The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-09-26
coRN-coR MILL is A PUZZLE.
Big Indiana Industry That Is Con-
Quoted With the Greatest Secrecy.


From the Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune
There is one big industry located in
Indiana, in the little city of Greentown,
by which that place can justly lay claim
to being the "corn-cob' center of the
shipments of corn-cobs are consigned
by not only the Carload, but by train
loads, and at this time there are nearly
twenty trainloads out on the ground
These great outdoor mountains of cobs
are kept covered with large canvases and
horse cart is busily engaged transport
ing them to the milling chutes.
The industry referred to is the Corona
Milling and Elevator company, located
on the south side of the Clover Leaf rail-
road tracks. The concern is owned and
operated by Toledo, o., capital exclusive
~ There is not another industry of its
kind in the state of Indiana and but two
others Ia the United States. One of these
is located in Kentucky and the other
in Ohio. The plant, costing thousands
of dollars, filled with expensive machin-
cry for the grinding of corn-cobs has
been the cause of much curiosity
AS yet not a single newspaper, corre-
spondent or other inquisitive individual
has been able to gain admission to the
big mill, while the attempts are almost
without number. Men have gone hundreds
and Thousands of miles to have the pleas
ure of looking through the big concern,
only to be stopped at the door. Recently
a western man, who had come 600 miles,
approached the resident manager after
the fashion of a drummer, with a grip in
hand. and asked If they were In need of
some oils, thus trying to fool the ever
alert man at the door. On being assured
that their supply was adequate the stran-
ger insisted on tour through the mill,
which was refused him. The stranger
sought to bluff his way in, but was es-
corted off the premises in short order.
The milling department and engine
room are constructed of brick, the for
mer being three stories high The large
storage bins are built of lumber and are
surrounded with water pipes as a pro-
ground into a fine meal product called
corona" Just what that is, for what
purpose 1t is used, is the secret which
the company has taken every precaution
to guard. How well 1t has succeeded can
be judged and for the manager or any
employee to give out any information
would mean his immediate discharge.
The quality of corona must necessarily
follow the same grading as did the corn
from off these cobs. White cobs must
make white meal, red cobs red NEAL and
is reasonable to suppose that the miller
takes the same care of the grading and
sacking of the output as is done in any
Touring mill. Corona Is sacked up as any
other ground product and stacked up in
the car in rows. When thus loaded the
car is ready to start out on its journey
to Toledo or New York. as the case may
be, but with as much silent ceremony
and precaution as that with which the
unstamped currency is carted from the
bureau of printing and engraving to the
treasury in Washington.
That this company has found something
rich In corn cobs is certain. The rumor is
that the finest or first grade of corona
goes into some kind of shredded biscuit.
the second or red grade TO the eastern
breweries for the coloring of beer and
the third or mixed grade into mixture
of ground feed composed of corn and
oats
The plant here consumes well on to a
thousand carloads of cobs annually. In
addition to the corona product this COM
pany is a large buyer and exporter Of
corn. and in case the supply runs short
it manages to secure enough corn to SHELF
to keep the corona industry busy From
a little one-horse warehouse which was
destroyed by fire some four years ago.
has sprung this large, mysterious con-
Germ. which today ranks second among
Greentowns industries. The resident
manager is c. J. Davis of indianapolis
and the general manager is Fred Brown
of Toledo.