The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-01
The CEMENT ACE.
Kansas Manufactures Have
Orders Beyond Capacity.
lola Plants Are Turning Out
s. 5000 Barrels Daily.
OTHERS ARE CROWDED
independence, Humboldt, Cha
mute and NeOdesha to Build.
Industrial Department of Santa
Fe Starts the Movement.

Secretary of War Taft announces
that he will not use American Portland
cement in the construction of the Pan
anna canal, because he can buy cheap
er abroad When Kansas first began to
manufacture Portland cement 1t was
declared with some pride that Kansas
would furnish the cement for the big
canal This, perhaps, was an eXagger-
alton, but it was fair to assume that
American dement's would be used, and
that Kansas would furnish her share.
The Kansas article had been tested and
found to be the best in the world This
was the verdict Of scientists and of con-
tractors throughout the country, and,
accordingly, when Uncle Sam decided
to build the big ditch, Kansas filed on
& share of the cement contract, and
her manufacturers of cement have
been looking forward to 1t, While now,
Mr. Taft, who has the last word in the
matter. decides to buy of foreign
countries.
However. the secretary's resolution
will make no difference to the Kansas
manufacturers. Their pride will be
taken down bit, perhaps, but that
will be all. Financially they will lose
nothing, Every barrel they can pro-
duce / scOntracted for a year ahead,
ments of their plants and the construc-
tion OF entirely new mills that they can
keep pace with the increasing demand
For in America this is the Cement
stone in railroad constructions and all
other heavy building. In western
Kansas even the smaller cottages are
constructed of it. 1t is used in side
walks everywhere, and lately cement
fences are coming. Not infrequently
1t spans wide rivers, bearing railroad
and highway traffic safely, and in the
mountains ii forms dams which resist
the most violent torrents.
So the refusal of the government to
buy American cement for the Isthmian
canal causes the Kansas manufacturers
no loss of sleep or of business. The lola
manufactures 1.-TWO plants are turning
out 5000 barrels of cement daily, and
two plants at Independence and one at
Neodesha will be crowding that output
in a short time. Besides these, prepara-
lions are making for a plant al Hum
mute plant win start with a capacity Of
600 barrels daily. Within a year or
less, counting the two plants at lola,
one at independence and one a { Neode-
sha now in operation and three more
contemplated or under construction,
Kansas will be producing something
like 20, 900 barrels of cement daily.
And all this has come from a begin
ming made by the industrial depar tment
of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railway less than nine years ago Be
fore the Santa Fe made the discovery
that Kansas contains in her soil the
constituents for Portland cement. there
had not been a barrel of it made west
of the Mississippi river. But the big
railroad company was after business
It has caused brick works, and glass
works. and monster zinc shelters to be
ablished along its lines in the gas re-
gion of Kansas. and why not try ce-
ment2 There were beds of shale and
deposits of limestone, and why not mix