The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-11-16
SUGAR sQulBs.
Progress of the Grinding Campaign in AS
cension and EIsewhere-Items of In-
terest from Field and Factory.

terest from Field and Factory.
A sudden and somewhat unexpected
change in the weather occurred last
Sunday night, when the mercury, which
for several days previous had been
disporting itself in the temperate zone,
slid rapidly down the thermometer UNI
der the influence of stiff north wind
and tumbled quite number of degrees
before being brought to halt. Mon
day was cold, showery and altogether
disagreeable, and slow rain which
fell during the night hours came peril
ously near turning into sleet or snow.
Tuesday brought the first real touch
of winter weather experienced here
this season, and Wednesday was II
anything a little colder, although the
absence of the brisk north wind which
had prevailed the day before made the
cold less bitter and penetrating. The
temper allure moderated considerably
Wednesday night, and Thursday and
Yesterday were ideal days in every
respect, being characterized by cloud
less skies and unusually pleasant at
mospheric conditions. Present indi-
cations are that the weather will grow
steadily warmer and that the old say
ing. ssThree frosts and a rain, is in a
fair way of realization.
According to Local Weather OBJ
server Park, the lowest point reached
by the mercury Tuesday night was 80
degrees, while minimum temperature
of 35 degrees was registered the fol-
lowing night. Advices from other
sections of the parish, and particu-
larly from the rear portions OF the
first, second and sixth wards, are to
the effect that the temperature ranged
from 26 to 30 degrees and that thin ice
was inevdience quite plainly, not tosay
profusely. It seems to be the consen-
sus of opinion that except in rare in
stances the cane was not injured by
the freeze, and no apprehension is
felt on this score by sugar planters
hereabout. Every body has gone to
windrowing, of course, and at least 3
week will be spent in this work on
nearly all the plantations-more than
that on many, doubtless. A freeze this
early in the season is always fraught
with danger of very great damage, as
the great bulk of the crop is still
standing, and the spells of warm and
rainy weather we are practically sure
to have within the next few weeks are
apt to cause fermentation in windroWed
cane. It is therefore to be hoped thai
the weather man will kindly side-track
all north winds that may be heading
this way and order prospective
freezes to pass up the sugar belt-at
least until after the grinding season.
Hubert Comes of DonaldsonVille,
chief sug r.drier at the Murrell Com-
pany's Tallyho factory in lberville
parish, had the lower part OF his right
foot badly crushed in the crown wheel
of the Tallyho cane derrick about I
O'Clock last Monday morning. He was
brought to Donaldsonville the same
afternoon and conveyed to the resi-
dence of his sister, Mrs. Adam Lee
Blanc, in South Houmas street, where
he is receiving the best of attention
and being showered with thoughtful
courtesies by his numerous friends and
acquaintance. While extremely pain
full, Mr.. Comes injuries are not at all
dangerous, and the most annoying fea-
ture OF the accident from his point OF
view is the fact that it will keep him
confined to bed for period Of several
| weeks.
Inform alton from Terrebonne parish
| indicates that much better results are
being secured by sugar planters there
than in Ascension and adjacent par
ishes. Stubble cane is said to be
yielding from Is to Is tons, while one
instance of over 81 tons from cut OF
plant cane is reported. The juice is
rich in sucrose and works up easily,
hence the yield of sugar to the ton OF
cane is quite as satisfactory as the
tonnage of cane per acre. Terrebonne
has been forging steadily ahead as g
| sugar producing parish for some
| years, and it looks like she is destined
to take a place very near if not quite
in the van of the procession at no dis
tant day.
The Miles Company's big Houmas
Central factory at Burnside lost an en-
tire week recently as the result of thu
breaking of roller shaft, it being
necessary to send the damaged mech
| anism to New Orleans for repairs
Work was resumed on Saturday, Nov
IL, suspended the following morning
| according to custom, taken up agar
| Sunday night, and prosecuted withou
interruption from that time on. Tit
mill is chewing up from 1000 to 120t
tons of cane per day, a total OF APPROX
imately 1000 tons having been GROUND
last week.
Meeting of Democratic Senatorial COMMITTEES
A meeting of the Democratic execu
tive committee OF the ninth senatorial
district, comprising the parishes o
Ascension and ST. James, was held a
the Donaldsonville courthouse a
noon last Saturday, with Chairman
| K. Tucker of St. ] James presiding AM
| the following members in attend ance