“Now,” said Mr. Elmer, after it was agreed that they should form a company, “what shall the association be called?”

Many names were suggested, among them that of “The Great Southern Mill Company,” by Mark, who also proposed “The Florida and Wakulla Milling Association.”  Finally Mr. March proposed “The Elmer Mill Company,” and after some discussion this name was adopted.

Meantime Mr. Elmer had prepared a sheet of paper which he handed round for signatures, and when it was returned to him it read as follows: 

The Elmer mill company.

Wakulla, Florida, January 10, 188-.

The undersigned do hereby promise to pay into the capital stock of The Elmer Mill Company, upon demand of its Treasurer, the sums placed opposite their respective names: 

Mark Elmer            $200
Ellen R. Elmer         200
Mark Elmer, Jun        100
Ruth Elmer             100
Harold March           100
Jan Jansen             100

After these signatures had been obtained, Mr. March said that he had a proposition to lay before the company.  It was that he should superintend the setting up of the mill machinery and its running for one year, for which service he should receive a salary of one hundred dollars.  He also said that if the company saw fit to accept this offer he would at once subscribe the one hundred dollars salary to its capital stock in addition to the sum already set opposite his name.

This proposition, being put to vote by the chairman, was unanimously accepted, and the amount opposite Mr. March’s name on the subscription list was changed from one hundred dollars to two hundred dollars.

Then Mr. Elmer said that he wished to lay some propositions before the company.  One of them was that if they would accept the ferry franchise he had recently obtained, he would present it as a free gift.  He also wished to propose to Mr. March and Master Frank March that they should build the ferry-boat, for which he would furnish the material.  To the company he further proposed that if Mr. Frank March would agree for the sum of one hundred dollars to run the ferry-boat for one year from the time it was launched, his name should at once be placed upon the subscription list, and he be credited with one share of stock.

All of these propositions having been accepted, the name of Frank March was added to the list, and the books were declared closed.

Mr. Elmer said that the next business in order was the election of officers, and he called for nominations.

Mrs. Elmer caused Mark to blush furiously by speaking of him in the most flattering terms as the originator of the scheme, and nominating him as president of the company.

The list of officers, as finally prepared and submitted to the meeting, was as follows: 

President                            Mark Elmer, Jun. 
Vice-President and General Manager   Mark Elmer, Sen. 
Treasurer                            Ellen R. Elmer. 
Secretary                            Ruth Elmer. 
Superintendent of Mills              Harold March. 
Superintendent of Ferries            Frank March.

And a Board of Directors, to consist of Jan Jansen, Esq., and the officers of the company ex-officio.