The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-06
RICE CLEANING MILL.
NEW INDUSTRY HANDLED EN-
TIREIY ny CHIxAMEN.
Wa Cheng, the Progressive Mer-
chant. InstaIis q $4,000 Plant That
Ca. Clean $4,000 Worth of Rice
Yenr-The Capacity sosn 10 lie
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the un-
clean Product of the orient for
Americas CsBsumptten.

Walking by ne large wholesale estao-
nsnment OF the Chinese merchant, Wa
Choag. oae would hardly suspect that IN
the basement machinery Of tie NEST moi
srn class was whlrring. nor would tHa
busy scene below stairs be Imagined py
the casual visitor IA the store
Wa Csong has been in Seattle gcoa
whzla. He Is progressive, and when A. l..
uaxlev suggested 10 aim several weeks
ego that A rice-clsaring mil would be
good Investment ana showed aim sub
stsnktatIng figures, the ChInanan readily
took up the idea The proper machinery
was secured and, under Wa Chong's Own
supervision. and according 10 pans nahe
by himself Il was set up in the basement
Of the building This building. by the
way. was designed from conversions TO
chimney TOP By va Chongs who adds 70
his .hrewt capabilities as q merchant
some talent as an architect
A rice-cleaning mill. as judged BY the
one row IN Seattle, IS made Up or noisy,
xhirlAng machines, rice anu cninsmeil
There may be other mills Ia which the last
OF these requisites has a substitute, but
IN Wa Chong's establishment they are
prominent feature. There is not a white
man on the place, and this very fact has
been responsible for no end or trouble for
the proprietor. He formed the idea from
the srst thai he was the proper man 10
suggestion of AFR. Hawley that an Ameri-
can machinist should be engaged for at
least the arst few months. The machinery
was cranky at first II missed the guild
ing of white hands, and under the manage
ment OF the Cinnamon, became unruiy.
Once ia awhile IL would stop altogether.
On such occasions Wa Chong would leave
the basement In disgust and, mounting
10 the store above. would relieve his
yaF- an nHraSe
Three weeks now the plant has been run
ming. and at last all goes smoothly. The
yellow. dirty rice goes in one place and is
hammered, scraped and twisted through
various machines until 1t comes gladly
forth. snow white. from another.
The process IS intricate and but little I'M
derstood. The secrets OF rice cleaning
have been carefully guarded by those hav-
Ing establishments on the Coast. as the
profits are large. IL is a decided de-
parture for a Chinaman TO go into a thing
OF this kind. The only other plants are
IN San Francisco, Victoria and Portland.
and they are controlled by white men.
Wa Chong imports the unclean rice, hulls
II and cleans eft the inner cuticle when
the rice Is ready for the market. To do
this there are .erarstors. reels. dressers,
polishers, etc, run BY electricity. The
cost OF the present plant was A.eo. II Is
only test. and II successful as every
thing now indicates 20 be The case. the
capacity will be quadrupied within a short
time. Between two and three tons OF rice
per day. or $4,000 or SO 200 worth a year,
can now be handled. The running ex-
penses. including the wages OF six or
eight. are so day. A quantity of rice is
now on hand and several thousand sacks
are expected on the next steamship from
the Orient.
A visit 10 the mill IS interesting. and only
by personal observation can an idea be
formed OF the process OF rice cleaning Wa
Chong takes as much interest in the new
plant as a child In an unfamiliar toy. He
spends most Of his time in the basement
ard comes above 20 receive visitors with
rice dust lodged on his clothes and In his
smile.