The Red Cloud chief., 1906-10-05

D~enaturizing in no way affects the
solvent properties of alcohol.
Alcohol is obtained by the fermenta-
ton of some substance such as starch,
sugar, grain or potatoes. The strong
est alcohol used is about ninety-five
per cent pure, and the price varies
from So. 80 to $3.50 per gallon, show
ing that the greater part of the cost
is due to the SEQ tax per gallon
levied by the government. Wood al
cohol is used quite extensively in the
manufacture of paint, varnish and
shellacs, but is inferior to wood alco-
hol and is detrimental to the health of
those who work with it..
The opinion has been expressad by
an authority that the territory along
the lines Of the Burlington Route is
one of the greatest natural fields in
the United States for the manufacture
of alcohol. First of all there is the
abundance Of grain and potatoes from
which alcohol can be made. Then
there is the ample supply of water
and coal and the transportation facili-
lies. The very fact that alcohol can
he made from grain and potatoes in
sures better market for those already
staple crops in Burlington territory.
Another advantage in this connection
is that early frost, which occasionally
damages the corn crop, does not les
sen its value for distilling purposes.
1t is also true that potatoes of al in
ferior grade or wholly undesirable for
household consumption can be utilized
in making alcohol.
At the Nebraska Experiment Farm
near Lincoln, 500 bushels of potatoes
per acre have beer raised. A bushcl
of potatoes will make a gallon of
alcohol, SO that it is evident potatoes
would pay enormous dividends. How
ever, it is the opinion of experts that
our first industrial alcohol will be
made from grain. 1t is the farmer
who is in position to profit from the
alcohol industry, for alcohol as a fuel
is going to do wonders for him. II is
confidently expected denaturized al
cohol will be largely used for heating,
lighting and fuel. While it has only
about half the heating power of kero-
sene or gasoline, it is far superior in
other respects. For instance, it is
,n,.h Gnfn,. anl ann hn nnGnu nnptrnl-
led. While d~enaturized alcohol may
not soon displace gasoline or kerosene
this product is absolutely unlimited,
whereas gasoline, for instance. rep
resents only about two per cen of all
the petroleum refined, and the de-
mands now made on it can only force
up the price. The farmer who is to
produce orn and potatoes for the
manufacture of alcohol is. however,
to share eve more intimately in the
profits, for he can utilize it in his
now used in small portable lamps
which give all the effects of a mantel
burner heated by gas. AS a motive
power, it will be of even greater value
for the farmer can use it to make his
butter, grind his feed, pump his water
or turn it to any other use on the
farm.
Statistics of the ways and means
committee of the House of Represen-
~tatives show many places where al
. cohol can be produced at a cost of
twenty to TWENTY-FIVE cents per gallon.
Moreover, the refuse matter can be
used as a cattle feed. When this cost
is compared with the So. go tax per
gallon, the enormous saving in pro-
duction is at One seen. The natural
reduction which comes with all new
enterprises, improvements in ma
chinery and other conditions will
eventually reduce this cost, so that
alcohol is certain to become one of
the cheapest fuels ever produced.