Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-07-18

characterlstlc reply OF the honorable Coun-
cillor.-Lepisfon Journal.
! Business Revival is the name of an able
republican stumper.
| The Age announces among its greenback
cock. Mr. W. desires us to say that he de-
clined the place when notified last year, that
he has never met nor acted with the commit
tee, nor does he intend to.--BeifoSt journal.
From the Boston Advertiser.
4 New Industry.
The successful manufacture of beet sugar
in Europe is one of the most surprising in
dustria achievements of the nineteenth cen
Jury. 1t may be said to have grown up with
in the memory of men now living. For al
though in 1875 the Prussian Chemist Achard
presented several loavcs of Refined beet SUI
gar to the King of Prussia, the enterprise
was at once discouraged and abandoned. II
was renewed, in France, in 1910. In 1914 ii
began to flourish. and in 1926 France pro-
duccd 1000 tons of beet sugar, In 1897 the
production had grown to ~, 600 tons. BY
that time it began to attract attention in the
United States. In that year Mr.. Samuel
Blackwell a sugar refiner Of Bristol Eng
land. who had moved 10 New York in 1882,
and in connection with English capitalists
had put up in 1885 the first steam sugar re-
tincry with vacuum pans ever erected in
America, made some excellent loaf sugar
from beets raised by him from imported seed
in his garden at Jersey City.
Convinced by this experiment that beet
sugar could be proftably made by free labor
in the United States, IN competition with the
West Indies and Louisiana, Mr., Blackwell
moved to Ohio in 1888 for the purpose of en-
gaging in its manufacture, but died a few
weeks afterwards. Mr.. David Lee Child, a
little later, attempted its production in North
ampton, Mass, and reported favoraby, but
failed to make it profitable. In 1861 Mr.. +.
L. Ganert attempted it on a larger scale in
Chatsworth, ILL.,, but was unsuccessful
Small factories have worked with moderate
success in Freeport, H., and in Fond du Lac,
Wis, but have ceased to exist.
In California several factories have attained
certain measure of success. But these ex-
periments have all been made with INSULT
cient capital, and on scale too small for
profit. The great difficulty has been the
want of sufficient beets at reasonable prices,
their cultivation being almost unknown to
American farmers. But during the last half
century Europe has steadily developed the
beet sugar industry. From 5000 tons of SUI
gar in 1925, the annual product has become
| 800, 900 tons, worth, at our present low
scale of prices, about two hundred million
dollars year. More than one-third of all
the sugar used in the world is now made from
beets. Indeed, the progress of the industry
is such throughout Continental Europe that
it is predicted cane sugar will at no distant
date altogether cease TO be used there.
In view of these facts and of the vast sums
annually paid by the United States for sugar
and molasses ,-amOunting to about one hun
dred million dollars per annum, the question
arises, Why should not America make her
own sugar from beets? Everybody knows
that the beet grows luxuriantly in our soil and
climate. The root contains as much sugar
here as there. Against the cheap labor of
Europe we have the advantages of cheaper
land and cheaper fuel. Our farmers sell
yearly to Europe other agricultural products
wheat, corn, cotton, cattle, cheese, etc,
amounting to millions of dollars. Our sugar
refiners are uncqualed in skill and ability
Sugar is refined to-day more cheaply in
America than in Europe. Why, then, do we
not make our sugar? The answer is simply
this: Everything must have beginning.
This is a new industry, unknown to the farm
practical difficulty in changing an established
system. Sugar is produced so cheaply by
slave labor, and is imported on so large a
scale that it can only be proftably made on
a great scale and with costly machinery. No
capitalist will invest a hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars in machinery to work beets that
do not exist. No farmer will raise bcets un-
til a sugar factory is ready to buy them.
This almost impossible gap between the
capitalist who cannot raise the beets and the
farmer who cannot make the sugar has at
last been brdged by the Maine Beet Sugar
Company, which last year made $4,000
pounds of beet sugar, is now erecting the
best European machinery, and has contracted
with 100 farmers for 1850 acres of sugar
beets. Under the stimulus of a State bounty
of one cent per pound on the sugar produced,
this company has leased the Forest City SUI
gar refinery in Portland, Maine, for the fall
and winter months, and has expended large
sum in additional machinery. Next fall there
is reason to believe that the experiment OF
making beet sugar in America will be fully
and fairly tried in Maine. Indeed, the ques-
ton will be reduced to this "Can American
farmers raise beets in quantities and at prices
which will justify their conversion into SUI
gar ?" The result of the experiment will be
awaited with general interest We ma ke this
statement as one of the most interesting in
dustrial facts of the times; and it may be
proper to add here that the company has no