Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-11
A Scheme To Beat the Trust
FARMER IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR
FOR A PALTRY seooo


minstration of the universe, his piety
was accepted at face value.
Next morning the stranger got down
| to business, as became a business man
| = wanted land of a sandy soil. such
as was in that vicinity, and he wanted
plenty of it: not farm or two. but al
least 10000 acres punched up"
With his farmer friend-they called
each other brother now-he visited
every tract of land within reach, and
got cash prices.
He maintained such a reticence as to
the use he would make of the land that
his brothers" curiosity was at fever
heat and beyond it, but of all the
products of the soil he spoke only OF
sorghum.
BY day and night he talked nothing
but sorghum, and went into ecstacies
over the few patches of it they hap
pened to see, till his farmer friend be-
gan to fear that this otherwise saga
cious brother" was slightly touched
on that one point.
With the air and tone of one who is
snatching brand from the burning,
he approached the subject one eve
ming as they sat on the porch
Brother" he said. sadly, Il hope YOU
don't expect to make money or
sorghum. I've lived here 80 years, and
there amt nothing to the doggoned
stuff but little table 'lasses. They
hain't no money in it. When you get
a good crop you can't sell it. When
it's good price YOU hain't got none tC
sell. It's been two bits q gallon for 80
years, but the kink of it is, you can't
never find a Teller with two bits that
wants gallon"
My dear brother" said the stranger
in his best amen corner" style, Il
would be an migrate for your kindness
and an unworthy member of the church
and the lodge whose obligations we
have both assumed, if | did not tell
| you here and now, under the secrery of
the square. what l am doing. / in
tend to make sugar from sorghum
cane.
| 1T does not become me, a humble
| follower. to arrogato to myself undue
praise, but have higher motive than
the accumulation Of few filthy dol
lars. | am fighting the Sugar Trust
that monster that has this fair land OF
ours by the throat"
| If the spider had labeled his wei
antitrust" and the fly had been al
average farmer, il would have 5uzzet
in without the inducement of voca
music. The farmer was duly i'm
pressed with these sentiments. tha
We're clearly from a noble heart. blu
Iclriosity was strong. he wanted to Sc,
cane molasse.s turned into sugar.
For time the inventor hesitated
and their friendship was nearly wreck
ed. but then, remembering the uncer
| tainty of all earthly affairs. he let hi:
friend and brother in on the grounC
floor for $4,000 cash.
| His guest, fun of zeal for his inven.
ton and indignation at the trust wa.
ready. a roaring fire was built in thu
cook stove the precious pan, made il
the apartment at Chicago, was brough
out from the trunk, filled with hal
gallon of sorghum molasses. and tn,
great work begun.
The Inventor" had such faith in hi
host that he made technical details
iplain as the work progressed. "Yol
see, brother he told his host, like al
great inventions. this rests on a yer.
little thing that others overlooked.
+ These tubes catch and retain
above the surface of the liquid, tn,
ldeleterious principle that has, until m,
prevented perfect granula
ton. BY oscillating the pan on these
rockers, granulation is fastened"
In 90 minutes the sorghum molasse.
had changed into a fine quality of pur,
white sugar, and the farmer was nov
the enthusiast who sees a fortune a
hand.
The decisive success of the first eff
fort of the brethren in church ant
Hodge, instead of binding them togethe
in closer ties, had the contrary effect
AT first the farmer was silent, then dis
tant, and then morose. Pressed for
reason he admitted tina he wanted t
come into the great industry as /;
partner.
| Time was pressing, the sugar fac
| tory had to be erected, and as the in
ventor was familiar with the construc
tion of the sugar pans. it fell to his 10
to go to the city and superintend theil
construction. 4s <