The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-02-28

produced pound for pound, he refused to be.
| levc me, but partly convinced HIM by prov
ing the fact from some scientific works, and by
letters from European manufacturers. y few
days after Wall street was in an excitement.
Corn-srup was introduced, and its career open
cd for the United States.
Ii is easy to conceive that this new departure
of producing table sirups from corn met with
great opposition by the sugar-retiners, because
they came in direct competition with thcirown
product from the cane sugar These parties,
most of them being Germans, of course were
well acquainted with the European starch sir
ups, but it could not be expected that they
would touch the subject AS soon therefore,
as the article was introduced every course was
adopted by this powerful body to MP the un.
dertakng IN the bud
TO convince interested parties of the feast
biity of the project, was obliged to erect ma
chinery on very small scale, by which dem
snsrated the fact practically. Still, notwith-
standing this clear reiutaton, confidence was
so much shaken that capitalists renamed very
reluctant TO invest in the undertaking
| In 1868, however the first corn.sIrup factory
was started at Hunters Point l.. l., by Mr..
Furbu.h, Of Maine. THIS Is the present Kings
| County Refinery, which has its works now at
! FreepOrt in this State. A second factory was
soon thereafter erected at Buffalo by Mr. Fer
mcnich. Then followed the Buffalo Starch
Company, by extending their works with n
glucose department, and the fourth factory was
erected by the American Grape Sugar Com
pany. Later Ike Glen Cove Starch Company
also erected department for grape sugar The
first grapc.sugar works III the West were erect
ed al Davenport, la. \ second factory follow
ed at Milwaukee, which has now removed to
this city as the Archer Refinery. There are
also factories at East st. Louis and Peoria.
Ibu ctn rt fat ma, 10 lrri
the last twelve years nine factories have laiG
the foundations for one of the largest indus
tries IN the United States.
There seem to be some fears that the bust
ness will soon be overdonc, and competition
will have its killing effects. This is also pre-
mature. Any one acquainted with the I'M
mense prospects of this business must Concede
that it is yet in its infancy. What are nine
factories for country like ours! The works
now in operation have no need of looking for
demand Not one of the factories has been
able to turn out the glucose in its three differ
ent forms. They have to work their entire
production either IN sirups, or in glucose, or
IN grape sugar, to meet the demand; and some,
if not all, of them are working with two gangs
Oi men,-onc Tor day and one for night work.
The safest estimate tthe future consumption
for these articles is in the fact of there beng
more than eighty factories to supply the vast
amount consumed in Europe. Besides it must
be considered as have mentioned before that
the demand abroad for table strip Is very light
in comparison with the enormous demand for
these goods in the United States; and If the
utility of all the products in the form of glu- |
cosc be developed in all its branches the busl-
ness will attain demand which Will exceed !
all expectations.
! cannot close these statements without call |
ing the attention of the Great West to tins I'M |
portant industry. II is unquestionabc that
the corn growing States must become the cen !
ire of this business. The low prices Of the raw |
material, the availability OF grounds, the price
of labor and fuel, besides the facilities of feed
ing cattle on the refuse are advantages which |
no manufacturer will overlook Railroad con
ncctionS and an abundance of pure water are |
two essentials of the business, and these can be
found almost everywhere IN the corn growing |
districts of the West.
The Western States have been dependent
thus tar for all their silups on the Eastern man
ufaCtOrles. In the near future the Western |
States will not only produce their own slrups,
but will compete successfully with the cane
srups made in the Eastern sugarretinerics.
The sugarretneries, looking ahead for this in
evltable result, have already commenced to find |
better methods to reduce the production of
sirups and to increase the production Of sugar
from the raw material.
Taking, therefore, all these facts INTO consid-
Grafton, we may well predict rich harvest for
the corn growing States, and especially for the
State Of Illinois.
The time will come that our glucose Will
compete successfully with the productions in
Europe. 1t is there chiefly made from the po
tato starch, and the prices are always tluctuat-
ing, depending on the good or bad potato crop.
If il be deficient the manufacturers of glucose
tod Ixyt 4 40 tl,nir
chases, and must look for other cereals to sup
ply the deficiency. This year millions ofbush-
els of corn have been exported from here for
this purpose. Before glucose was manufactur
ed here large quantities were imported from
Europe at prices often as high as ~ cents per
pound. Corn we will most likely have always
at comparatively steady prices, and it can be
worked all the year round. We now export
meats, cheese and butter to supply the demand
abroad, and the time will come when we will |
be in position to send over glucose to the
European markets at lower prices than il can
be manufactured there.
And now parting word to the capitalists of
the West, and especially of Chicago. This
city is proverba for its energy III all under
takings concerning its financial interests. 1t
seems Of late that the Eastern manufacturers
want to have the control of this business even |
here in the West. They begin to be convinced
that the corngrowing States must become the
centre for the glucose manufacture. The Peo-
ria works were hardly finished when they were
bought out by the Buffalo Grape Sugar. Com
pany. In last Sundays Tri6uHe it was men,
toned that Eastern capitalists were looking
for site in this city for the erection of large
glucose factory Will Chicago stand idly by
with its ample capital seeking for investment
and see this important business monopolizedI
with Eastern capital? THIS is grave ques-
ton, we'll worth serious consideration. We
merely point at it as the inevitable result If the
Western capitalists are not alive TO thler own
interest IN the revenues 10 be derived from this
great enterprise. HENRY G.. BECKER,
LII. ......