The Greeley tribune., 1904-08-25
COAL ON FIRE
OVER 1900 TONS ABLAZE IN
ONE PILE.
Spontaneous Combustion at Sugar
Factory.-Molasses Worked
into ugar.-Prosperity
for Growers.

A pile of 1900 tons of coal at the
Greeley sugar factory has caught fire
by spontaneous combustion and row
the huge heap is being removed with
wagon to another place, and the fire
gradually extineuished. Water seemed
to have no effect upon the fire at all,
as 1t was smodering down ten or
twelve feet in the pile, so it is nee
essary to shovel the whole thing and
put out the fire as the coal is moved.
A trench is being cut through the
middle Of the pile in the hope that
the fire may be cut off before it pen
etrates the entire heap.
The work OF converting the two
years accumulation of moasses into
sugar is now nearly completed and
the brown sugar resulting will be
worked up with the new beets next
fall and made into granulated sugar.
The immense pit of pulp has almost
entirely disappeared practically ev-
cry bit OF it going toward fattening
stock aud lambs for market.
y general oyerhauling and clean
ing up Of the machinery of the plant
is going on, and everything made
ready for the next cam paign.
With the prospect for low prices
for potatoes this fall, IS result OF
the generally good crops all over the
couutry, great many farmers are
feeling happy to think that they have
a good acreage OF oeets, as this crop
Will likely bring better returns in
dollars and cents than any other CROP
this fall.
The department Of agriculture o.
| the United States has spent grea
I deal OF time and money IN expert
menting and investigating in the bee
sugar industry, and the conclusions
reached by the agents OF this depart
ment can usually be relied upon. lr
bulletin on the progress OF this IN
| dustry in 1908 Charles f. Saylor
special agent OF the department o.
agriculture, has the following to say
about the benefits that may be eX'
pecled to flow from the establishment
Of sugar factory at Phoenix, Ariz.,
having a capacity OF 500 tons OF beet'
| per day.
"ArgiculturalLy, Arizona, like The
mountain states farther north, has
been noted chiefly for grazing, but
mining is the principal source OF
wealth. This sugar factory will con
! tribute materially TO the prosperity
Of both grazing and mining. The
erazer will find the pulp produced by
| the factory valuable food for hi:
stock: the mining camp will fins
sugar, one of the necessities Of life
at its very door. This sugar factory,
and others which will probably follow,
NAV revolUtiOnize the economic con-
ditious Of the territory, and produce
many changes materially helpful,
| The factory will pay to the farmers
in the vicinity annually 1925, 600 1t
will also pay out large amounts tc
| the coal mines for fuel to the ldborefs
rs wages, to the quarry owners FOL
lime rock, and for other local pur-
poses. aggregatius 100000 or $500,
600. This vast expenditure must be
materially beneficial to all local in
terests. 1t will find its way to the
| merchant: it will mean market fol-
- . J. ~ nit,Irl
it will help carry the burden OF tax
| alton. it will encourage improve
| ment, immigration and settlement. y
There is no denying the fact that
the establishment OF the sugar fac
tory has been the means OF increas'
ing the population of Greeley by
about one third since 1901. The same
is also true Of other towns in WeId
| ppnDtV