Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-19
SUGAR FRAUDS.
Secretary Mohler Advised of Frauds In
Voting Bonds For Sugar Mlls-The
Profits From LIE ultimate Business.

Secretary Mohler Advised OF Frauds In
Voting Bonds For Sugar Hills-The
| Profits From LIE climate Business.
TOPEKA, Kan, Dec .3.-SecretaIy
Mohler, of the State Board of Agri.
culture, has received dispatch from
Meade announcing that big frauds had
been unearthed in connection with the
Minneoia sugar works and requesting
him to start at once for Meade and in
vestigate the matter. He held a con-
ference with the Governor and then
telegraphed that it would be impossible
for him to leave the city at present, but
that he would send some one to Mime
ola to look into the matter.
Later information was received that
the American Sugar Company, of
which o. B. Hamilton, of Meade, is
president, and which built and oper-
ated a sugar factory at MinneOla,
Clark County, last fall used imported
barrel sugar in making its strip in
order to deceive the people who had
voted bonds to establish the works.
The Adamson or roasting" process
was employed in this mill.
W. G.. Emerson, r. NJ. Painter and
A. T. BOdle, are credited with the dis
covery of the fraud. All Of them have
been instrumental in helping the
American Sugar Company introduce its
plants, and they feel that they have
been shamefully duped.
A dispatch from Meade states that
fortunately the $4,000 of bonds voted
in six different townships were not in
possession of the American Sugar Com
pany and would therefore be returned
| to those who voted them.
Secretary MOhler said to a CORE
spondent: IF Messrs. Emerson and
Painter can prove the charge they make
against the American Sugar Company
and it is reasonable to suppose that
! they can, for they are conservative men
| and would not take the position they
now occupy without the strongest kind
of evidence-the sugar industry OF
Kansas will undoubtedly receive a
serious setback. So far as indiScrim-
mate bonding of townships and cOun-
ties is concerned the sooner it is stopped
the better. While 1 regard profitable
sugar making in Kansas l am free to
admit that the experimental stage has
not been passed, and it is folly for the
people of Western Kansas to accept
blindiy the representations of men who
wish to erect mills through purely sell
fish motives. The mill at Medicine
Lodge, which was built by Colonel e.
dred with his own money, has made a
good showing this year. and from its
work l expect to be able to gather be-
fore lonG reliable statistics concerning
the industry.
81 PROPOSE" continued Mr.. MohleT,
'to have the representative of every
sugar plant and process in the State
present at the annual meeting of the
Board of Agriculture next month, Sc
that the public may learn the exact
status of affairs as regards sorghum
sugar making. In the meantime the
charges against the American Sugar
Company will be investigated"
The process employed by the Ameri.
can Sugar Company is the one which
llo Representatives l'1OLIA'oO W NOV IA YIN
mills they are now seeking to establish
in Stanton and Haskell Counties
through the aid of bonds.
T. A. McNeal, of Medicine Lodge
said that the Eldred mill, which uses
! the diffusion process, has made 450, OO(
pounds of sugar this year, most OF
which has been marketed at gOOt
! price. Colonel Eldred has been expert
menting with beet sugar with con
siderable success. From four acres OF
beets he manufactured 5000 pounds Of
good sugar. He proposes to devote {
large acreage to sugar beets next sea
son and then be able to manufacture
beet sugar after the regular sorghum
| season is over. In this way he expect:
to make his mill pay handsome div
| i6pOdS