The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-11-15

ident; f o. Dewey, secretary; and S.
+. Parkill, treasurer. An advisory com.
mlttee was also made up of the officers
just mentioned and /. H Keller, j. II /.
Laverock, and g. ID. Stewart. Two
other committees were also appointed
by the meeting. one to confer with the
council and the other to have charge OF
the work of soliciting for the contracts.
The first was composed of S. S. Miner,
b. S. Stratton, and w. Z. Hall, and tn,
committee appointed to have the matter
OF soliciting the contracts in charge was
made up of q. w. Detwiler, s. S, Miner,
Warren Pierpont, l. II. Keller, and
Oh aries Shickle. Mr.. Charles Derham
was also urged to become member of
the committee, and after the regular
meeting had adjourned the committee
got his consent to do all in his power
with the rest in the work of securing
the beet contracts. Mr.. Derham has
already been referred to for the con.
vincing way in which he addressed the
Wednesday afternoon meeting in the
opera house, and he will make strong
addition to the committee. Measures
were also got under way looking to the
giving OF the entire time of one of the
above mentioned men to the matter of
pushing the campaign for contracts and
placing men III the field throughout
the entire county to push the work to
completion within the next week or ten
days. Another matter which shows not
only the enthusiasm but also the united
way in which the men are going into
the matter was the proposition which
was advanced last night that the citi.
zens represented there and others from
the business men of the city, unite in
taking thousand acres and hiring q
competent man to look after the crop.
Work has been pushed along this line
this forenoon and it seems quite certain
that some such guarantee will be made
by Owssso citizens. This measure is
however intended solely to show their
faith in the business and not with the
intention of crowding out any other
growers.
The following communication from
Mr. S S. Miner who visited one of the
Bay City beet sugar factories last week
shows his views on the desirability Of
securing the factory.
About two weeks ago had occasion
to visit Bay City on business. While
there / visited the Bay City beet sugar
factory. l had great ideas about it be-
fore from talking with gentlemen who
knew something about it, but my ideas
were not up to what found inside.
never saw so much machinery in one
institution. They told me that they
were cutting up seven hundred tons of
beets every day; that the average price
was five dollars per ton and over.
They employ two hundred and sixty.
five men, which makes over four thou
sand dollars that they are paying out
of the men. This continues for about
four months, which makes nearly five
hundred thousand dollars that is dis.
tributed in Bay City and the surround
ing country. Five hundred thousand
dollars added to the wealth of Shiawas
see county each year! And this is not
only for one year, but it lasts for ten
years, twenty years, possibly forever.
1t will not only affect us of the present
generation but future generations, and
it is an institution above all others that
will benefit the farmers. learned
from them that the farmer can raise
from twelve to fifteen tons per acre,
and one gentleman told me that with
modern machinery it will cost but ten
per cent more to raise beets than it
would to raise corn, or beans, or
potatoes, and that the profits would be
more than double the same. The capt.
tai for this institution can be easily
obtained and the only question, and in
my opinion it is a very important ques.
ton, is will farmers rouse up? Will
they try TO benefit themselves Will
they accept this opportunity? If they
do they will have beet sugar factory
in their midst within year that will
make a market for them, not only for
their beets, but the large number of
people that must necessarily be en-
ployed will consume other farm produce
aud will make home market for
almost everything that the farmer has
to sell upon his farm.
For the next thirty days every farmer
within ten miles OF Owosso ought to
make it his business to see that not
only himself but his neighbor does
something towards getting this valu.
able institution in their midst.
~
The Alma Sugar Co. will pay out to-.
day $4,000 for sugar beets.
The yearly pay roll at the plant of the
Alma Sugar Co. amounts to $4,000.
Seventy seven per cent of the beets
used at the Alma factory this year will
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