Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1896-01-24
THE DANGER IN SUGAR.
Industry in Which the United
States Should Lead.
YET THE CoOLIE TRADE THRIvEs

YET THE CO0LlE TkADE innl'E Eo
Supported by American Consumers iE
porant OF the Dangers to which
They May Be Exposed.
Few people probably the world over,
particularly in this active, vigorous
life, as they drop the little sweet crys-
tails into their tea and coffee, ever stop |
TO consider the origin of sugar, Its Gen.
turies Of use and improvement, Its en-
ormous factorship in trade channels
ramifying the complete circle OF the
globe. in almost every nation, OF every
olime. and the prodigious figures
reached in the volume of its manu-.
faeture and consumption. A BRIEF
synopsis of the growth of this remark
able product might not prove uninter-
esting to the reader hereof. Formerly
chemists called every sweet substance
sugar. The original habitat OF sugar
cane has never been fully established,
Init 80 far as known, was first cultivat-
"a in the country from China to Ben
gal. and did not reach the West from
India until later date. The art OF
boiling sugar was known in Gangetlc
India from which it was carried to
China during the first half of the sew
enth century, but sugar refining was
NOT known. for the Chinese learned the
use of ashes for this purpose only IN
the Mongol period and from European
visitors. Cane sugar was first analytic
ally made practical in 1910 by Fra
brizio Bartoli, who isolated the sugar
Of milk and proved its individuality.
Not. however, until the 18th century
did Marggraf make the important dis'
coyery that the juices Of beets, carrots,
etc. were identical with one another
and with sugar of cane. 1t is remark
able how the trade centers OF sugar
have during the ages varied. Sugar
refining was developed by the Arabian
nhysicians. In the age of discovery
the Spaniards became the producers O
supar cultivation, being planted D.
them in Madeira in l420, carried 9
San Domingo in 1494, and thence int
tha West Indies and South America II
the 1eth century, and from the dutie
levied by Charles v, that monarch Oh
tained funds to build his palaces a
Madrid and Toledo. In the Middl
Ares. Venice was the great Europeal
center Of the sugar trade and towar
the end of the 18th century, 1t Is re
corded of Venetian citizen bein
awarded 100, 900 crowns for his inver
tion Of loaf sugar.
The earliest reference to sugar l
Great Britain is that Of 100, 600 pounc
shipped to London in 1919 IN excnane
for wool. At this same time the a.
counts of the chamberlain OF Scotian
show the payment Of shilling 81
pence per pound for sugar, or abo1
AK cents per pound in United Stat
money. Throughout Europe 1t Col
tinued to be quite costly luxury, b
ing used for medicinal purposes oni.
until increasing use Of tea and coffe
in the 18th century, brought it into
as il is today-the list OF staple pr
ducts. The first discovery OF comme
sugar in beet root referred to abov
was in t747, by Sigmund Marggra
but no practical use Of his discover
was made until his pupil and succe
sor. Franz Carl Achaed, in Silesla,
1901, took up his sugar predecessor
work and established a beet-sugar ia
tory. To show the phenomenal grow
of this product, the consumption
su1ar in Great Britain in 170O W
10000 tons; in 1900, upwards OF i5c
600 tons, and in 1885, it had grown
over ,250, 900 tons.
In Europe it is an industry OF n
tional importance, especially in de
MANY. which nation controls an II
mense output. The worlds product
few years ago was about 1900
tons, the greatest consumers OF viii
are the Gothic and Teutonic stock, t
English and their offshoots being t
highest. The output in Europe OF Dt
root a few years ago was Sb,OOO,O
tons, and it's product in sugar l,Sl
900 tons. Crops range from five &c
of root per acre in Russia, to nine &c
in Germany, while in England It !
risen to twelve tons per acre. II tai
about fourteen tons Of root per ton
sugar generally in Europe, the prop
ton Of saccharine matter being
cent now, to per cent twenty ye
ago.
where Do Americans Stand?
Having given the above very br
synopsis Of the history OF sugar,
us now look for a moment at the Pc
tion of the United States in this ind
try and the possible dangers constan
surrounding Us, particularly on
Western coast. from importations Fl
Chinese-made sugar, and realize
consequence Of paying tribute to fore
labor, foreign capital and foreign sh
in an article placed upon nearly ev
table in the land; from the bang
table of the rich, to the lowly, humt
uncovarad hoard. serving as table,