Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-31
CUNNINGHAM'S GRIT
He Burned His Ships Behind Him
and Marched to Diffusion.
Complete Success at 'Sugarland" Show
ing How 1t Pays to Back Your judy
ment-Crowds of Visiting Planters.
Sorghum's Future in TeXas-An Industry That
Will RevolutioniZe West Texas Farming and
Defy Drouths-A Boom for Texas.
San Antonio Express, December 49,

The development of Texas depends
upon many things-immigrati the
establishment of new enterprises, the
maintenance of peace, economy and
labor in the people, t:le finding of min
eral wealth and the continuance of pro-
lection to her leading industries, but
most of all to manufactures. In them
lies the advancement, not alone of this
state, but of the entire south. They do
more to send money ont among the peo-
pie, to teach the people habits of re-
lance, labor and self-respect and to edu-
cate them TO the possibilities which are in
them and in the country which they in
habit than any agency known to man.
Among them the production of sugar
occupies an important place and if pres
ent indications are true induces, il will
one day be chief. 1t is a business which
requires capital, pluck and the highest
class of skilled labor. 1t yields good,
though not eXtravugant, return upon in
vestment, and in ordinary years the re-
turn is certain. 1t enjoys, too,
reasonable amount of tariff pro-
lection, under this protection has
thriven and made particularly rapid
strides in the last few years, and has of
late received an impetus which in half
decade will make it unrecogniZable to
those who knew it under old meth
DDS and fiattered themselves upon the
obtainment of the old results.
The impetus has been gained through the
discovery, or rather the application of
the plan of diffusion, which is as radi-
cally different from the old plan of
roller-crushing and open-kettle boiling
as thing well can be. In fact, a man
who knew sugar twenty years ago and
enters the modern house finds his ac-
quaintance with the art saccharine
amounts to considerably less than moth
ing. Like a tyro who acquires the science
of poker upon false principles, he
is obliged to unlearn u great deal before
his mind is in condition to enable him to
tell two pair jacks up from ''full
house. -
THE FIRST ATTEMPTS.
So far as known the first American ex-
pertinent upon the diffusion of tropical
cane was made upon the Belle Alliance
plantation of James p. Kock, who Is
from the famed Teche country of LOUISE
ana. He tried ii for a year and owing
either to- defective machinery, or the
fact that he was making entirely too
much and too good sugar, abandoned it
and put in five rOller-mill, which he
still retains. There was at the time i'll
New Orleans a German doctor named
Kratz. He was man of remarkable
intelligence, wide reading, great indus
try, keen foresight and no managerial
ability whatever. He was convinced of
the superlative merits of diffusion and
urged il upon his acquaintance with such
ardOr and persiStency that a stock
company resulted which was
known as the Julius Robert and
New Orleans Diffusion Company. A
plantation was secured, the Julius Rob-
ert diffusion cells put in and the stock
holders told to brace themselves for the
shock of gold which would begin to hit
them. 1t was the original intention to
spend 500 900: 5000 900 was spent; cane
which was contracted for was not de-
liYered; some which was delivered was
not accepted; some which was accepted
was not paid for; law suits resulted;
there were n thousand leaks where there
should have been none; the enter
prise went into bankruptcy, the stock
holders went into sackcloth, and the
Julius Robert and New Orleans Diffusion
Company went into limbo, taking with it
as much of its name as it could carry.
That was the last of diffusion i'll Louisiana
for decade, or nearly.
swENSON OF KANSAS.
In the employ of the government,
however, was man name Swenson-
Professor NJ. Swenson, destined to give
the greatest impulse to diffusion yet
known in the United States. He was
emphatically self-made man, emphat-
ically man with n head on him. He
emigrated to America when a mere boy
and entered machine shop; III five years
ha6 tra1 10 in of aTf nd
entered college; was given charge of
class of mechanics, and completed his |
course with about as much money as
when he began; later was employed by |
the government; subsequently, took up |
the diffusion of sorghum on his own ac-
count and at Fort Scott and Topeka Kan.
has made n success of it. He owns |
several valuable patents and by his |
energy, application and brain |
enjoys an income that to many |
would seem princely. Not Il great while |
ago he took charge of some diffusion eX-
periments to be made under govern
mental auspices at the plantation of ex-
Governor Warmoth of Louisiana, tropical
cane being used. They We're sue
cess, clearly demonstrating that there
was money, and the satisfaction which
flows from money, in that method of |
handling Il great crop. Prof. Swenson
had, and has, unlimited confidence in
himself and his process. Indeed it has
been justified by the results which he has
achieved in Kansas and elsewhere. His
knowledge of machinery and thorough
acquaintance with chemistry have
stood him in good stead. The re-
ports of his work sent out from
Kansas attracted much attention in
sugar circles, and were the subject of
widespread comment, both adverse and
favorable, in the columns of the daily
press. 1t was said that he claimed too
much; that he was visionary; that he
was Swenson man; that his assertions
could not be substantiated; that he was Il
humbug of the first water; that he was
dlscoverer; that he was revolutionizer
of the sugar industry; that he came as a
modern Moses to the planter, and
would lead him from the bondage OF open
kettles TO the milk and honey of IS per
cent. extraction, etc. The simple truth
was that the professor had the patience
and skill, used them to the uttermost and
made them pay.
COLONEL ED CUNNINGHAM INTERESTED.
Among those interested in and at
tracted by the Swenson work was Colonel
L..