The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-12-23

handled in seven weeks, which bet
ters last years excellent time one
week, despite the fact that some
5000 tons more cane were ground this
year than in 1910 The factory lost
only three hours and a half through
accident to the machinery, shut
down for this period of time having
been necessitated by the breaking OF
a coupling. On one occasion opera
tons were suspended for about
twelve hours, cat night, owing to
lack of cane following an all-day
rain, but it was not found necessary
for the mill to close down at any
time during the campaign to permit
the field hands to give their attention
to windroWing, the presence of IS
extra hands on the place having af-
forded an ample supply of labor for
this purpose. Upwards of 425 tons of
cane were passed through the rollers
every "a hours, and each depart
ment of the factory operated with "a
degree of smoothness and efficiency
which reflects much credit upon the
capable mechanical crew in charge.
A general average of So ga pounds
of sugar and nine gallons of molas-
ses was obtained per ton of cane,
the total sugar yield being in the
neighborhood of 1,431, 1882 pounds.
The best results OF the season were
recorded during the last week of the
campaign, Dec. 2 to 8, when 24O0
tons of D.74 and DIS plant cane
yielded an average of IS 1-5 pounds
of sugar per ton. Throughout the
season it was found that the two
varieties of Demerara seedlings gave
much better results than the native
Or Creole cane, the difference in the
sugar yield being about 10 pounds on
an average. Mr.. Aucoin will termin-
ate his connection with St. Emma at
the end of the current year, after
having been employed as field man
ager and sugaf-maker of the planta-
ton since 1882. Mrs. Barton, the
owner, has leased the place to her
son, Ernest Barton, and Percy Bar
ton, son of Clarence G.. Barton of
Little Texas plantation, and these
young gentlemen will assume entire
charge of the cultivation and man
agement of the plantation on Jan. /,
They have engaged Mr.. Aucoin,s son,
Klebert F. Aucoin, as assistant over
seer for the coming year.
Mr.. Aucoin recently sold his two
thirds interest in the Ravenwood
orange grove in Plaquemines parish
to his partner, John Meyer of New
Orleans, for $1,000 cash. The grove
comprises Is acres of land and con-
tains 5000 orange trees.
The gold medal donated by the Al
.luvial Land Purchase Company of
New Orleans to be awarded to the stu
dent of the high school department
of the local high school composing
the best essay on st. Elmo, the new
town which the AIluvial Company is
developing on the site of its New
Hermitage farms in this parish. was
won by Miss Lillian Bourgeois, of
DonaIdsonville, whose composition
the committee Of Judges We're unan-
inlous in declaring the best of the
five submitted The medal was pre-
sented to Miss Bourgeois at the
Christmas exercises held last night
in the high school auditorium, the
presentation speech being made by
5upt. ]. L. Rltsea. Besides Miss
Bourgeois, the students who com
3eIed in the contest were Misses
Maude Broekhoeft, Ora Gauthreaux
and Gertrude Klos, and Edward Cox,
all of whom, including the winner,
are members of the junior class. The
judges were Messrs. b. N. Pugh, G.
D. Bentley and J. L. Rusca.