The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-10-08

A
of the Honolulu Iron Works, who was
one of the men sent to Formosa by
the local firm to erect three sugar mills,
of the most modern construction, which
will be used to supply sugar to Japan.
| While in Formosa Mr.. Hedemann was
taken sick, the climate of that island
with its oppressive humidity and great
heat, forcing him to leave. He went
to Yokohama, where he was in a hos
pital for several weeks, before recov-
ering sufficiently to make the trip home.
The rest on the long ocean voyage
did him a great deal of good and he
expects to be in shape to take up his
work again in the near future.
When asked to tell of Formosa and
his experiences there, for the benefit
of the readers of the Advertiser. Mr..
Hedemann said:
"The idea of the Japanese, in hav-
ing the three mills, on which the Ho-
nolulu Iron Works is now working, in
stalled is to supply all the sugar need
ed for consumption in Japan and have
it take the place of the sugar which
is now being imported. The island Of
Formosa is large one and the great
er part of it is inhabited by savages,
who live in the mountains and have
| little communication with the more
civilized people of the lower part of
the island, except when they come down
to trade furs and skins for ammuni-
ton.
"There is a great deal of gold in
considerable mining is done. The su-
gar is entirely in the southern sec
ton and there is a great deal of fine
cane land, though up to the present
time it has never been cultivated
properly and no irrigation has been
used, though there is a wonderfully
good opportunity for there are rivers
with plenty of water lying above the
cane lands, which can easily be divert
ed for this use.
'We are installing three mills in
FOrmosa, the first at a place called
Kyoshito and about the size of the
mill at Wailuku The second is at |
Hozan and is little larger than that |
at Kyoshito. The third is very large
mill with two sets of twelve rollers
and is as large as the mill at Pun
meme. James Scott and Fred Truescott, /
both well known here, the former from
Kihei and the latter from Kauai, are
working there on the contracts 4
Christie, of Milliken Bros, who put up
the buildings at Waikiki and who has
just come from work of a similar nature
in Mexico, is putting up the buildings
at the big mill, which is at a place
called Insiko
''The cane in Formosa is very small
and hard, and, as have said, is grown
without proper cultivation or irriga-
ton. The blowing is done with buffa-
los and it is question of simply
scratching the top of the soil and the
cane has not decent chance to grow.
Scott has set up two sets of steam
plows which are now in use and which
are very successful and will mean a
revolution in the manner in which the
cane in that country is grown.
"They have introduced Lahaina
cane to a small extent and it has been
very successful on the higher lands,
though on the lower lands rose BAN
boo has proved to be the best. The
up to this time has been done
entirely by buffalo mills with the ex-
ception of one old-fashioned mill at
kyoshito, which is very far behind
the times. 1t is a mill of English
make and separate engine is used ~
drive each set of rollers. In our mills
we use one engine for all the rollers. {
The cane unloader takes from one to
two hundred men to handle and the .
difference from the modern machinery I
;an be judged from the fact that with G
BUR mill only one man is needed on
he unloader.
'..The cane for the two smaller mills !
will be furnished by small Chinese v
farmers and is brought distances of i
rom twelve to fifteen miles, the larger
art of the way on the government
abroad and the rest of the way on
small private ROAD belonging to the d
Mills. The large mill, which will be b
oeated at Insiko, will be supplied with
'ane grown on big plantation which :,
viii be handled by the owners of the /
Mill. a
The waste at present in the mill d
which is in use at Kyoshito is enor- =
nous. Only small part of the trash I,
which is left after the grinding can Il
e utilized for fuel. There is so much
uiee left in it that il will not burn
nd the cost of wood for fuel makes
n additional expense, besides the loss y
rom not getting all the juice of the =,