Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-02-22
Undeveloped Industries.
rFrom Lewis Rural.1

l. ne Olu etLlef VINO GdfUt w est lut "
years sgo has seen great changes in
that time Then there we're no rsil.
roads in the West; the emigrant
travelled along over railroads, TO be
sure, but they were rather rough
roads to ride over, as the rails We're
laid orossways. | am writing this
by the light of brilliant kerosene
lamp, an article unknown at that
time. All our markets were reached
by long and slow means. Hogs had
to be driven hundreds of miles TO
market. The farmer often hauled
his wheat one hundred miles before
he could sell it. That is all changed
now; the energy and pluck of the
Western pioneer has triumphed over
a thousand difficulties.
But, if much has been done in the
past, much remains to be accomplish
ed in the future. The great secret
of success to the Western farmer is
how to concentrate his produce, and
in this way reduce the cost of trans
portation. Situated as the farmers
are in the Valley of the Mississippi,
it is of the greatest Importance to
raise all they can of the absolute
necessaries of life, and convert their
surplus into the smallest compass
possible. Hence the Western farm
or should not ship wheat, but it
should be converted into flour. The
corn should be converted into first
class meal All articles such US stock,
alcohol, etc, that are brought from
other points, ought TO be produced at
home. The praries are well adap,-
ed to sheep, and it the legislature
would only take some steps TO pro-
tect sheep from the dogs and en-
courage wooden factories, we would
soon deyeIope source of wealth
that would surprise people in few
years.
There is an industry that is we'll
suited to our rich prairie soil that
would De a source of immense wealth
if properly developed. | mean the
production of sugar from the beet. |
know that this has been tried and
failed, but one or two failures should
not deter us from prosecuting so
valuable an industry that has
been so successfully carried out and
made so profitable in France.
was much struck with the beau
ty and cheapness of beet sugar when
L was in Paris, in 1867. Since then
the making of this sugar has increas-
ed greatly, and is rapidly becoming
an article of export. Napoleon the
First started the manufacture of su.
gar from beets, to thwart the Eng
lish who had the sugar trade in their
hands. as almost all the sugar of that
day was made in the West Indies.
He saw that the only means of Grip
ping England was through her COM
merce, and, to render France indie
pendent by developing so valuable
an industry, he encouraged and fos-
tered the manufacture of beet sugar
by exempting the enterprise from
taxation and giving aid and encour-
agement to those who would embark
in the business.
Yet it was years after he was in
HE tomb that the business became q
success. During bis lifetime there
had not been as great encourage
ment in that pursuit as we received
from the cultivation Of sorghum. Il
was not till 1882 that tie making OF
beet.root sugar became permanent
success. In that year the Govern
ment returns show production of
over 5000 tons. In 1912, only tea
years after, it had increased to 3d.
900 tons. In 1847 the Government
imposed the same duty on it's manu-
facture as was imposed on imported
sugars. Chat short GIFTED policy
has been abandoned). Since 1847
the production of beet-root sugar
has rapidly increased, till, in 1875.
the amount manufactured exceeded
10000 tons, valued at 1925, 900, 900 !!
Here is an industry that has been de-
veloped i'm less than three.quarters
of century, that is better than any
gold or silver mines in the world,
and this industry can be developed
in this country and in the West by
prudence and perseverance. There
is not one of our prairie States that
is not fully equal to any part of
France l have seen, for raising beets
suitable TO this purpose. But the
energy and fostering care of the
French Government is what is lack
ing.
| saw an account of the meeting
of the sugar refiners of London, last
summer, when the question came up
as to how the French sugar refiners
could bring their refined sugar into
the London market and ueder~sell
the English trade. An English man.
ufacturer explained that the French
Government paid certain sum per
ton as a premium on all refined su.
gar shipped out OF tina! country.
Here is where true republican Gov
eminent can foster industry and
build up a national enterprise The
premium paid by the French Gov
eminent was sufficient to pay for
transportation, and enable the par
ties to undersell the British mer-
chant.
What triumph it would have
been for Napoleon, could he have
lived to realize this result of his pol
icy ! How different that pursued by
our narrow minded Statesmen, when
they put a tax of five cents per ton
on all cotton raised in the nation,
virtually offering premium to the
English to encourage the production
of cotton in India and Egypt.
SAMUEL SINNETT.
Murnafina Towa