The Opelousas courier., 1883-11-24
The STAR Plantation.
STAR prAxrATroN r. NJ. il

oAtah LANIATIoN, La, Nov. ~, 1888
EDITORS OF THE COURIER
Some weeks past I promised To write for
you anu your readers something descrintiye
reiative 20 the working of the Star sugar re-
nnery Having a leisure day the I6tis inst.
We made it our business as your reporter TO
ean a. az " "a! lne fehnery and spend the greater
part OF the day with watching and noting
with interest the working of the machinery
ana improved process of converting the iniee
q tho cane inte sugar. The Star Plantation
is 10 the hands of one of Lonisiana's ablest
uha u mosG efnelent sugar growers, Mr. VIM
naIls. Ihe Star Plantation belongs to Mr..
= u. Miller OF New Orleans. Early last
spring Mr.. Miller conceived the idea of nut
tins i've boiler mill, steam tram. centrifu.
eais, vacuum pan, etc, and accordingly in
s sstrncted {. Mr. Bait to have the work done.
truly 1t was hereulian task. Eyeryfhino
about the old kettle mill had TO nnsleraa =
complete transformation.-ol work. brick
and wood faFn away to give room for new
i0undations. One of the first ohiecta so,iphf
ior by Mf Bats was to secure the best Of
machines IN which, must say, be met with
most singular favor, particularly In securing
the services OF MIR. August Slangweruf, one of
tue most efficient maehinists in the State.
Mr D. asks no glory for himself, but In ali
fairness TO this sketch we must mention that
Mr. Siangweruf was brought up in one of the
lafgest steam lifting and engine building
shops IN Europe, and worked for number of
years IN his Majesty, the King of Denmark's
Naval Department for the last few wears
mr.. $. has cast his lot i'll the City OF New Or
leans, where he has found steady employ
ment. Mr. Mcconnell, assistant engineer, is
STUDY wing under the Immediate supervision of
Mr. Slapguereuf, and will in few years bc
OF marked benefit to the boss and friend The
reader must pardon this little transpression,
but the truly deserving should have a coed
word. sSss
The refinery has been running up to date
fOflf VYaeEa with tho mos 9p%t
The cane this year has been very light com.
pared with last year, yet the Star refinery IN
TO date has made an average of two thousand
pounds Of sugar per acre Mr., Paul Dareon-
tell, the Star book-keeper aud accountant, as
eured me that the firm was more than salts
lied with the results for this year; for said
he, Our cane was short. Owing to the re.
markably dry season we could not readily
realize the fact when we got two thousand
pounds Of sugar TO the acre, but such is the
case. have weighed every pound Of sugar
made 60 far. Here are the figures = tshow.
ing me book full of weights and igures)
Reporter--.I see yon brand your barrels
Choice White aud Choice Yellow aud
.Yellows' may ask how your sugars sell
along side Of that of the older established re.
fneriea. Mr.. Darcanteil y
oh yes, we are above them. Our sugars
sell for one eighth to q half cent more per
pound than mills that have had years Of ex-
perience.'
heporter-- 1ou seem to make white sugar
with rush.
MI. d.
Just step this way to the eentrifugas
He introduced nae to Mr. Miller the sugar.
maker. Of Baltimore, Nd Mr Miller pointed
out all the important matters connected with
the vacuum pan and centrifugals, etc. The
various processes the juice went through
to the moment it reached the centri-
fugals. where IN a few minutes it was
transformed into pure white CRYSTALS,
then wheeled into the cooling room where it
was piled up into great heaps to cool prepar.
weighed, marked ready for shipping. Every
part of the refinery is kepfin the NEST com
plete order. No dirt Of slush IL allowed to
accumulate
Reporter How long will you grind yet,
mr. D.?s
sooner, then anothelweek probably to work
mp seconds, m0lasses, etc
Reporter Yoa don't mako syTups e
Mr.. D.--.Not so far. We can and may
that depends somewhat on prices of labor,
etc, etc.
Reporter. Have son Ill tlle room you
need, Mr. ID H.
No, Sir. With the increase Of cane next
ysar on the Star, the many small lots of cane
that viii be grown in the vicinity hy small
planters, We slall have to enlarge our hot
room to q capacity of tive hundred sngar cars,
This year has proved to Mr.. q. ID Miller
what can be done, and mark yotr. na stone
will be left nnturned.
This WAS assurance enough that the Star
Sugar refinery is success IN every respect.
The refinery Willslnake anring the short sea
sons work for this year the rise oil four hun
dred thousand pounds Of sng;tr, and at 4 cost
far below the old kettle boiling process, every
convenience has been added. Cars are run
hi from the main tract ct the NJ. L. q i.
Railroad on Il switch laid up to to the door of
Jffo apa urn tnCh Is