Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-13
HALF a MILLION POUNDS.
From the Barber County Index.

1t is now certain that the sorghum
sugar output at Medicine Lodge, thi.
season, will exceed 10000 pounds. Il
was thought, until this week, that il
would not exceed 100000 pounds, but
| the seconds" are much richer than was
anticipated.
This places the plant at Medicine Lodge
at the head of the list, as the most sue
cessful one ever built. 1t has paid every
dollar due for cane and labor, and doe:
seasons work. Yesterday there was
sorghum sugar, to New Orleans. In the
mail yesterday came an order for 60(
barrels of sugar, but the order could only
be partially filled. Mr.. Human says
that he is satisfied from the correspon
dence he has received, that he could
place ten thousand barrels of Medicine
Lodge sugar If he had it. People are
dropping their prejudices, and are now
willing to acknowledge that sorghum
sugar is better than ordinary light brown
sugar.
1t is certain now that the works here
made good money this season, notwith-
standing the delay in starting and the
frequent accidents that occurred. Our
people all regard the industry as a
success. The cane raisers are all anxious
to contract to raise cane next year. 1t
pays twice as much as can be made on
corn, oats or wheat.
There appears to be disposition to
class all sugar plants in Kansas together,
and it looks very much like the sugar
trust mad active allies in Kansas, who
are laboring to belittle the sorghum SUI
gar industry. Because the plants at
Liberal, Meade, Arkalon, Minneola and
Ness City could not start, for want of
water or cane; because the Fort Scott
cane fields were three times flooded and
very greatly injured; because Conway
Springs and Attica were short of funds,
and did not pay for the cane or for the
labor employed, are no real arguments
against the industry. When q sorghum
sugar mill is properly built, on suita-
bic site, with plenty of pure water &C
cessible, in locality that will raise cane
with sugar in it, and is conducted by
those who are willing to risk their own
capital in the enterprise and pay their
honest debts it will succeed, as the
plant at this place has demonstrated.
On the other hand, if townships and
municipalities let lot of adventures
load a heavy bonded debt on them, and
attempt to opererate the plant on the
funds voted by the people, and. besides.
pay for the building and machinery out
of the same funds, of course there will
be trouble. At two Of the plants that
partially failed in southern Kansas this
season all of the money received from
the sale of sugar d syrup was applied
to debts due by the construction compa-
MES at the banks; when. as matter of
Justice, the laborers who built the mills
and made the sugar, and the farmers
who furnished the cane, should have
been first paid.
The action Of the state board of agri-
culture in warning the western counties
against the indlscriminate voting Of
sugarworks bonds, is timely, and Secre-
tary Mohler should not be timid in tell
ing his constituents the truth and the
whole truth.
There is no more sense in high and
dry county or township voting money
to build a sorghum sugar plant than
there would be in voting bonds to estab
lish line of steamboats, through their
sand draws or dry canyons.
If it were possible, the state should
take steps to prohibit the wild voting of
bonds that is now going on. 1t will
prove the ruin of many townships, and
will do the legitimate sorghum sugar
business great injury.