Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-03-08
BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
Interesting Interviews on the Subject
with the Gentlemen of the Water
town Delegation Who Went
to Bay City, Mich.

to Bay City, Mich.
The question of beet sugar plant
having become one of engrossing in
terest to our citizens, we deemed it
advisable to interview the gentlemen
| of he Watertown delegation, headed
| by our energetic and enterprisiug
young mayor, Henry Mulberger, who
| left here last Thursday morning for Bay
! City, Mich, to inspect the beet sugar
works at that point, and are enabled
| to lay before ouI readers most COM
prehensive and interesting statement
of what they saw. Besides th may
or, Alderman Wertheimer, Captain
Fred Kusel, w. H. Woodland and Alex
Buchheit were of the party. The in
| tervieWs are as follows:
MAYOR MULBERGER.
Our party left Chicago over the
main line of the Michigan Central
railroad Thursday morning at 10
o'clock. Starting at a point about
forty miles east of Michigan City,
Ind, the aspect of the country is sim
liar to that lying immediately north
! of this city, although the land does
not appear to be as heavy or rich as
ours. From this point to Bay City it
is an immense wheat belt, dotted with
! only an occasional fruit orchard. The
farm buildings plainly indicated the
mpOverishment of the farmers, owing
to the fact that 60 cent wheat did not
pay them. 1t was their ruinatiOn.
The state of Michigan, realizing
that something must be done to lift
| these farmers out of the slough OF de-
spair, after careful investigation de-
ciled that the only thing that would
afford the necessary relief was to
! encourage the investment Of capital
in the manufacture of beet sugar;
and with this end in view deemed it
advisable to enact a law granting one
cent per pound on all sugar annually
manufactured for the term Of seven
years. The results obtained have
fully justified the action of the Michi
gan legislature.
In consideration of this bounty, the
| state has established the fixed rate Of
81 per ton for beets testing II per
cent. sugar. and 333 cents extra for
each additional per cent, and the
reverse ratio for less per centage.
The state appoints weighmaster and
! inspector at each factory to see that
the farmers are given their proper
weights and per centages.
| was agreeably disappointed in the
result of our investigation at Bay
City. Heretofore had thought that
| the reported success in the manufact-
ure of beet sugar was a good deal of
a delusiou, and an investment rather
to be avoided by capitalists. But
here we found a 350-ton per day
factory just finishing up an initial
run, under what | may call adverse
circumstances. Men without previous
experience were running the business,
as the manager, who is the life and
soul of any enterprise, died before the
completion of the plant, the supervis-
ion then devolving upon the president,
Mr.. Cranage, who had to face a
condition of affairs rather appalling
to a novice, as he had relied upon his
dead predecessor to manage the busi-
ness.
We found Mr.. Cranage in his Office,
and in spite of the fact that it was an
unusually busy day with him, he gave
Us good synopsis of their organiza-
tion and the business transacted by
their company.
Bay City is situated in the midst of
what was once one Of the most famous
numbering districts in the Union, but
Mr.. Cranage, with other lumber
| kings, had retired from business
in consequence of the depletion of the
timber from the pine lands. Unlocking
for a new and promising industry they
decided that beet sugar factory gave
promise of the most profitable invest
ment. MIR. Cranage stated that he
subscribed for $40, 900 of the capital
stock, and had since increased it to
$50, 900. His factory's output the first
season was over 5000, 600 pounds, all
of which had been marketed. Plans are
now being drawn to increase it's Ca
pacity 100 tons per day, thus giving
it total capacity of 450 tons.
AS to its success from capitalistic
standpoint, you can draw your own
conclusions from the following:
Mr.. Burton, a wealthy lum herman
who was treasurer and director oi
the company evidently believing it 9
good investment). deciding to concen-
trate his capital, withdrew from the
first company and allied himself with
a new organization, whichis styled the
Bay City Sugar company, and il
is at present erecting a 500ton plant
almost adjoining the other factory.
Ex-Congressman Fischer one O
West Bay City's wealthiest men, anG
also a director of the first company
apparently being of the same opinion
as Mr.. Burton, also withdrew anC
organized company of his own
and has already let the contract for {
plant of 800 tons, with provision fol-
doubling its capacity, but the applica
tions for contracts by the farmer:
being SO numerous and urgent he has
let an additional contract for an in
crease of 200 tons, thus giving it {