The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-24
WOULD USE
CITYS WASTE
Eastern Capitalists Propose to
Build Dessicating Factory
WILL COST ABOUT $4,000
Garbage Would be Turned In
to Fertilizer.

George c. Van Nest. of Boston. and
Louis F. Ashton. of Kansas City. were
in Wichita yesterday and held a confer
ence with Mayor Mclean and a numbe:
of other city officials with regard to the
establishment OF a dessicating works in
Wichita. These gentlemen represent the
American Underwriting company with
headquarters in Boston and they submit
ted a proposition to the city officials for
the building of a dessieating factory in
Wichita TO take care OF the garbage OF
this city
The company owns a number Of patents
fer making fertilizers out of the waste
mater in city and they have found that
it is very good investment They have
worked IN almost all of the larger cities
of the country. They propose to build in
Wichita a plant to cost at least thirty
FIVE thousand dollars and operate it con-
tinuously if the city will grant them 4
franchise, giving them exclusive control
Of the garbage of the city laid down at
the door of the factory. Either the city
is TO clean up the garbage and haul it to
the door of the factory or the company
is to do this work under their own super
vision and he city pay them for the
work.
IN any event the garbage is furnished
them at the factory: they make fertilizer
out of it and sell this to the farmers Any
and all manner Of waster matter is taken
cid shoes. broken bottles, sticks and
leaves. rags, tin cans Old rags. slops, In
fact everything that has the ban of the
board of health on it and cannot be car
red off by the sewers and is generally
found in the alleys
According to the plan adopted in many
cities, garbage cans are placed at conven-
lent points over the city and the people
required 70 deposit all waste matter in
them. The cans are taken up each night
and emptied and delivered to the factory.
The company also finds use for dead ami
mails.
They have secret and patented processes
10 treat this garbage and make it into a
very rich fertilizer. especially IN a phos-
rhorous and nitrogen. and their product
is used a great deal on wheat lands and
the lands 1t is sold at low price.
Wichita has become so large that some
method of removing the garbage from the
streets and alleys. that would be ex-
pedient and economical must be devised.
The matter of keeping the streets and
alleys clean has given the city officials
and especially the board of health. con-
siderable trouble. A dumping ground for
the garbage of a city OF this size is some
thing to be dreaded, as the danger of dis
ease Is considerable and the burning OF
garbage is the method employed in many
cities, but it has been found that making
fertilizer from the garbage is a paying
proposition.
The city officials have been thinking
about this matter for some time and the
visit CT the two gentlemen came at 4 very
opportune time. az they were able to ans
yer many questions concerning the gar
tage and health of the cities in the coun-
try and offer facts and figures and COM
PARSONS as to the best methods. The
matter viii be considered by the council
at its meeting Monday night.