Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-05-05
AN OIL MILL FOR LEWISTON.

South PALousE, April ~, 1881.
Ed TELLER:-Thero has been much
said, written and published about the
advantages of linseed oil mill located
at Lewiston. 1t Is not q matter of
surprise that our farmers generally
should now be glad to hear of anything |
that promised to them a market for
such classes Of crops as they can raise
in this rich section Of country. We
have been greatly encouraged with our
wheat prospects, and in fact we would
have done we'll, had the price of wheat
kept up SO that we could obtain 40
cents per bushel at our granaries, but
now when we haul it to Lewiston or
elsewhere and then can obtain no
more than 30 or 40 cents per bushel
we can find but little encouragement
to raise wheat for market. Flax
yields we'll in this section, and the lit
tie that has been raised and sold un-
der contract by our farmers has brought
US more money than any other crop.
But we have enjoyed a price that we
can hardly expect to continue for any
great length of time any more than
we can count open a uniform high
price of wheat. am told that q
bushel of seed will yield from one and a
half to two gallons of oil and no more.
If this be so, I cannot see how buyers
! Of the seed can long pay from 90 cents
| to one dollar per bushel for the article
delivered at the steamboat landings
then ship it to Salem or to Californis
and manufacture it into oil, while oi
is selling from 60 to 70 cents per gal
lon. It is true the cake is wortl
something, provided you have a mar
ket for it. It must be borne i,
mind that to carry on the business o
L oil making extensively, one must hav
y sufficient capital, not only to construc
l. his mill, but to nuy and keep on ham
a good supply Of seed, and when h
has made his oil he must have mean
10 enough to hold it till he can get fai
=, market price for it. If he is forced t
d. sell as fast as he manu- factures at sue
ei sd prices as he can get, he will often g
ed very small profits. Oil is not like for
o. and is seldom at great demand at
ss high price. The amount Of oil thl
'o would be consumed in this section
= country is very small compared vii
the amount Of flax that could
p raised and would be raised, If one ha
= of the men who now talk of going I'M
the fax culture carry out the
present plans, and an oil mill startt
at Lewiston or any other point in tn
vicinity would be compelled to .sh
A0 their oil abroad or else be idle thre
fourths Of the time, and if the oil nj
~. be built and the farmers general
raise fax, can they through the agen
Of an oil mill get any better returns +
their labor than they now do from Il
raising of whea.9 Will the oil III
man who invests his capital here OIL
buys the fax seed be able to dispose
his oil end oil cake 50 as to make
good profit. l have been ponderi
over these matters, and must conft
that can see no sue thing in t
fax and oil business at the prese
- rates and have made up my mind
stick by my wheat crops and look f
:, ward for cheaper transportation to
sea board, and a better and mt
NC steady prices for wheat and flo
A. At. This oil business looks little too 81
ly perry for me to undertake, either
manufacture it or raise much of