River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-03-25
GRAPE SUGAR.
Who 'nYented the Process OF Making
Lie from Corn.
Correspondence Bunalo Express.

Correspondence Buffalo Express
The article in your issue of the 25th
ult., headed "Grape Sugar." taken from
the Chicago Tribune, written by Henry
G. Becker. is untrue in many particu-
lars. He claims that friend sent from
France a specimen of glucose made
from starch, and he experimental on il
and made a strip and showed it, and
soon "Wall street was in q blaze" corn
strip was introduced, and its career
opened in the United States, and in the
year 1868 the first factory was built in
the United States.
Now know and will give the true
history Of the invention OF making grape
sugar from corn. | know grape sugar
was long before made from potatoes in
Europe and came here at a cost of from
s to II cents pound in gold when gold
was at a premium of 40 per cent. But
sugar from corn was not then known
In the year 1868, f. w. Gessling and
Lyman Bradley, in the city of Buffalo,
improvised small factory on Green
street for experimenting, to see if grape
sugar, glucose, and strip could be
made from corn. Although sneered at
and ridiculed by their friends as insane,
by their persistence succeeded, and in
1864 they obtained patent which may
be seen on the records at Washington.
In July, 1864, committee of sugar
manufacturers and chemists from New
York came here as experts to report as
to the value of the invention. They re-
manned several days, testing the pro-
cess. They returned and others from
New York took their places for the
same purpose. The patentees employ
ed well-known citizen of Buffalo to
negotiate sale of the patent, and on
the 10th of November, 1864, sale was
made for 100000, stock company
formed with a capital of 81 ,000,0 900, and
stock issued, some Of which may be
seen in Buffalo bearing that date.
From the supposed folly of Gessling
and Bradley has grown up a business
in which near $30,000,000 are invested.
Grape sugar has been made from pota-
toes and imported here to be used for
making wine, and costing near II cents
per pound, it being better than cane
sugar for that purpose, having no taste
but sweet if properly made. No grape
sugar, no glucose, no strip was ever
made on this continent or elsewhere
from corn until after the invention was
made by Gessling & Bradley, and if any
credit is due to any one for inventing a
process which is proving to be SO valu-
able, the need Of praise belongs to
them. For now instead of importing an
inferior article of grape sugar at cost
of to II cents pound, large quanti-
ties of grape sugar made from corn are
exported at three cents a pound.
Inasmuch as this man II. G. Becker
arrogates so much to himself, | will say
to MIN that he may avail himself of all
the appliances ofall sugar mills in the
land, and | will venture to say he cam
not from corr make a strip fit for use,
and what little knowledge he claims to
have he must have received from the
patent record in Washington. The great
reason why neither he nor any corn
sugar-mill can make q first-rate strip
is because they have not the whole
process necessary, as the whole process
Is not set forth in the patent. As l
know whereof speak, ] will say that
[ can make on my kitchen stove a
strip from corn better than any e0er made
in any corn sugar factory and as good
as Stuart's Golden Sirup," and much
more pleasant to the taste.
LYMAN BRADLEY.