The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-11-23
OUR NEW INDUSTRY.
Various Essential Oils to be Manu-
factured in Lebanon.

factured in Lebanon.
The Morning Oregonlan Of Novem-
ber the 10th, gave Lebanon's new
enterprise the following write up:
Captain George Pope returned Sat-
urday from Lebanon, where the
nanufactory of the Oregon Essential
Oil Distillery Company is situated.
Captain Pope is president of the COM
pany, and DR.. j. A. Lamberson is
general manager. This Is the concern
mentioned few days dince as having
lately commenced the manufacture of
spirits of turpeatine In this section
From Captain Pope it is learned that
the. company has been experimenting
for three months, and has not only
succeeded in successfully manufacture
ing frst-class article of turpentlne
and all sorts Of rosin and pitch from
the sap of the Douglas fir, but also
make oil of cedar, oil of henlock, oil
of fir and oil of peppermint. Several
varieties of the peppermint abound in
Oregon and the true mentha piperita
grows in great luxuriance in an un-
cultivated state along the streams and
in moist places in Linn and Polk
counties, and it was primarily on this
account that the "stillp was erected.
The wild plant produces oil abundant
ly, but 1t was considered best to culti-
vate the plant also, SO arrangements
haye been made with farmers to set
out 100 acres ofroots, which will partly
be supplied from plants from Michigan
and partly from the Oregon stock.
Samples Of the oil manufactured
from Oregon mint Have been tested
by competent Eastern druggists and
pronounced to be richer in menthol
than even the Michigan oil. AS to u
market for the product, Mr.. Pope says
that one firm in Leipsic, Germany, Use
ITO tons of menthol per annum.
The members Of the company got
their first ideas in regard to the tur-
pentine business from a report of the
secretary Of agriculture for 1892. There
has always been a trade in balsam of
tir, which is used for several purposes,
but most ex xienslvely by pharmacists,
but the supply exceeded the demand
In the report above mentioned they
saw what was being done in the man.
ufacture of turpentine, rosin, ETC., in
all parts of the world and even in Ger
many and Austria they were tapping
trees and getting crude turpentine to
make resin for the brewers to line beer
barrels.
The idea was that by applying steam
during the process of distillation the
turpentine could be extracted from the
fir balsan, and the rosin also saved.
In the distillation of turpentine from
the balsam certain portion of abbela-
tine is left III it. This is removed by
redistillation and the application of a
simple cleanser or clarifier, and their
product has been submitted to experts,
who haye pronounced it one of the
/
very best for medicinal purposes, and
painters of repute prefer it to the hest
imported article. The question of
permanently engaging in the manu-
faeture of turpentine now depends en-
tirely on how cheaply the sap can be
gathered from the fir trees. 1t is to be
hoped that this question can be salts
factorily settled, and that the new
industry may thrive and proaper and
that the cultivation of peppermint may
add another to the products Of diversi-
fled farming.