The herald., 1895-07-10
gHh0'S SUGAR FACTORY
One Of Caiifornia's Growing
Institutions
THE MOVING OF MACHINERY
how Sugar Is Made From the Humble
Beet
Where the Juicy Root Is Transformed Into
Differing Granules Of Sweetuess
In Fourteen Hours

Few people outside of the thriving town
and the equally thriving community OF
Chino. on the great Chino ranch. thirty
five miles from Los Angeles, know much
If anything about one of California's
greatest and most important industries
the manufacture of the finest grades of
sugar from beets.
But the vegetable that is here trans
formed as by magic into tbs most staple OF
all staple articles is not the red, sweet
and sour article our mothers were wont to
serve as salad-only distant cousin, and
q very distant one, from Germany.
Yesterday this great sugar factory cele-
brated the opening of its fifth season with
prospects even brighter than ever before.
The season usually covers period OF
five months. and extends from July 18th
to Decemb bcr 18th; the opening this year,
however, being few days ahead OF time.
Through the kindness OF W. ii. ii ola
bird general manager of the Chino Ranch
company, his able assistant. f. j. Gates;
N. r. Cottman, general manager OF the
factory, and Hon. Richard Gird. the
original owner, several representatives OF
the press ana number of other visitors
were shown through the works.
The main building is 90x360 feet, the
new process separating factory 90xll0, and
the boiler house 50xl25. These, together
with smaller buildings, cover more than
five acres.
The beets, ,yafter being taken from the
ground in the surrounding fields. are
Topped and hauled to the factory. There
they are dumped into mammoth receiv-
ing trays from which they are conveyed
to dume. where they are partially
cleaned as they are hoisted by screw
px,f ha Iafto fh.,v rai Tn
the second floor, thoroughly washed and
thrown into the slicing machines, where
they are cut into strips about quarter
of an inch through and from two TO four
inches in length.
The next operation is sort OF sleeping
process not unlike making tea. By this
treatment every particle OF sweetness is
extracted and the water is drawn off,
leaving only thick syrup. After this
the syrup is treated with pulverized lime
and other chemicals. The lime is ex-
tracted, when-lo! presto, change-you
have as pure and beautiful an article as
ever pleased the eye or tickled the
palate.
Tho beets, as before stated, are not of
he ox-blood hue, but have a rich, creamy
tint, and weigh. on an average, four
pounds each. The seed is all imported
direct from Germany. The usual crop is
twenty tons to the acre, and $4 per ton
Guc 6V0I6kC PllCC pdlu Oy bkC AaCtoiys ho
this gives the producer $50 an acre. the
of the "horny handed" is de-
q lucrative one on the Chino
ranch.
The factory now consumes 800 tons of
beets per day, the full capacity. being 1000
tons, to which point it will be worked
later in the season, when everything is
fu full blast.
The 8. O0O. .O00 0 gallons of water used daily
Is supplied by artesian wells in the yicin-
ity. In addition to this it takes 15 tons
Of prepared lime per diem. This is
burned, crushed and pulverized on the
ground. by one OF the largest kilns in the
world. six runs Of burrs and boiling ma
being kept constantly running.
The ten boilers furnish the enormous
amount of 25, 900 horse power and burn
crude petroleum.. twenty-five to thirty
thousand gallons of this article is sup
piled every day through the company's
The total cost of the plant is trifle
over 81, 100, 900. $1oo,o OF which was
ADDED last year. The machinery is never
stopped from the beginning Of one season
till its close, two shifts of men being kept
at work, one during the day and one at
night.
The total number of employees, nearly
all of whom are Americans, no Chinese
or Japanese being employed, is about
800. Ire monthly pay roll is something
over 500. 900.
The bulk of the output of this institution
is consumed in Southern California. Los
Angeles being the distributing center.
One could hardly imagine that sixty tons
of sugar will be shipped to this city daily
during the next five months. but such is
q fact.
The company has its own electric light
plant and ice factory.
The 300 farmers on the great plantation
receive cash for their product on the
18th Of each month. Many of these own
theil own land. their holdings running
flom ten to sixty acres. Others pay a
cash rental, when their beets are sold. of
One-fourth of their crop, to the Chino
Ranch company.
The pl ice of land, which needs no irri-
CATION at any time of the year. averages
about $3.50 per ace. The Chino Ranch
company still owns 4l.000 acres. a very
desirable portion of which is being placed
on the market.
Among other things the beautiful town
of Chino boasts of nearly 1000 inhabi-
tants, 484 school children and brand
new school house that cost over $14 600.
This hustling burg is situated on tho
northeast corner os the great ranch and is
reached by the Southern Pacific and Chino |
Valley railroads.
Last, but not least by any means, Chino
is the home and birth place of the Chino
Valley Champion, published and ably
edited by Edwin Rhodes, a veteran news
paper man and a gentleman.
r ~