Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-03-05
A MEXICAN SUGAR ESTATE.
An animated Scene at the Crushing
miIIs--A Favorite DrlBIS-PrOGts of
the Business.

the Business.
We found ourselves surrounded by
an animated scene. The great yard
was swarming with laborers. Some
were turning and gathering the
crushed cane which covered the
ground, where it reflected the sun
with whitish glare Others were
handling the fresh cane, which was
coming in in carloads, stripping off
the green succulent leaves as food for
their cattle, weighing iba stalks, and
carrying them to the crushing mills.
We assembled broad stone-steps to a
large vaulted hall forming the main
entrance. This was open TO the air
on one side. Massive piers supported
the heavy, castle-hke masonry of the
building. The place was gratefully
cool, and commanded a charming
view over the valley. Accountants
were at work at desk in the corner
Leaning over q parapet at one end
of the hall, we overlooked the great
interior. where the cane crushing was
going on. The mills, as throughout
the valley. were moved by water
power. When we entered the gate
we had seen the water gushing out
from a low arch IN the wall in a
powerful cascade The mill building
was q lofty. massive stone structure,
with walls composed OF Roman like
arches in two tiers liz y, as new, but
parts of the main building were over
a century old. The laborers came
and went below, like two streams of
busy ants. The brown forms, in the
dim light of the high, shadowy Inte-
rior, looked like dusky demons, as
they staggered beneath their loads of
great bundles of cane. They wore
the minimum of clothing, and many,
for some mysterious reason, had but
one leg to the pantaloons Of white
cotton, while others wore no panta
looms at all The machinery made a
low. rumbling noise, and the mills
seemed like Unsuitable monsters, de
voring the cane incessanIy, and
disgorging the crushed masses in
well chewed fragments. Beer glasses
full Of fresh sap were brought to US.
1t was black and foamy. looking like
English stout, and had a sweet and
not disagreeable taste. The natives
are fond of drink made from this
sap by letting it ferment IN a gourd
for two or three days.
In the upper stories we saw the
huge watts of molasses which was slow
ly crystallzing into sugar, the surface
covered with a crust resembling wind
roughened ice turned dark brown.
In one vat stood a naked Indian,
breaking up the crude sugar with
pick. and shoveling it out to two
other laborers, who were carrying it
away. The sugar was refined on the
premises into two grades, the superior
of which was equal to the best Ameri-
can loaf. The machinery in use on
the estate was Of the best modern
kind. and cost something like $500,
600. After the syruplhad been worked
over into sugart three times the residue
was distilled into aqua diente. or
this six thousand barrels we're pro
duced annually on the place
After inspecting the works we re
turned to the shady office, where we
met the proprietor, a courtly Spanish
gentleman. He invited up 10 stay 10
breakfast, and as noontideapproached
we were shown through vaulted pas
sages, across an irregulor court like
that OF an ancient castle, up an easy
stone stairway, into pleasant cor
riodor leading into large DINING
room. Here long table was spread
beneath broad stone arch which
sprang from ono side of the room TO
| the other. Our host was at the head
Of the table, and below the guests sat