The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-09-20
DISCUSSED GAS MATTER
Commercial Club Met With c. S.
Eaton and Listened to His Inter-
esting Statements.

hall, at which were present a number
of business men to meet with C. S.
Eaton, the representative of the In
ternational Heating and Lighting
company of Cleveland, Ohio, which
has a successful system of furnishing
gas at a lower rate than is usually
%charged. Mr.. Eaton came here from
Yankton on the request of the Com
mercial Club to explain the plan of
gas manufacture IRON ORR cobs,
stalks, and straw. Mayor Branson
presided at the meeting and without
any Formally he introduced Mr.. Eat
on to the company of gentlemen for
an explanation of the industry.
Mr.. Eaton went into considerable
detail as to the discovery of the
system and the Investigations that
had been made along the line of the
manufacture of gas from these waste
substances from the farm, and which,
having been carried along for a good
many years, had now reached the
point where it could be successfully
manufactured. 1t was through a
chance that the theory was discovered
when j. r. Coutts, of Cleveland,
was burning up a large straw pile
on one of his Canadian farms that he
noticed a blue flame ascending from
the pile of straw, and it suggested
to him the possibility of making gas
from that substance. Being m
thing of a chemist, he began the
study and experiments, not only in
this country, but in England. Re-
turning to New York he experimental
with Prof. Chandler Of Columbia I'm
iversity, where the system was finally
perfected. This lead to a small plant
being built and then a larger one,
each of which verified the expert
ments of the men who had made the
Investigations.
The process is said by experts
generally to be as cheap and as SIM
pie in manufacture as the existing
methods of manufacture from coal
and oil. The great gain over all
|other systems in present use consists
in the %cheapness of the raw material
and in the increased volume Of the
gas obtained. Every ton Of straw n
|cobs distilled yields over $4,000 feet
of gas, while the best Pennsylvania
and Colorado Goals give but 10000
feet to a ton. The quality of the new
-.- -lo ~ .,,;+o11~ f~c oil E;11,ro-
mating and fuel purposes and equal
in the standard essentials of heat
and candle power to that served in
Cleveland or New York, Toronto or
Winnipeg. The cost of the raw ma
terial as compared with coal gives
the new process it's supreme advan-
tage. Everywhere in the great grain
belt gas coal costs from Sc to SIS per
ton, while in the northwest the price
is even higher, owing to the long dis
lance which it must be transported,
while straw and cobs are a surplus
waste, and can be had for the haul
ing.
1t is estimated that 100000, 900
tons of these products are burned
up in the wheat and corn territory
annually to get them out of the way
so that it will be impossible for the
new process to create a demand
which will equal the supply. AS the
main expense incurred is in ballng
and hauling the material, the cost OF
,,.-eoo+,, -; re- ~ into n 1,aino M
greater than the cost Of coal gas
manufacture, while the volume OF
gas created is increased about SO pei
cent and the standard of quality il
maintained, the statement of western
men that a process with such posi-
bilities must soon take possession o
the grain belt and supplant othe
methods of gas manufacture in thos'
areas seems we'll founded
. The straw gas is also excellent,
adapted for power purposes n wit
the popularity of the modern gas en-
CINE as a power producer, wester
manufacturers are greatly intereste
in the matter of adopting this ga
for power purposes, since the hig
price of coal in these sections is al
ways such an important item.
A great Macy questions were ask
ed Mr.. Eaton and he responded
them willingly, much additional IL
formation was thus given.
Mr.. Eaton said that he was nc
here at this time to make a propos
ton, but more to explain the system
He suggested that a committee frol
the business men be sent to Beatrlc
1Neb., where a plant costing $4,000
was in operation. He said that shou.
la proposition be made to Mitchell
%business men that in all probabili
nothing could be done toward erec
@ ing a plant until next spring. Ask'
as to how much he thought would