Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-10-12
CLAUS SPRECKELS.
He Has a Conference With
Prominent Citizens.
HIS NEXT FACTORY NOT LOCATED
He Advises Cooperation Among the
PrOducers-His Success at
WatsOnville.

Claus Spreckels, the sugar King, ar
rived in the city yesterday evening at
half-past 6 in his own special car,
attached to the regular train from San
Francisco. He was accompanied by his
son, J. D. sp, eckels, and several other
members of hi 9 family. His stay will be
short one, as he leaves on this morn
ing's 30 train for San Diego.
''T am merely passing through thecity
on my way to Ea n Diego" he said when
questioned by . representative of this
paper as to the pu rposs of his visit. "I
shall stay in San Diego until next Mon
day and then start for the East. have
plans with regard to sugar factory for
this section. 1t il, true that / have
ordered the machi merry made for an
other plant-a duplicate of the.
one at Watsonville. The machinery made
in Europe will cost $75, 900, and it will
go with plant, the total cost of which
will be over $4OO, 900. Half a million of
dollars will be expend cd in the new fac
tory, but nothing wi II be done in the
matter until next spl ing. People seem
to imagine that can l,ut shis factory one
place just as well as another. 1t is B.
Questions of supply of beets,
price of fuel, abundan ce of limestone,
etc., will govern the m after, and these
must be thoroughly los 'ked' into before
any decision can bs reacl ned. Ny factory
at Watsonville is a success, when all
others that have been started in the
State have failed. Hun dreds of thou
sands of dollars have bee lost by people
who did not understan the business
erecting factories and trying to run
them."
President Jones and Secretary Fig
gins, of the Chamber of Commerce, met
Mr.. Spreckels at the train and conveyed
him to the Nadeau. He IRE Mayor Haz-
ard, @. F. Smurr, of tn Southern Pa
cific, A. E. Pomeroy, A. FL. Denker and
a number of other prom linent citizens
met him, and a conference of an hour or
two took place in the parlors. Mr..
Spreckels described the process of the
us .nufacture of crude sua ar from beets
daycticed at Watsonyille to show what
:oets must enter intt the plan to
ma. 9 success. He ha experienced
some iculty in getting the requisite
quantits 2f beets, but this mat
ter wael .Gapidly adju sting. itself
as the liners were learning
how much it v, to their advantage in q
financial way t., ,sise beets for the fac
tory. -,
About 1000 aeescs were now un-
used $4,000 tons last season. He had
and to producers. There was an average
of ten to twenty tons of beets to tie acre.
With regard to the prospect for a fac
tory here, Mr.. Spreckels returned abcat
the same answer as was given above.
The general tone of his remarks on this
matter was unsatisfactory. He had not
investigated the soils of this vicinity, nor
had he learned of the results of the
analysis made of the beets grown here.
He had not decided where the next fac
tory should be located.
"What would you advise us to- do to
help bring about its location ia this
vicinity? ?" was asked.
"I would suggest" said he, "that you
do not wait for me 81 all, but goahead
on your own account. Do as they do in
Germany. There the producers form
stock company and erect factory-often
on money advanced by the banks. I
shall be glad to give you all the advice
in my power, and can assist you by sup
plying you with men trained in my own
factory. The same eonditions--if they
exist-which would make this favorable
place for me to locate, would give you
success"
Mr.. Spreckels listened to what those
present had to offer with regard to the
nature of the soil OF this vicinity and the :.
success which had attended the
raising of sugar beete, and also
to statement of the cost of fuell
and the accessibility of limestone,
but he had no conclusions to offer. He.
promised to send down any quantity Of
seed that was desired for experiments
and desired that he should be kept in.
| formed of all thasiwas done. His advice
and assistance would always be at the
service OF the people Of this section, but
he could not make any defnite state
ments with regard to his plans for tho
future. He said, however, that he
would return to the Coast next spring
and at that time would revisit Los
Angeles.