The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-25
WILL BUILD MILLS
If SUGAR CANE FOR THEM is AS
SURED.
CAPITALISTS ARE READY.
CAPT. PURSE LOOKING INTO MA
CHINERY PRICES.

Farmers of the Vicinity of n 200
TOns-a-Day Mill, Capt Purse Says,
Would Need TO Plant About $50
Acres in Cane-Assurances Are
Such as to Indicate That They
Would BE Glad to Do It-Such n
Mill Could he Established for $780,
O00-Capt. Purse just Back From "A
Trip on Behalf of Sugar Industry
and VIII Leave Soon on Another.
Sugar mills Capt. ID. G. Purse be-
leves, will soon be in operation in a Sec
ton of the South that has never known
them. Capt. Purse returned yesterday
afternoon from trip to the North in
tine interest of the sugar-growing indus
try of the South, one that he believes is
speedily TO be developed to great proper
tons. The possibilities of the industry
appeal so wildly to him that he is pre-
pared to predict the early establishments
of mills.
To Capt. Purses mind, the only posi-
Bile obstacles that could intervene 10 pre-
vent the construction and operation Of
the mills, would be the difficulty of Sc
curing a sufficient quantity OF cane TO
provide them with material. Capitalists
at several places, he said, are ready to
invest in mills, and it only remains for II
to be made clear that sufficiently large
acreages in their immediate vicinity will
be planted in sugar cane TO insure enough
for their continual operation during the
harvesting season.
The great interest that has been shown
by farmers throughout the South, Capt.
Purse said, would seem to indicate clear
ly that they are anxious and eager to
plant cane. Every mail brings Capt
Purse great number of communications
upon the matter of cane, as he has be-
come recognized as an authority through
his treatise on cane and the numerous
articles he has written from time to time.
The farmers declare their desire to plant
largely in cane just as soon as mills for
its use can be established.
Buffalo was one of the cities visited by
Capt. Purse. He called on manufactu1-
ers of sugar mill machinery while there,
ascertaining their prices for machinery
laid down in New York, whence ocean
rates to Savannah, Charleston or Jack
sonVille would be comparatively low. With
the railroads from the ports, Capt. Purse
said, it could be easily arranged for free
transportation for the machinery to the
points where it is to be used, as the
roads are anxious to promote the indus
try, as ii would mean great additions TO
their business. Capt. Purse has already
secured from the roads the concession of
a specific rate for cane This is re-
garded as low and would admit of the
product being transported from the sta
lions near where it is produced to the
mills at slight cost.
From the prices quoted Capt. Purse, he
figured that a mill could be established
for $4,000, the capacity of which would be
200 tons of cane day. AS one acre will
produce, upon an average, 20 tons of
cane, such a mill would consume the
products of ten acres in a day. Allowing
sixty days as the harvesting season 600
acres planted in cane would be enough
to provide material for the operation of
the mill. To cover contingencies. Capt.
Purse fixes the acreage at $780, and he is
confident that the farmers in several To-
caltles are ready to plant to that ex-
tent
Faith in corn stalks as producers of SUI
gar is still keen in Capt. Purse. With but
slight modification in the machinery, a
sugar mill that utilities cane at one sea-
son, might, at another, utilize corn stalks
Wnlch would mean the provision of an
other source of revenue to farmers. Capt
Purse exhibits superior qualities of sugar
obtained from corn stalks and says the
general use of the stalks for its manu-
facture would mean the conversion of this
section into the sugar belt of the world
Just now Capt. Purse is not prepared to
say for what place he is acting but he
represents capitalists who are anxious to
invest in sugar mills just as soon as they
can get the proper assurances that suffi-
cient cane will be planted to insure enough
raw material. Within two weeks Capt
Purse will leave on another trip, intend
ing to visit sugar mill machinery man.
ufacturers in Ohio and Michigan.
Savannah, however is not one of the
places No one seems to have taken up
the plan here, despite the fact Capt
Purse says, that no county in the South
has land better adapted to the produce
ton of sugar cane than Chatham.