The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-10-18
DenaturiZed Alcohol Promises to
Benefit the Western Farmers.

The passage of the free alcohol bill
during the last session of Congress will
doubtless give, as extended, great lmpe-
tus to the manufacture of alcohol, which
will now be used quite freely in the
arts and as fuel. Heretofore the tax of
$2.20 per gallon, levied by the govern
ment, quite etfectually prevented the
general use of alcohol. 1t is reasonable
to expect that denaturized alcohol will
be extensively used in manufacturing
dye stuffs and chemicals, which are
now almost entirely imported from
Europe. The term "denaturized'
means the addition of some foreign
substance which renders the alcohol
unfit for making whiskey or beverages.
Frequently the term implies the use
of wood alcohol, which, as is we'll
known, is very poisonous. Denaturiz-
ing in no way effects the solvent prop
critics of alcohol.
Alcohol is obtained by the fermenta-
tion of some substance such as sugar,
starch, grain or potatoes. The strong
est alcohol used in ninety-fve percent
pure, and the varies from $3.50 to S2.5O
per gallon, showing that the greater
part of the cost is due to the 1920 tax
per gallon levied by the government
Wood alcohol is used quite extensively
in the manufacture of paint, varnish
and shellacs, but is inferior to ordinary
alcohol and is detrimental to the
health of those who work with it.
The opinion has been expressed by
an authority that the territory along the
lines of the Burlington Route is one OF
the greatest natural fields in the Unit
ed States for the manufacture of alco-
hol. First of all there is the abun-
dance of grain and potatoes from which
alcohol can be made. Then there is
the ample supply Of water and coal and
the good transportation facilities. The
very fact that alcohol can be made from
grain and potatoes insures better mar
ket for those already staple crops II
Burlington territory. Another advan'
tage in this connection is that early
frost, which occasionally damages the
corn crop, does not lessen it's value tol
distilling purposes. 1t is also true thai
potatoes of an inferior grade or wholly
undesirable for household consump
tion can be utilized in making alcohol
At the Nebraska Experiment Farm or
the Burlington, near Lincoln 500 bushels
of potatoes per acre have been raised
A bushel of potatoes will make gallon
of alcohol, so it is evident potatoes
would pay enormous dividends. How
ever it is the opinion of experts thai
our first industrial alcohol will be made
from grain. 1t is the farmer who is IL
position to profit from the alcohol in
dustry, for alcohol as fuel is going t.
do wonders for him. 1t is confdentl,
expected that denaturized alcohol will
be largely used for heating, lightning
and fuel. While it has only about hal
the heating power of kerosene or gas
oline, it is far superior in othel
respects. For instance, it is mucl
safer and can be easily controlled
While denaturized alcohol may not sool
displace gasoline or kerosene, this pro
duct is absolutely unlimited, wherea
gasoline, for instance, represents onl.
about two per cent of all the petroleum
refined, and the demands now made o.
it can only force up the price. TIL
farmer who is to produce corn and pc
tatoes for the manufacture of alcoho
is, however, to share even more init
mately in the profits, for he can utlllZ
it in his home and on his farm. Alec
hol is now used in small portable lamp
which give all the effects OF a mantle
burner heated by gas. AS motiv
power, it will be of even greater valu
for the farmer can use it to make hi
butter, grind his feed, pump his waite
or turn it to any other use on the farm
Statistics Of the ways and means con
mittee of the House of Representative
show many places where alcohol can b
produced at a cost Of twenty-five cent
per gallon. Moreover, the refuse mat
ter can be used as cattle feed. Whe
this cost is compared with the 1920 ia
per gallon, the enormous saving in pre-
duction is at once seen. The nature
reduction which comes with all new Ell
terprises, improvements i'll machiner
and other conditions will eventual
reduce this cost, so that alcohol
certain to become one Of the cheapes
fuels ever produced.