The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-10-07

Among the arrivals in this city OF
the Manchuria was Carl K. Hedemann
of the Honolulu Iron Works, who wa
one of the men sent to Formosa b,
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 wa:
taken sick, the climate of that islanc
with its oppressive humidity and great
heat, forcing him to leave. He went
TO Yokohama, where he was in hos
pital for several weeks, before recov-
ering sufficiently to make the trip home
The rest on the long ocean voyage
did him 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 Fornosa 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
as now being imported The island of
Formosa is a 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-
tion.
There is great deal of gold in
the northern part of the island and
considerable mining is done. The su-
gar is entirely in the southern sec
ton and there is great deal of fine
cane land, though up to the present
ri1ne it has never been cultivated
properly and no irrigation has been
used, though there is 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.
GIVE 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 a 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. |
Christie, of Milliken Bros, who put up |
the buildings at Wailuku and who has
just come from work of similar nature
in Mexico, is putting up the buildings
at the big mill, which is at a place
called Insiko.
tThe cane In Formosa is very small
and hard, and, as have said, is grown
without proper cultivation or irriga-
tion. 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
Ire very successful and will mean a
evolution in the manner in which the
'ane in that country is grown.
''They have introduced Lahaina
ane to a small extent and it has been $
Tery successful on the higher lands,
hough on the lower lands rose bam- t
100 has proved to be the best. The g
rinding up to this time has been done /
ntirely by buffalo mills with the ex- f
option of one old-fashioned mill at t
lyoshito, which is very far behind f
he times. 1t is a mill of English t
lake and separate engine is used 20 f
rive each set of rollers. In our mills t
re use one engine for all the rollers. h
he cane unloader takes from one to Il
NO hundred men to handle and the ST
lfference from the modern machinery h
IN be judged from the fact that with y
IT mill only one man is needed on h
e unloader. W