The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-07-15
The Rice RndRSGy and Rice
MILLING. =..


To those familiar with the statistics
of the rice culture, it is well known
that up to the present year, the United
States has raised about sixty per cent.
of the rice consumed in this country;
the other forty per cent. being imported
from Japan and the East Indies. This
years crop, will probably increase the
percentage of supply to twenty-five
per cent. or more; consequently II the
forty per cent. of the consumption is
imported, there must be a shrinkage
in the price, of both the domestic and
foreign rough rice. It is apparent to
everyone that the time is approaching
in the very near future, when there
must be change ia the mode Of hand
ling rice, both in rough aud cleaned.
The time was when -four was worth
two dollars barrel, and every neigh
borhood had it's small mill run either
by water or horse power. When the
wheat was cut with the sickle put into
sacks and sent to these small mills by
wagons. All this has given way to the
self binding reaper, the steam thrasher
and the elevator on railroads where
thousands of bushels of wheat are hand
led and put into large Touring mills.
where hundreds Of barrels OF -four are
turned out every day.
So it is with rice. The time is near
at hand when. in order to keep up with
the demand and at the same time give
the rice planter or farmer living price
for his product. the article must be
handled more economically than now.
The small rice mills can not do this, for
many reasons. First, they have not the
capacity to mill the rice grown in tbeir
respective neighboIhoods; secondly,
they cannot afford to send out agents
to the different commercial centeTs to
dispose of their output, consequently
are compelled to place their product on
the market in New Orleans in, compe-
tltion with the large mills, who can
underselI them, for the reason that the
large mills can clean the rice at much
less expense comparatively than the
smaller ones. 1t costs almost If not
quite as much to run a one bundled
barrel mill in the country, as it does Il
six hundred barrel mill in New Orleans.
The only hope that we can see for
the salvation of the rice farmers Of
this section, is the erection Of q
large rice mill, with the capacity, CAPT.
tai and location. to be able TO handle
the crop both in coming in the rough
and out going cleaned-and there can
be no doubt but that Lake Charles is
the proper location; with two railroads
to ship by. to any point, north, east or
west, and the OaIcasieu river south,
with capital sufficient to erect the
ware houses for storing the rice in the
rough or cleaned with the means to
build and run line of baTges around
to the Laessjne, Memrentau. Bayous,
Nez Pique, Capnes,and Q Iene de Tor
tue, aud enterprise to build depots and
elevators along the railroads and
streams, 80 that the rice can be bauled
in bulk. just like what is handled in
the north and west. A mill like this
would be q paying investment for the
stockholders, and would prove to be
the salvation of the rice farmer, because
it would insure him live competition
with the ''rice trust" in New Orleans
A mil snch as we suggest of twelve
hundred barrel capacity, would do such
9 business that it could and would de,
msnd and receive recognition and faeil
ities from the railroads that a small con,
Germ could not, and we honestly and
eandidIy believe that any Que putting
his money in a small mill is standing il
bis OVID light, and retardiDg the prog
ress and Improvement Of the country.
if noU absolutely throwing his money
away.