The daily sentinel., 1905-02-08
R. DAVE
SAYS THINGS
The Enlargement of the
Grand junction Sugar
Refinery Discussed
By Manager.

/ In an article published in the Den
yer Post the plans OF the Western
Sugar 4 Land Company, operating
the sugar factory in this city, are
told, and the progress made in the
city and valley during the past year
is spoken of in most commendable
terms The Information regarding
the proposed enlargement of the fac
tory is furnished by r. p. Davie,
president of the company.
The article contains some very in
teresting information and reads. in
part, as follows;
Mr.. Davie announces that his COM
pany has decided to greatly enlarge
the factory at Grand Junction, in
crease its capacity and prepare for
much larger campaign and output
for next year. Mr.. Davie has been
in Colorado Springs in consultation
with the other directors, and he and
| j. X. McKinnie, who Is the largest
holder in the company. have been
east to arrange for the new machin-
cry and appliances.
The new improvements will con
sist of enlarging the factory itself
so that its daily output will be much
larger, and so that It can, therefore,
purchase and make up much larger
acreage and production of beets than
it now handles This decision has
been reached by the company on ac-
count of the splendid success that has
been met with in this region in the
growing of sugar beets. The irri-
gated lands in the Grand, Gunnison,
Uncompahgre and smaller valleys, all
of which are directly tributary to
Grand Junction. have been demon
strated to produce as heavy yields
of beets, with as great purity and
richness. as are produced in the most
favored regions.
In addition to the enlargement of
the factory, the company intends
constructing several new storage
beet sheds, building greater num-
ber of fumes. erecting some new beet
dumps at new points along the rail
road, and erecting several new hous-
es for laborers and superintendents
on its lands. The company owns A.
600 acres of the best beet producing
lands in the valley, and is following
the policy of planting a larger acre
age on its own account each year.
but it does not allow its ownership
of land to interfere at all with maxi
ing contracts with the farmers, as
it intends to follow the policy of en-
larging its capacity, or erecting new
mills, to keep pace with the in
creasde production of beets in it's
territory. Last year about 5000
acres of beets were produced AL
ready the company has contracts for
the present year of about 5000
acres. Last year many of the farm
ers made net profits, above all ex-
penses, of from $50 to SIS per acre,
and with experience they expect to
make even larger profits.
The benefit of this great factory
is best and most concisely shown by
the statement that 1t paid out to the
farmers and for labor and supplies
purchased in Grand Junction the
sum of S35O.OOO last year. This
money found its way into every chan
mel of business in the city and val
ley, and its effect has been to make
this the most prosperous town in
Colorado.
This year the sugar company ex-
way, and it is also considering the
purchase of its own live stock to CON
sumo the pulp. The company in
tends to cover the entire region trib-
utary to Grand Junction. and already
it has beets produced as far west as
Green River, Utah; as far east as
Carbondale. and also throughout Del
ia and Montrose counties. 1t is
known that the company's policy
will be to constantly add to and en-
large the factory at this point. but
it is also expected that it will have
to erect other factories in this terri
tory, perhaps at Glenwood Springs
first. and later at other points.
The entire Grand valley region is
in more highly prosperous condi-
ton. and on a sounder business bas-
is, than It has ever been before. The
city of Grand Junction, while max
ing no noise about It, has grown to
have population of 5000. There
is not a vacant business house, nor
not more than two or three vacant !
dwellings in the twon. Within the |
last two years great number of
substantial. handsome, modern
homes. costing from $4,000 to S15.-
900, have been built. The merchants |
carry much larger stocks of goods |
than are usually carried in towns
of this size. and the bank deposits, |
and the general prosperity that ex-