The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-02
SUGAR WEIGHTS.
.EpLY TO JOHN sMYTHE, OF cATAHoULA.

SCARsDALE, Nov. %, 1876.
To the Editor of the Bulletin:
l notice in your paper, of Nobember 26th
an article headed John Smythe, Jr., Cotton
Planter in Catahoula Parish, on Waghts,
which from its spelling, etc., seems intended
to convey to outsiders the idea that planters are
an uneducated class of men, that the scales that
they use are unreliable, and their com plants OF
loss of weight in New Orleans are groundless.
dislike to appear in print, but without FUR
ther apology | feel / must in this case defend
my class, the planters of the South, both cot
ton and sugar, from such aspersions, and If
you find my communication worthy OF notice,
please insert same in your valuable paper and
will thank you for your courtesy.
My scales were purchased little over a
year ago from Mr.. Alcee Gauthreaux, the
agent Of the ''Victor Company" and are
large platform scales similar to those in use
in New Orleans by all wholesale grocers, and
l refer you to him as to their accuracy. They
are set in the floor, are kept in good order,
and are correctly balanced by myself almost
daily. In spite of all my care l have found
my sugar loses an average of eight pounds
per hogshead when sold in New Orleans, and
1 have been for very long time endeavoring
to find out why "this was thus" Finally,
few days ago, l went to grocery house who
had bought a lot of my sugar lately, and had
yet on hand unopened three hogsheads of the
lot and asked them to balance their scales, to
carefully scrape the hogsheads and weigh
them in my presence, frankly telling them
what l wished to find out and they cheer
fully complied with my request. The firm
was a tirst-class one, but without their per-
mission | DO not feel at liberty to name them.
Plantation gross weights were 1885, 1880
and 1915.
Weights, as sold on the levee, were 1875,
1870 and 1870
Weights on grocer's platform scales were
1882, 1876 and 1915.
Showing 25 lbs. loss on the three hogs
heads, comparing my plantation weights with
the weights as sold on the levee, and only
lbs. loss on the three hogsheads comparing
my weights with the weights as shown by the |
grocers platform scales in their store. I deny
that stilliard scales weigh any truer than |
large platform scales do. 1 have not con-
suited the agent of Fairbanks or the Victor |
Scales, but | feel confident they will bear me |
out in this denial A rising beam on still |
lard scale may lose less or more in accord |
ance with how slow or how fast the beam |
rises, and sugar and cotton are both weighed |
80 rapidly on the New Orleans levee that |
cannot see how the welgher can tell how fast |
or how slow it does rise. am told in the |
United States employ none but stilliard scales |
are alloWed, SO L suppose this makes them
standard; but I know, however, that in |
nearly all the heavy metal houses in the |
United States large platform scales are |
used to weigh their purchases and sales. AS |
sugar is sometimes sampled on the New Or |
leans levee, the planter must lose something |
Oh his weights, but two pounds, or at any rate, |
three pounds per hogshead, ought to cover |
this careful, attentive planter may some
times make mistakes in weighing, and SO may
public weigher, but an invariable average |
loss of eight pounds per hogshead, shows gen
eral inaccuracy somewhere; it is nothing on
one hogshead, but on every hogshead it be-
comes serious item. 1t certainly is most |
unfortunate for our city and Estate that |
SO many complaints are made by planters |
about loss in weights and gauging in New Or |
leans, and if something is not done to correct |
these evils, it will cause many crops to be d. |
yerted from New Orleans and sent elsewhere, |
Yours very respectfully,
HENRY p. KERNoCHAN