The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-24
rHE STORY OF SUGAR
sHINA SEEMS TO HAVE SEEN tbs
FIRST CANE CULTIVATION.

Originally the Product Was Empssy-
cd Oniy MsdicinaIiy-,rhe Art Of ne.
anias Was Iavented sy . Efftsestt
Century Venetian.
Few other commodities possess q lar
ger photography than sugar. Never.
theless the early history Of sugar Il
wrapped In obscurity. Formerly chem.
lists called everything sugar" which
had sweet taste. but the term In its
scientific sense soon came to be re-
stricted to the sweet principles in vege-
table and animal juices. Only ons Of
these. cane sugar. was known as pure
substance until 1919, when an Italian
chemist isolated the sugar Of milk and
proved its individuality. The original
habitat Of the sugar cane IL not known,
but II seems to have been first cuiti-
waited In China and to have extended
thence TO India and Arabia at q com.
paratvsiy late date. Sugar is not mem
toned by either 0recian or Roman
writer's until the time of Nero. and sug-
ar candy was the first and only species
known to the European ancients. Il
was the original manufacture OF the
east, particularly China. and found its
way into Europe as raw sugars did In
after ages by way Of India. Arabia
and the He'd sea- Sugar when FIRST In.
troduced into every country was used
only incidentally. Almost nil physi.
clans. commencing with the Arab
leeches. employed It originally 10 ren.
der unpleasant and nauseating madi.
cines grateful to the sick and recon-
mended II in complaints Of the chest
and lungs.
That which preservsth apples ana psums
Wiii also preserve liver and lznxs
10 an old adage. But the use Of sugar
In sirups and preserves came later.
while barely three centuries have
elapsed since II became an Ingredient
In the popular diet Of Europe
The venetians were the fathers Of
tho European sugar trade. Anterior
TO The year i14s they both imported
considerable quantities Of sugar from
India and planted the cane In the island
Of sicily. With the produce OF this is-
lana and the Indian imports the vene
tians carried on a great trade and sup
piled all the markets Of Europe with
this commodity. However, the exact
date when sugar was first introduced
into England Is difficult to ascertain.
One Of the earliest references TO sugar
In England Is that Of 10000 pounds Of
sugar being shipped to London in 1919
by one Loredanao, merchant OF
veniee. TO be exchanged for wool. In
the same year there appears in the ac-
counts Of the chamberlain Of Scotland
a payment at the rate Of Is. 9ldd per
pound for sugar. Writing In 1850.
chaucer mentions the sweetness 60
sugar altegoricnlly.
The art Of refining sugar and making |
what Is called loaf sugar was invented
by Venetian citizen toward the end
81 the fifteenth century. This same
art was first practiced In England In
1914, the Adventures being Thomas
Gardiner and Sir William Chester. a.
sisted BY three venetians. They were
proprietors OF the only two sugar |
houses in England, but the profits aris-
ng from this concern were at FIRST
small. as the sugar re6ners at Ant
werp could supply the London market |
,heaper. Eventually war stopped the
intercourse between London and Ant
werp, and these two houses supplied all
England for q space of twenty years
Ind greatly enriched the proprietors,
whose success induced many others to
,mbark in the same trade. In 1895
Sir Thomas Mlldmay tried to create a
Iugar trust. On the pretext that frauds
we're practiced in refining sugar he pc
itioned Elizabeth to grant him H.
'ense for the exclusive right Of rean-
ng sugar for term Of years, but the
queen refused the request.
Meanwhile the Spaniards had become
n their turn the great disseminators OF
he sugar cultivation. The cane was
TAINTED by them In Madeira In 1420; 1t
vas carried to the West Indies in 1906,
nd It spread over the occupied por-
Ions Of South America during the six
eenth century. Yet sugar continued
0 be costly luxury. an article sub
ect to the control Of the physician and
onHned to the apothecary's shop, till
he increasing use Of tea and coffee In
be eighteenth century brought 1t into
he list Of principal food staples.
Sugar was believed to be an antidote
D alcohol. Bacon warmly supports
be theory of the power Of sugar not
My to render wine less intoxicating,
eing mixed Herewith at the time Of
rinking II, but also when eaten after
ard to remove the Ill effects OF too
opious libations Of unmingled wine.
alstaff, 1t may be remembered, al
'ays took sack and sugar" A GU
ous echo of this theory cropped up at
ie Lamson murder trial, The pris,
ner pleaded that the sugar brought
ito the room to serve as a suitable