The Grit-advocate., 1905-04-14
Alcohol from Potatoes.

Joseph Brucker, formerly editor of
the Staats-Zeitung, published in Chi
cago, and more recently commissioner
on the decentralization of alcohol, is
now visiting in Denver. and engaged in
the work of arousing interest in the
project OF establishing bureau to in
vestigate the progress made by Ger
many in the use of alcohol for produc-
ing light, heat and power.
During the three years which Mr..
Brucker spent in Germany in the in
terests of the Worlds Fair. he be-
came deeply interested in the subject
of denaturalized alcohol as used for
manufacturing and mechanical pur-
poses, and made a deep study of the
progress attained by the German peo-
pie. Decentralization of alcohol. by
the way, means nothing more or less
than so adulterating the liquid that it
is unpalatable, undrinkable and unfit
for any purpose except for use in man
ufacturing, as In the production of
light, heat and power, and in the max
ing of varnishes. etc.
Germany became interested in alco-
hol," said Mr.. Brucker. because she
has no petroleum deposits. All of this
commodity used in the country must
be imported from Gallicia, Russia or
America. Now, Emperor William is
progressive Like the Americans, he
believes that the shirt is nearer to us
than the coat So he investigated the
the subject of the use of alcohol in
place of oil, in an effort to protect
home industries.
Large prizes were offered for i'm
provements and patents for the utiliza-
tion of alcohol for lighting, heating and
the production of power. and the re-
suit was astonishing. There is now
hardly any line of trade or manufac
turing in which denaturalized alcohol
is not employed. Every German city
has stores which deal in lamps, cook
stoves. lighting apparatus of all kinds.
even fiat irons for tailors, which use
alcohol; and there are automobiles
heated by alcohol and locomotives pro-
PEELED by alcohol. as well as machinery
of all kinds. including threshers. now
ers and all sorts of farming machinery
This industry has passed the ex-
perimental stage in Germany. Many
prominent Americans have become in
terested in the subject and all say that
in time it will become a great factor
in the industrial world of the United
States. Among the men whom l have
interested in this subject are for
mer Ambassador to Germany Andrew
D. White. the present ambassador,
Charlemagne Tower. and Melville E.
Stone, manager OF the Associated
Press.
Colorado would be greatly bene
flied if this country followed in the
footsteps of Germany. Every year
thousands and thousands of tons of
potatoes rot in the United States be-
cause Of the inability of the growers
to get them to market at a profit on
account of the railroad rates. All
these could be converted into alcohol,
for use in the trades, at such a low
figure, that the petroleum industry
would no longer be monopoly. The
farmers of each district could organ
ize and provide capital for distillery
and thus take care of their surplus
crop. And moreover. alcohol can be
made from many cereals and even
from corn husks. BY the farmers COM
bining with the manufacturers. legis-
lation could be secured abolishing the
tax on denaturaliZed alcohol for man
ufacturing purposes, and thus a new
industry could be started which would
prove most beneficial to the United
States and especially so to the farm
erS.