The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-23
SUGAR MAKING In KANSAS.
Once the Source Of Bright Hopes, Now
Practically Abandoned.

Large Sums of Money Expended in Plants
Which Have Been Observation-Disclosures
of the Craze.
One OF the industries which the people
of western Kansas believed would al
ways pay and tide them oversw when crop
failures came was the manufacture of
sorghum sugar. Sorghum cane, they
said, would grow through the drYest
season. and the people could always
rely on this crop to bring them sure
return for their labor. But even this
industry has not proved successful, as
the score of deserted mills over the
State bear testimony. Many sugar
mills have been erected in various parts
of the State and thousands of dollars
have been invested in the business, but
there are now but two mills that make
any attempt at operation, the others
having been abandoned as failures.
Every possible encouragement has
been given the promoters of the indus
try, which promised so much, both by
the State and localities in which mills
have been built, but notwithstanding
this fact, the mills have one after an
other become bankrupt, and the two
that are still in operation during the SUI
gar manufacturing seast have met
with only Indifferent success by the
most careful and economical manage
ment. The farmer who grew the cane
and sold it to the mills and marketed
the seed and blades for feed to stockmen
1xy nj oe, xr-I, I,
money out of the sorghum sugar bust
ness in Kansas. The subject of manu-
facture of sugar was first agirated in
Kansas in 1887, when the State was pass
ing through its boom period, and when
money was plentiful for investment in
all kinds OF enterprises There was no
scheme so chimerical that capital was
adventurer who conceived any project
that had the mblance of feast bility
did not find it necessary to seek long for
money-With which to promote it, for
millions of money from the Middle and
New England States was seeking invest
ment in anything that gave remote
promise of rich returns. And so when
the subject of sugar was presented in an
alluring way. and theorists explained
how millions could be realized from SUI
gar manufacture in Kansas, there were
plenty of men with capital who were
ready to invest in the business.
THE SUGAR CRAZE.
In the spring of 1887, toward the clos
ing days of the session, the Kansas ieg-
islature enacted law to encourage the
manufacture of sugar and a bounty of
3-4 of cent.a pound was authorized to
be paid upon all sugar manufactured in
ha Ct,t 4,
yielding canes or plants grown in
Kansas. After the enactment of this
law sugar mills sprang up like mush-
rooms. CITIES, counties and towns voted
bonds in their aid in large sums, and
the enthusiastic Kansasan could see i'll
his State an immediate rival of LOUISE
ana as sugar producer. Sugar mill
companies were organized everywhere.
and before the time for the maturing of
that years crop of cane had arrived
nealry dozen large mills we've compIet-
ed and ready for business.
One company built three mills on the
Rock Island and Pacific railroad, at
Meade, Liberal and Arkalon, at a cost
of Si95, 900. The company was assisted
largely by the voting of bonds in the
towns in which the mills were located,
and in addition TO this the railroad COM
pany lent substantial assistance. After
running through a part of the first sea-
son the mills were closed, and no at
tempt has since been made to reopen
them. They still stand at the side OF
the tracks where they were built, and
are still pointed to with pride by the
admiring citizens whenever visitor is
shown over the town to wonder at it's
departed glory. Other mills were built
at Fort Scott Conway Springs. Min
nola, Medicine Lodge, Attica, Topeka
and other points. All have gone out of
business except the mills at Medicine
Lodge and Fort Scott. These are still
operated a few months each year.
THEY WANTED THE BONDS.
In many of the mill enterprises the
people were swindled in an outrageous
manner, the object of the mill promo
tiers being, apparently, only to mulct
the taxpayers out of the bonds they were
induced to vote in aid of the enterprise.
At Minneola, for instance, the mill
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