory was in the heart of the greatest dairy production center of the United States. Ed said to Rube, “What's the matter, are you afraid of a cow?” Rube's face reddened as he said, “No, Mr. Evans, I'm not afraid of a cow, I just don't know what to say to a dairyman.”

Ruby worked for many years with a small breeder-hatchery farm in Delaware County owned and operated by Mr. Shubert, an ex-minister. Ruby had managed the culling and selection of Mr. Shubert's breeding flocks for several years.

One day, Ruby and Marshall Hunter had a luncheon date at the Shubert home (it proved to be a full-course dinner). Mr. Shubert was very proud of his business and, naturally, the conversation touched on his progress with White Leghorns. Finally, Mr. Shubert explained, “I got up to the point where I could offer baby chicks from 300 egg breeders, and den vot do you think, Mr. 'Vorne' came along and culled out two of dem tree hunert egg breeders shust like dat, vile I stood by mit tears in my eyes. Vell, I suppose he know best, he ist der doctor.”

During the early '30s, Beacon had a salesman by the name of John Iradell. John organized a group of dairymen, poultry men and a couple of dealers to visit Cayuga. This was before the Dairy Research Farm. It was planned to have a little dairy-cattle judging contest and similar contests at the poultry research farm. The prizes for the dairy judging were a fancy cow halter, a milk pail, a milk stool and a milk scale. The group numbered 28.

The afternoon started off with a class of four Guernsey heifers and a second class of four Guernsey cows, and also a class of bull calves at Mr. Riford's Greystone Farm. The last was two classes of purebred Holsteinsat the J.R. Wait Holstein Farm. The afternoon concluded with similar contests at the poultry farm.

Following dinner that night, the winners were announced and prizes awarded. The poultry men won all prizes in the dairy judging. For several years, the dairymen still claimed they judged the cattle correctly, but that judges did not know their business. John Iradell was a very personable fellow, though very short in stature. Wearing elevator shoes, he could make it to five feet. One time, at a sales conference, he was at one end of a rather long, narrow room. Mr. Budd, the sales manager, called on John for a report from his territory. John arose and had scarcely addressed the group when Mr. Coddington, from the opposite end of the room, said, “Stand up, John, so we can see you.”

Beacon Milling Company had many, many memorable salesmen.

Ruth Probst is historian for the town of Aurelius