The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-02-19

! factory and it is for the citizens OF
Mankato to show what they will do tt
encourage the industry and locate il
within our midst. There is no single
industry which can have such bene
2 fetal effect upon all classes, nor which
will as we'll draw the attention of the
world to this place. The two Nebras
ka towns which have factories now in
operation have gained more notoriety
by their factories than by all other
sources during the entire life. Lands
are sought after by new settlers at
greatly increased prices and the towns
are building up. 1t will require a
strong effort on the part of everyone
to secure this factory, but whatever
effort is put forth which will bring it
here will be amply rewarded by the
results. Our farms will be Of in
creased value and of greater produc-
tiveness, and town property will be
improved by the immediate invest
ment of over half a million dollars.
No town in the state possesses all
the requirements to SO great an extent
as MankatO. We have four lines of
competing railroads which ramify
every part of the state best capable of
producing the beet. These roads are
all favorably inclined to this town and
can be relied upon to give the best of
rates SO that beetS can, if need be.
| cooI1ppH from q n iCtancn
The immensely of a beet sugar fac
tory can be best appreciated by state
ment of what it is. Itrequires four
story building about 300 feet long by
200 feet wide, and which must be
built of stone or brick. We have
both in our midst and they would be
the ones used. Then beet houses of
peculiar construction capable of hold
ing 10000 tons of beetS, barns, pulp
houses, etc., and houses for some of
the men employed. The plant would
require twenty or more acres of ground
upon which to place these buildings,
have railroad switches, etc. 1t will
require small army of men to build
the buildings and place in the hun
dreds Of tons of fine machinery, and it
will take six months of just such
work. 1t is guaranteed to be ready
this fall for all the beets which can
be supplied. There must be at least
%, 200 tons and $4,000 tons will be con-
tracted for
We have been shown that we can
raise the beets necessary for the Lro-
ductiOn of sugar, and it now remains
| for us to literally assist in the erection
of factory which will be the largest
and best in this country or in the
world.
| There will be expended in our midst
/ in the erection of the buildings alone
about 1925, 900 for stone, brick, lime,
sand, cement, labor, ETC., and $50, 600
or more for local labor in setting up
| the machinery. After it is started
there will be distributed every day it
works over So, 900 for wages, beets, etc.
| All this money and more which will
be attracted by the factory will be so
much put into our daily circulation
above its present amount. The factory
will distribute to the farmers for
beetS from 100000 to S250,000 during
the season. This will all flow Back
into our banks and business. 1T will
give new market for barrels and
make Mankato the biggest jobbing
center in the state for sugar. Our
rates to Pacific coast points and all
places in the state puts as in shape to
campete with the twin cities.
But the most benefit will come; first
to our farms. When beet sugar
making commenced in Germany their
farm lands were worth only $50 an
acre. Now, and directly on account
of the beet sugar industry their lands
capable of producing beets ape worth
not less than $3.50 per acre, and for
the most part can not be bought fol
$3.50 per acre. The lands in Califor-
MIA have increased in value up to Sl5C
per acre and rent in advance for SIC
per acre, but the most of them are
rented upon the profit, sharing plain
and thus return $26 per acre. The
lands in Germany and elsewhere that
do not or cannot grow beets are not
worth nearly so much money. Nearly
all the land tributary to Mankato car
grow better beets than are grown II
Germany, and the factory will use al
the beetS that are grown if it is nee
essary to build a 500-ton factory or two
$50 ton factories. An acre Of goo(
!, land will yield on an average 20 ton
of beetS and it will cost to raise then
about S25 to $30-say $50 per acre. Thu
factory will supply the seed to thu
farmers at less than cost for the frs
, two or three years until we can pro
duce our own seed, and they will no
, require payment for the seed until thu
: crop is delivered. They will contrac
to pay So per ton for beets having ]:
per cent Of sugar, and so cents to!
for each increase of one pc
cent The beets around here vii
average about IA or Is per cent, AM
would therefore receive 81 to S. pc
; ton. Or the company will take al
,, beets at $3.50 per ton, providing tina
have at least II per cent of sugar. A
$3.50 per ton an acre of beetS viii
yield lat 10 tons to the acre) $3.50 Ia
20 tons to the acre. $4,000. If it cost
: $50 per acre, and it should cost less
! there is profit of $3.50 to 10000 pc
! acre. Farms in this state hay
= yielded as high as 48 tons per acre las
year, and of beets worth SIS to Sc pc
ton. S37. 80 profits per acre is 10 pc
cent On 1915.
AS the profits which piece of LAM
will yield has great influence on de
termining it's value the profits from
. beet raising must raise the price Q
land. But it is not possible to rails