The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1889-01-11

OOulLuChbl bOth NNNGAoC Au0 ANFOAnbAV
in the columns Of the daily press. II
was said that be claimed too much
that his assertions could not be sub
stantiated that he was a humbug o.
the first water; that he was a diseov
erer; that he was revolutioBizer ol
the sugar industry that he came as q
modern Moses to tho planter, and
would lead him from the bondage oi
open kettles to milk aud honey Of S5
per cent extraction, etc. The simple
truth was that the professor had the
patience and skill, used them to the
utmost and made them pay.
COL. ED. CUNNINGHAM INTEREsTED.
Among those interested in and at,
trac:ed by the Swenson work was Col.
Ed, Cunningham, who resides in San
Antonio, and owns a magnificent plan.
tatlon in Fort Bend county, upon the
stream called "Oyster creek" pFesum-
ably because there are no oysters in it,
Those acquainted with him know him
to be a man of most advanced ideas,
and who is not afraid to let his dollars
loose when he secs any chance for an
adequate return. During his long
life in the State these qualities have
marked him. They have made his
wealth and bid fair to increase ii.
He went to Kansas, and under the
competent ciceronage Of Professor
SwensOn and assistants, made a thor
ough inspection Of the diffusion pro,
cess as applied to sorghum, nor could
he say why it should not work equally
we'll on tropical cane, He gave au
order for the erection of q plant upon
"Sugarland" plantation, aud last
spring put over 100 acres into Sor-
ghum, 1t was his intention to de-
monstrate to the world, and to Texas
in particular, that in the diffusion
method and sorghum combined, the
farmer had a crop which was easy Of
cultivation, practically never failing,
and worth good money. There is no
doubt in the world that he would have
succeeded, Unfortunately, owing TO
delays in the arrival and erection Of
the machinery, delays which were un-
forseen and could not be prevented,
the battery was not placed in position
at the time named in the contract, and
the entire sorghum crop was lost, save
only the quantities used for feed. A
sufficient amount of seed was saved,
however, and next year will see sor-
ghum diffusion at "SugaFland" on a
large scale
Undeterred by the iIlsuCGess which
attended the first part Of his plan,
Colonel Cunningham pushed the work
forward and the erection of the diffu-
sion battery and the machinery which
aids it went right along, In order to
understand the tremendous confidence
in his judgment, and the clear grit
which the colonel displayed, it should
be known that he had on his planta.
ton over 1900 acres of sugar cane
waiting to be ground, and that in
order to put in the diffusion cells, it
was necessary to partially dismantle
the old mill, take out the massive
rollers and in various ways change it.
In other words, ii the deductions Of
Professors SwensOn and Colonel Gun.
ningham had been in error the latter
could have lost his entire crop, worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ii
was practically burning his ships be-
hind him, a tremendous responsibility
which was faced like a man. As a
man who has escaped by a hairs
breadth from a falling building, the
colonel can look back, take a long
breath and shake hands with himself
because he was right and the CEoakeFs
we're wrong, For the diffusion of
tropical cane is q distinct and lumiR-
Gus success,
A TEXAN SUGAR COUNTRY.
There are 100000 acres of good
cane land in Texas, and none better
than "sugarIand." 1t comprises TO-
900 acres, of which 8,4O0 are cleared
and were last year planted ip corn,
small grainr sorghum and Sugar cane,
The rest is wooded. The place lies
some ten mileS beyond Richmond, the
seat Of Fort Bend county, and is
pierced by the Southern PaeifG rail
way, II stretches away upon either
side Of the track as far as the eye can
reach, as level as a billiard table, and
in the distance is fringed by the wall
Of woods which surrounds it. 1t is
mixed black sandy and red loan, aud
underneath it, at a distance Of thirteen
feet, is . stratum Of gravel, which
carries off the sulphur water Of wet
seasons and returns moisture in dry,
1t demands but little drainage, and
relieves lts owner from the bpgaboo
which hauRts the LouisiAnian, the cost
Of ditching and re,ditChing year after
year until the head sWims and the
pocket aches, It has never had a
pound Of fertilizer 90 II, and has asked
for none, seems TO be Of praetIGally
inexhaustible fertility, and is not sub
ject to overflow. Taken altogether,
il ID the bean ideal Of the sugar plan.
tatiop, and is calculated 10 make the
average Creolo's mouth wafer and his
eyes glisteH with envy, The diffusion
mill Is not . hundred yards from the
track, and ls Stepping place for pas
ssnger trains day and night. Quite q
station baa been bpilt nP, comprising
stores, warehouses, telegraph Office,
express Office, residence end other
buildipgE, j "A called HGuRplngham,n Y
and may some day be u city. When
The HSpgarlaRa7 mill begins q work
of sorghum six months ip The year
and tf5pical cane Tor an additional
ninety days, il win certainly be q viz
lage, asthe number ef bands employed
Will Recessitate ihe erection 81 enough
houses t9 form 2 community, whicb,
ip come aeeions Of Texas, you'd be
called 4 ctty. a quarter "a mile
away q age.goller mIll, also the
property n coIonel Cunningham,