The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-02
MEXICO FINE FOR
SUGAR RAISING.
FAMOUS ENGINEER TALKS ABOUT
TEHUANTEPEC.
G.. Hedemann Of Honolulu, Now in st.
Louis, Will Make Purchases of Ma
chinery for Immense Sugar Refinery
to Be Built for Tabasco Plantation
Compauy.

st. Louis, May g. (special.-C.. Hede-
mann, the great sugar engineer, who has
planned and supervised the erection Of
thirty-one out of thirty eight of the
largest sugar factories in the Hawaiian
islands or in the world, for that mat
ter, arrived in st. Louis today, after
visit in Minneapolis for a. number Of
recent trip to Mexico, where his COM
pany, the Honolulu Iron works, is now
entering on the erection for some Min
neapolis and other northwestern people,
of one of the largest sugar refneries in
the world, Of southern Mexico, and
especially Of the isthmus Of Tehuante
pee, Mr.. Hedemann says:
"Nature seems to have endowed this
region with many great advantages for
the raising of sugar cane. The soil is
rich vegetable mould, the accummu-
lation of untold ages of decaying veg
citation. I have never seen such magnif-
cent sugar cane as that / saw growing
on this land. The Hawaiian islands
have nethng t. a lgHai IT. eheea int
I made special examination last win
ter of the 25,000-acre plantation belong
ing to the Tabasco Plantation company
Of Minneapolis, in order to determine
it's adaptability to sugar production on
a large scale. This place has front
age Of sixteen miles on the Coatzacoal-
cos river, the largest and best in that
found the place excellently adapted for
the purpose mentioned. ~
1.-The Mexican government has built
railroad across the isthmus near this
plantation and is expending some $780,
000,0 900 in harbor improvements at
| Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, the two
ports, one on the gulf and the other on
sea walls, great steel docks, and ware
houses are already built, or in process
| of construction. 1T is expected that
this railroad will handle a large trans
continental traffic within two years, as
it is about one thousand miles nearer
the United States than Panama. All
this will have a tendency constantly to
is bound to attract a vast amount of
capital to this region which is, how.
ever. quite limited in area. It has
wonderful advantages as sugar-pro'
ducing region, because IF it's soil, eli
mate and location. Great crops OF
sugar cane can be produced here with
. out fertilization or irrigation. / found
Hawaii for the reason that planters
can bring in any number of Chinese
Japanese or Koreans under three-yea1
contracts to work on their plantations
In Hawaii, of course, Chinese are alto
/ gether excluded and no contract labor
1 of any kind is allowed.
i II predict wonderful success fol
all large and properly managed planta
4 tions on the isthmus, for the reasons
already given, which allow very Low
i cost Of production and because the sol
4 will give immense crops.
j Mr.. Hedemann will remain in st
i Louis for several days and will the1
visit other points to purchase machin
cry for the sugar refinery Of the Ia
4 basco Plantation company, the erection
4 Of which is to be commenced at once
4 He will sail for Germany about TIL.
4 middle of the month, where certain por
u tions Of the machinery will be secured
4 In the main, however American firm
are to be given the preference.