The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-21
A eusHEL OF corn.



Its Progress From che Farm 90 the Con-
sumner of whisky.
Illinois g. the great corn state and peo-
ria is the center of its most prolific belt.
Peoria g. a great grain market and cspe-
cially for corn. Vast quantities az the
golden grain are shipped into this city for
general distribution aud loaded into its
mammoth elevators hy the hundreds OF
thousands 81 bushels A great deal 81 corn
q shipped nom Peoria. but n vast guam
titv il used no home. There Is more corn
used en- Peoria than In any three cities en-
tho Union. even though those cities be
New York. Philadelphia and Chicago.
The reason o. obvious. Peoria IS not only
the center Of the great distiiling interests,
but here are located two OF the greatest
sugar houses in the country Down the
capacious maws OF the great distii lcries
are poured every day 20, 600 bushels of
corn. The sugar houses use from 5000 60
10. 900 bushels more each day i'm the year.
To supply this demand the product OF
900 acres OF rich corn lands are duly
shipped into Peoria for home consumption.
Aside from these fully 5000 bushels are
used daily for Other Purposes. So that IL
l. safe % estimate that fully 1000, 600
bushels Of corn are used IN this city annu-
ally for manufacturing and other purposes.
The greater part 81 this Is manufactured
into spirits.
Ii is wonderful 20 consider the changes
made hv a hushel Of corn I'm its transition
1rom the owners crib 90 the glass OF the
consumer. These changes are various aud
farreaehing They are other than fuan-
cial. But consider simply the mere ele-
ment Of value. Corn was selling. We viii
say. for So cents per hushel II came all |
the way from Nebraska perhaps, where 10 |
brought hut 20 cents. Tn transit two deal [
ers received a commission ~ cent each. I
The railroad company received cents for /
its freight and other charges. The distill- I
or paid IS cents He took and converted /
&c into AZ gallons 81 finished spirits and /
fed one OF his steers on the refuse. The /
distiller sold the spirits 90 a local dealer /
for s5.1e. Of which Uncle sam received /
S4.o5 as tax ON the spirits, leaving bal /
ance 10 the distiller Of ~ cents after he
had paid 80 cents for his corn.
The spirits. after being well watered and
compounded. are sold 40 profit by the
compounder and reotifer 20 the dealer, who
sells IL out at ] 5 cents a drink The a. /
gallons have svelled TO nine. and before IL
gets through 10 swells many head and
also the revenue Of the city where its lines
may be cast.
Sothat in it's travels from the Nebraska
crib 70 the Chicago saloon that bushel Of
corn has increased in value from 25 cents
20 many dollars, and with its constant run
ming mates has furnished employment at
least TO 80 men or more and has contrib
uted 20 both tho national and municipal
revenues
To resume. that bushel Of corn was thus
scattered on the highways Of business and
pleasure. Farmer 25 cents. railroads, IS
cents. commission men, cents, distillers,
70 cents. feeder. 4 o cents; Uncle sam, s. 05;
compounder and rectifer. 25 cents; retail
dealer, $40: city, 80. The consumer got
whatever was left in the spirits, each &C
cording 10 his strength or weakness.-Peo-
ria Herald.