St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-01-31
The Chemist Of
the Refinery
BY S. RIIETT ROMAN

fluid boiling in a glass tube over
a spirit lamp, as it turned to deep
purple, then violet, then settled to
pure white, and the test being over,
poured out the liquid, carefully ex-
unguished his light, washed the thin
crystal receptacle, placed it method
lcally in rack. where others of Curl
Gus forms were ranged upside down,
and walking over to a desk began
clphering out the analysis of sucrose
and glucose in the cane juice, being
converted into various grades of
sugars in the Central refinery. s
And all the while an undercurrent
OF thought took him to other times
and other scenes and turned back the
calendar of years which represented
early ambitions and hopes, and was
giorified by romance, and the all but
possession of youths dearest attain
ments. t
The chemist sighed unconsciously
while his eye ran over the figures,
and his brain made it's rapid calcula-
tions, and he gave orders to lad
who was there to do his bidding, to
go into the house for other samples
of juice.
The laboratory stood a short dis
tance from the refinery.
1t was small room filled with
chemical apparatus, wooden chair
and desk. and the chemist slept in
an adjoining one, which was neat
and clean and bare.
The chemist was young man anil
handsome. He was clean-shaven AMI
eminently aristocratic in face and
bearing. He had firm set mouth
and large brown eyes, profoundly
melancholy, just then, but with a red
light in them which indicated dan
ger signal to be cautious, a warning
to the wise not to get into his way.
Quiet and talking very little to the
other men, yet always courteous, the
chemist had managed to impress the
conviction on the superintendent, the
manager and the lesser lights in the
Belleona refinery that he knew his
own business thoroughly, would in
terfere with no one, nor would put
up with any intermeddling with his
affairs.
To his directions, given in quiet
tones, to slime or not to lime, to
add or reduce the sulphur and others
necessary to convert the ugly, gray
fluid pouring from the rollers into
clarified cane juice sugar, whitened
In whirling turbines, then packed in
to long rows of barrels in the finish
ing room. were listened to and
obeyed with a promptitude which
elected much approval from Will
liams, the superintendent. +s4l-.
The whistle of the refinery told
that it was IL o'clock and time for .
change of watch. ~. .- s. ,tr. a+
The lad, Jean Batiste, yawned audi
bly, and with an air of relief depos-
tied his last row of samples to be
riven that night on the table, and
went out.
The monotonous rumble of the ma
chinery. the heavy role and rattle of
the cane, as it was let down noisily
On the carrier. an occasional order
shouted out under the shed, and the
monotonous singing, in the melan-
choly minor tones, of some of the
hands, as they worked at the cane,
spreading it out so as to facilitate
the grinding of the great rollers of
the mill, were the sounds which
came to the chemist as he made his
tests, and the slow hours passed.
There was no curtain; over the
wide window of the laboratory, lool-
ing eastward, and the scene outside.
hathed by the light of November
moon. was calmly seductive.
The dull rumble of the machinery
w.s monotonous, and there were no
more samples to test just then.
The chemist sat down.
There was sound of quickly trot-
+;no horses, of gay voices, shout
and a call, rolling of wheels, and
- animated hustle before the refn-
ery door. .a-i... t~ ..
:We've come to see you. Do say
Won are glad" a rich mellow voice
called to the chemist, laughingly.
~ course, it was Aurore. Nobody
..,,+ Aurore ever had that wonderful
s;hrant voice. How cleverly she had
,,saeled the bays and pulled them up
short at the step, while Fannie
TIlerton screamed and the men ap-
p,auded.
..diss Aurore says you Louisiana
sugar people always brew punch
vhen callers come to see you while
YOU are grinding"