The morning times., 1897-01-08
THE DEAD BEET
SUGAR SENATOR


Oxnard, of Nebraska beet sugar fame,
appeared recently in this city. He has been
a sort Of dissoI wing view in Nebraska, South
Dakota and California during the last three
or four IN onths
This Is the same Oxnard that went up
from Omaha to make a home in South
Dakota, last September. He was going TO
vote there to help elect a Republican leeis-
lature and come out OF the State as
Senator, to succeed Kyle This brilliant
program was not entirely the fruit of thu.
beet sugar brain OF Oxnard, but rather
one that Mr.. Dog gewater, of Omaha.
hatched.
Oxnard did go out to South Dakota, and
slept one night there at a lovely ranch in
the Deadw od county. That fixed his resi-
dence in the State. Then, he prepared his
beet sugar campaign, to with each
county and township he had his agents ON
tile stump, as well as himself, declaring
that If Mckinley was elected he would es-
tablish beet sugar factory in every farm
ing district-that it would give the farmers
way to prosperity. he pooled his issue with
the railroads, and they together with Mark
Hanna, all pulled braveIy together
So finely did the beet sugar racket
work, that soon, to all outside evidence,
South Dakota seemed sweet enough TO
and, as California was hot and sour, Oxnard
was suddenly dispatched to the Golden
State, with unlimited powers TO open beet
sugar factories all over the same, every
where that farmers did abound.
Now, Oxnard merGes from the wreck Of
his hope in South Dakota. together with no
comfort in the close returns from Cali
fornia, for him. No beet sugar factories are
now springing up in these hopeful States,
spite Of being so thoroughly planted as
they were; and now, instead. Oxnard
wants bounty from Congress to feed his
own Nebraskan plant. and as balm for his
financial losses.
Members OF the Farmers Alliance are
in the city now an d are opposing Oxnard's
bounty scheme. They say that he will
only continue to rob them with it as he
has robbed them in the past. They use
the words rob and crush" advisedIy,
and for the following reason:
When beet sugar factory is established
in township. the farmers all around for
miles are encouraged to plant and grow
sugar beets. These beets ripen so that
they arrive at distinct period OF growth
when the sugar base in them Is greatest
That period only Lasts four or five days
Then a reaction sets in. and as the beet
decays, or gets older. there is less and
less sugar in it. It is consequently steadily
worth less and less.
Therefore. when the farmers bring these
sugar beets in their large open box wagons
| &c the factory they usually all arrive pretty
| nearly at the same times, /. e, within
| that short period of best sugar in their
beets. This necessitates a very quick
| buying d nj weighing a the factory because
| every load OF beetS is bought on It's own
| merits, and according u a fixed scale
| Of value as to the relative sweetness OF
| the bects, regular standard OF which is
| established on that basis.
| w" NhS 'ApCiN AuN-l AbA bA4t AGi ttt
| steps in, runs his experienced eye over
the wagon load Of beets. picks out u
sample beet or two from the pile in the
box a ton or mcrei and washes it andtests
| it for sugar. Upon the result OF this test
| all the load from which that beet comes
must stand and be sold. The load is
| weighed in bulk
On tie fac. OF everything this is all
| fair, but in fact 1t is swindIe. SO these
| farmers allege, for it is conducted IN this
| fashion: The expert oXnard buyer from
| long practice knows an unripe, npe or
| overripe beet the moment his eye rests
| on it. He can always find few OF them
that are poor samples among the thousands
! In any first grade load. He therefore
| picks such beet out for the test, and
! the farmer is swindled out Of the profit
that honestly belongs to him for the real
| quality Of his load.
| Therefore, so flagrant has been this
abuse ty these beet buyers of the beet
raising farmers in Nebraska and Kansas,
| that they are down here now 70 object to
any further bounty being paid the 0xnart
men. because IL does them no good and
| only fattens their robbers, so they say