The Elbert County tribune., 1907-08-22
FIRST MAKERS OF BEET SUGAR.
Bees sugar Was First Made In the
West Fifty Years Aqo.

"Sst rifty Years ago.
1t Is probable that many people, like
those at the head of tie Department
of Agriculture in Washington, will be
surprised TO learn that the great indus
try OF making sugar from beets had its
inception in the United States among
the Mormons over fifty years ago.
The Department of Agriculture. with
praiseworthy enterprise, some time ago
set afoot inquiries relative to the
founding of the industry on this side
of the ocean. desiring to form per
manent record for its archives Among
the first returns to its inquiries we're
certain indisputable facts which
showed that in 1859. when il cost $500
a ton to transport freight from the
Missouri river to Utah. the Mormon
leaders had sugar plant brought from
Liverpool to Fort Leavenworth vie
New Orleans and the Mississippi river,
thence by OK teams to the Rocky
Mountains. 1t took fifty-two wagons
to transport the machinery, which was
Of enormous weight, and over -four
months We're required to make the
journey.
The caravan eventually arrived, the
plant was set up. and In the spring of
1858 the beet seed, brought from
France In the year prior. was planted
by the farmers around Salt Lake City
The institution did not flourish at tina,
time, largely because of the presence
of alkaline salts In the soil and tho
fact that there was not then known
any process for eliminating them from
the beet The plant. however, was used
to manufacture sorghum, and for years
its product was supplied to the peoLl =
of Utah as well as to the immigrants
bound for the gold diggings of Cali
fornia.
The early experience of the people.
however was not forgotten. and when
in the eighties beet sugar manufacture
began to be talked about in California
and Nebraska, a group of Utah capital
lists formed a company to thoroughly
investigate the subject. Prominent
among them was the late Elias Nor
ris, who as an immigrant in 1852 had
superntended the shipment of the pl-
oneer sugar plant, from the time II
was loaded aboard ship in Liverpool. to
the day It was unloaded from the wag-
ons In Salt Lake City He with 9TH
ers visited the factories in Nebraska
and California. reported that the
scheme was just as feasible for Utah
as for those states, the Utah Sugar
Company was formed and Mr. Morris
was made its president The first fac
tory was erected at Lehi in 1890 and
the first crop of beets was harvested
in 1891. The story of the trials tn =
company went through before II be.
came firmly established would fill a
volume Its promoters set out to raise
a million dollars capital Less than
100000 was actually paid in and while
the company was still struggling the
panic Of 1893 came along, and its sub
scription lists became valueless But
for the aid extended by the heads OF
the Church the institution must have
collapsed Ultimately its bonds were
placed in the East and its floating in
debtedness paid off. The farmers, too
whd At first held back from going int,
the planting of sugar beetG, gradual,
enlarged their acreage as they became
convinced that sure cash market fol
their product could be found at theil
doors-one, too, subject to no sucl
fluctuations as attended the whea'
crop-and from am output of a triflC
over 100000 pounds Of sugar in 1891
the product of the Utah Sugar Com
pany rose to over 21,000.000 pounds II
1902.
Notwithstanding the fact that Utaf
has had the advantage of Colorado II
longer experience In cultivating sugai
beets. the latter commonwealth
eclipsed her IN the quantity and qual
ity of beets raised and converted into