The morning news., 1893-12-06
TO BUILD A TANNERY.
The Palmetto Manufacturing Com
pany to Erect a Plant.


A meeting Of the Palmetto Manufac-
turing Company was held sterday and
the following directors were reelected
George ". Lamar, W. !. Morrel. j. W.
Preston, a. Minis and C.. w Warrand.
Capt. Lamar was elected president, W.
j. MOrreu vice president and A. Minis.
secretary and treasurer
The company has completed very eX-
haustive tests on the use of palmetto for
tanning and the results have been en-
tirely satisfactory. The taunerv at Mar
low has now been in active operation for
nine months, using palmetto exclusively.
The output of leather is firsu-class, equal
to oak tannage in every respect. dem
onstrating the value of the patents owned
by the company.
The commercial pat of tanning with
palmetto is great success, as IL is un-
doUbtedly the cheapest and most abun-
dant tanning material in the world. Dur
ing the whole time that palmetto has
been used for tanning the costo palmetto
10 produce one pound of leather has never
exceeded / and = cents, regardless Of
the fiber, which is a waste, or by product.
One pound Of flint hide win produce one
pound OF leather. and flint hides to-day
are quoted at cents per pound. To turn
this pound of hide into leather viii re-
Quire u cents of palmetto. and q. cents
of la Dor, which brings the cost of a fin
shed pound Of leather to 10 cents actual
cost.
This leather will bring from - to 20
cents per pound on an average, as much
depends on the quality of rawhide en-
ployed, but even at the lowest figure there
is a gross profit of 30 per cent. on the
turnover, regardless of the value of the
fiber
The gentlemen interested in the
Palmetto Manufacturing Company
have concluded to put up
large plant on the outskirts of
the city, So well are they satisfied with
the success of palmetto tanning that up
wards of $1,000 has been pledged.
Subscription lists viii beOpened shortly
with every prospect Of getting the neces-
sary capital subscribed, as the future for
palmetto tanning is very bright and prob
ability of good financial returns on the
investment is very promising.
Savannah exports annually about $4,000
bales of hides. weighing about 500
pounds. or about 25 100000 pounds. The
wholesale shoe trade alone imports $1,000
cases Of ready made shoes every year be
sides a large quantity of harness and
Osher leather goods. The supply of pal
metto is ineXhaustible, as it is estimated
that 10000 900 acres are OvergrOwn with
palmetto
At NARROW experience has shown that
palmetto ground which was cut last
March and April is now much more luXu-
rious than before cutting, and is ready
for another harvest. Cutting leaves and
stems seems to cultivate the plant and
improve the growth.
With the demonstrated success of pal
metto farming, both technically and eco
nomically, there is no reason why Savan-
nah should not be the center of a large
tanning industry, and other kindred
ones, as cheap leather is bound
to be followed by harness and shoe
factories. Savannah has the raw ma
teriaL There are many favora BILE sites
for tanneries in the suburbs, while many
large buildings in town now unoccupied
and useless, could be turned into shoe and
harness factories. If Savannah's advan-
tages are once known northern capital
and labor are bound to come here