The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-02

Improvement IN the plant mas peen Hlau'
that may work a radical change in thu
method Of producing oil. Heretofore al
oil mills have used gravity filters. which
has necessitated the exposure of the oil
: for a long time to the air and dust, ne
cessitating additional labor and ex
penser in purifying the oil. BY the In
PRODUCTION of the Sperry filter such as
is used in beet factories. the oil is driver
through paper and cloth filters under 6
pressure of sixty pounds to the square
inch, making the process more rapid
economizing labor and insuring higher
grade of oil.
A rather odd, and at the same time
what has proven to be a very profitable
industry has been engaged in by a
company who worked the sand in the
river bed of the Los Angeles river. The
finer sand and gravel has been washed
and assorted, the finer quality of sand
being used for plastering, the finer
gravel for house roofing, and the coarser
gravel for road macadam, while the
cobble stones have found a ready
market for house building.
With the cheap fuel afforded by pc
troleum and, better still, the transmits
sion to Los Angeles, as we'll as other OF
the cities of Southern California, of
water power by electrical transmission,
has been opened up a wide avenue of
possibility before the manufacturer in
Southern California. With cheap power
assured the openings for capital in
manufacturing enterprises are many
and varied. 1t is not possible within
the scope of the present article to sur
vey the field in detail, but brief refer
ence may be made to few.
| In the first place there is an indefinite
ly large field for the further develop
ment of the several modes for utilizing
the fruit crops. Many more canneries
| are needed, and establishments for
making jellies, jams and other preserves.
1t seems absurd that in Los Angeles,
the very center of a region that prob
ably produces more and better oranges
than any section in the world, the sale
of marmalade imported from Scotland
should be quite considerable. Within
the last three months firm started in
quite small way of business to produce
a sweet marmalade, and in the interim
they have been glutted with orders.
The reha Utilization of the Los Angeles
Iron and Steel company is much to be
desired. For some time the works have
been closed down owing to financial diff
ficuity, not however, as a consequence
of lack of profitable business The
plant of the rolling mill is capable of
turning out iron and steel plates, and
sheeting and corrugated iron. The ma
terial used was principally scrap iron,
and petroleum was used as fuel.
The question of growing certain plants
in Southern California for the fiber they
contain has often been discussed. In
this connection it is worthy of note that
an English expert recently stated that
in 1895 England imported fibers valued
at $225, 900, and the export of manu-
featured goods reached the value of
$4,000, goo. The century plant, other
wise known as the aloe or mescal is
found growing wild in the Mojave and
Colorado deserts. and yields the sisal
of commerce. The industry is an i'm
portant one in Mexico. and the exports
of the fiber from Yucatan aggregate in
value several millions of dollars. In the
west the fiber yielded is longer and finer
than the Yucatan variety, and is in great
demand for the better grades of Irvine,
rope and other cordage. From the juice
of the plant table syrup is obtained,
liquor known as mescal. With hand
machine man can manufacture 200
pounds of the fiber per day, and this
Is worth cents per pound.
The cultivation of the ramie plant toe.
has been discussed a intervals and it is
now definitely known that the fiber may
be made more cheaply and prepared
better from a semi-tropical variety,
Rhea tenacissima, than from the Chi
nese plant. While the latter produces
two crops year the former produces
four. The intrinsic value of the fiber
has for a long time been admitted; so
much so that the Indian government
twice offered a prize Of $4,000 for rhea
filasse of high quality produced at mod
crate cost. Both French and Americans
have tried to solve the difficulties, which
have lain in the production, but without
success. Now an Indian chemist, trained
in this country, has mastered the in
tricacies of production, it is said and
ramie is now being turned out in sew
eral English factories in considerable
quantities ready for spinning. The
filasse can be sold at profit at cents
per pound, while flax in the same stage
of preparation costs from 16 to % cents.
In Southern California and Arizona the
ramie can be grown advantageously
and it has been suggested that Los An
geles would be a suitable location for the
establishment of a factory for produc-
ing the fiber.
Although furniture manufacture was
one of the earliest manufactures in the
state, the fullest opportunities have not
yet been appreciated and although the
factories already established in Los An
geles are increasing their facilities for
turning out work, there Is ample field for
the investment of capital. From Hon.
duras and other parts of Central Amer
lea mahogany logs and other semi-pre-
cious woods are brought by sea to New
Orleans and shipped to the Michigan
and other factories for manufacture
In the first instance, too, such timber
is cut far inland the coast factories hav-
ing through long years of cutting been
denuded of the richest timber. On the
Pacific coast of the Central American
states, as far south as Ecuador, the
richest timber fringes the coast line. 1t
can be cut and shipped to San Pedro for
use in the Los Angeles furniture fact
cries at 1.-THE of the cost of similar
shipments now being made on the At
lantic seaboard
The preparation of poi" from the
taro root affords a very profitable re-
turn for comparatively small invest
xc