Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-06-24
a}tiseellansons 8eading.
$50 100000 FOR CORNSTALKS.
Astonishing Figures of the Commercial
Possibilities of What Has Hitherto Been
Considered Waste Material.

Astonishing Figures of the Commercial
Possibilities of What Has Hitherto Been
Considered Waste Material.
New York Commercial,
Steps are being taken to form corn
stalk combine, with capital of $780,
100000. Its promoters say that if
they are successful in carrying out
their ideas, 25O,OOO,OOO tons of corn
stalks that are burned or left to rot by
the farmers of the United States will
prove to be as valuable as coal, or
about $6 per ton.
w. r. Tate, representing syndicate
of St. Louis, Chicago and Cleveland
capitalists, is now in the city, prepar-
ing the way for a meeting of the pro-
moters of the combine, which is to be
held at the Waldorf-Astoria on August
Is, when the scheme of financing and
the details of organization will be per-
fected. While he was reticent when
seen yesterday, he intimated that the
combine would not have for its object
the sitting of competition, but simply
the development of the cornstalk as
commercial commodity and the crea-
ton of markets for its several pro-
ducts.
Mr.. Tate has been in communication
in the last few days with several we'll
known promoters of this city, and
from one of these the purposes of the
new trust, along with some interesting
figures, were secured.
Over 250,0O0 tons Of cornstalks are
grown in the United States every
year, the acreage averaging S0,000,-
900 and the yield about three tons to
TO the acre. Of this immense amount,
two.thirds, or about 160,000,00O tons,
has heretofore been regarded as sheer
waste and litter, less than one-third Of
the total weight of the stalks being
serviceable as fodder for cattle. This
waste matter has been serious trou-
BILE to farmers for long time, not be-
cause of an understood loss of revenue
by it, but simply because of the neces-
sity of getting rid of it, by burning or
otherwise, in order to free the soil of
an encumbrance.
Science has demonstrated now that
this so-called waste has value all its
own, and reckoned at its present mar
ket price it is not known that the
farmers of the country have been
throwing away or burning up and
otherwise destroying S900,00O,O00 a
year for two decades at least, or $1S,-
0O,OO0,OO0. 1t is safe estimate that
twice that enormous sum has been
allowed to 60 to waste in cornstalks in
this country alone in the present CEN
tury.
A company organized few years
ago by Mark w. Marsden, of Philadel-
phia, which has two factories, one in
Rock ford, Ill, and another in Owens.
boro KY, has been successfully manu-
featuring six different products from
cornstalks. There are cellulose, which
is used for lining battle ships, serving
as an automatic leak STOPPER, the value
of which is we'll known; first-class
cardboard, splendid paper, an un-
equalled foundation for dynamite, a
patent cattle food and glue.
It these products and others that the
cornstalk may in the future be capable
of yielding that the proposed combine
intends to handle. Whether or not the
Marsden company will enter the CON-
bine is not known, but according to
Mr.. Tate the success of the scheme
does not depend upon the securing of
the Marsden patents, he intimating
that the promoters of the trust con-
troll their own process.
Mr.. Marsden has a contract with
the government for cellulose at $4OO
per ton, and it is figured that he can
manufacture one ton of cellulose from
Is tous of stalks, or S400, worth OF
cellulose from $50 worth of stalks, not
counting his by-products. Ground
cornstalks, cooked and sweetened with
molasses and pressed into bricks, is
regarded as one of the most nutritive
cattle foods yet placed on the market.
The paper and cardboard manufactur-
ed from cornstalks are already recog-
nized as exceptionally superior arti-
cles.
1t is the dust of cellulose that is
used for making powder and dyna-
mite. By reason of its powers of alb.
sorption and retention of nitro glycer-
inc, it is declared to be immensely
superior to sea island cotton, which
heretofore has been the chief base for
high explosives. The glue manutac-
tured from cornstalks finds a ready
market with jewellers and artists.
Mr.. Tate will leave for Washington
in a few days to look after several
patents for which he is negotiating.
As far as could be learned, the trust
will erect five factories in the north
west and southern corn belts, and i'm.
mediately upon organization will begin