The Wilmingtonian., 1886-07-10
Wilmington Interests i'm Washing


1t is claimed that $3.50, 900, 00Oare annually
lost through the imperfect machinery used
in manufacturing sugar from the sugar
cane.
This represents q waste of one-thrd Of the
product.
The Agricultural Department at Washing
ton, having informed itself upon the matters
determined upon certain experiments. The
most feasible line was in the direction of i'm
proved machinery.
1t appears that there was only one firm in
the United States possessing the capacity and
having the enterprise to build the necessary
machinery, the Pusey & Joues Co., Of this
city.
On Sth Of July 1884 the Pusey * Jones
Co.. received an order from the Department
of Agriculture to construct the machinery
in question after plans already selected and
approved coupled with the condition imposed
by Prof. Wiley (the Chief Chemist) that the
machinery must be finished on tst Septeul-
ber following, or in about SIN weeks
The Pusey & Jones Co., declined TO do the
the ork on such short notice. On the 18th
July the Company received another letter
from the Department asking them to go ON
with the work but to have the machinery
completed at as early day as possible.
Before the close of October 1884 the mach
inery was completed, inspected, and accepted
by the Department of Agriculture. Though
it had been furnished early in that month
and the company had its skilled workmen
ready to erect it aud build foundations the
Department delayed two months in dcsg-
Mating the proposed location of the works Or
as to when they were to be erected and by
whom. An order was received from the
Department countermauding previous dir
ections as to shipping the plant to Louisiana
and it was stored in Wilmington all through
the sugar making season of 1884 and the
winter following. 1t however had been in
spected, approved, and paid for by the De-
parrment of Agriculture.
The Congressional members from Louisi-
ana endeavoured TO have the machinery sent
to Louisiana but were refused by the De-
partment. The Pusey & Jones Co., offered
the services of their skilled wol kmen to set
it up either in Louisiana or Kansas, but their
offers were declined by the Department
The machinery was finally sent to Kansas
by order Of the Department, and the woik
of setting up was placed in the hands of men
unskiled in the business. How this work
was conducted is best set forth in the follow
ing correspondence, which has already been
published:
EMPoRIA, KANSAS, July 8, 1885.
To TIE PUsEY & JONES Co.,
Wlmirqton, DelsUare:
GENTLEMEN | am quite strongly i'm
pressed with the belief that uuless you send
some practical person tJ Ottawa, Kas., to
superintend the setting up and operation Of
the machinery that you manufactured for
the Government, the result will be failure
damaging both yourselves and the sorghum
sugar interest. The Government has hand.
full of persons employed, but such as lack
the proper qualifications. There is no inter
est in the experiment on the part of any one
in Government employ, and une 5 there IL
some change in the situation, there will bt
simply the record of another dismal failure
| 1t is to your interest that this machinery
should succeed that all weak points dcve
oped bR the experiment SHOULD at once b,
remedicd SO that the same may be cumtimlet
| to the end OF the season.
| While the present Commissioner is him
self in earnest, Prof. Wiley, the Chemist
who is in direct charge, seems particulall,
desirous that no favorable result should b,
reached this year at least
If this experiment is permitted to fail
there will be nG money fol others in The fu
ture. If it succeeds the III be a deman,
for machinery of this character such as vii