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cook, Ida Wickström, and a dishwasher, Eva Heikkilä, and rented William Kumpula's boarding house, complete with furnishings, and even including a cow tethered in the yard to supply milk and cream for the table. All the men had to take turns handling the affairs of the cooperative and doing household chores, and if somebody neglected his turn he was fined 50c, which was paid to the person who had to perform the neglected assignment.

Fifteen more men soon joined the society, and it became necessary to seek larger quarters: in 1909 a bigger house was rented, on the corner of Second Street and Deering Avenue, owned by Isaac Korpela. In time that, too, proved too small, and this time the house of Jalmari Laakso, on the corner of First Street and Dearing Avenue, was purchased. Become property owners

Picture

Nashwauk boardinghouse Elanto in 1910.

now, the Elanto was incorporated in 1913, with John A. Koski as president; Nestori Jalonen, vice-president; Venni Kari, secretary; Charles Halme, treasurer; John Härmä, John Lampi and Isak Viklund as members of the board. The charter authorized considerable latitude in activities, a welcome feature inasmuch as it did foster Elanto's development into a broader cooperative enterprise, serving a larger public. This developed in logical stages. One of the first steps taken was to set up a purchasing unit, to

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