The Blackfoot optimist., 1916-11-30
MILLION DOLLAR PLANT


According to present arrangements
Shelley IS to become the fourth COM
munity of interest in the making of
sugar in the upper valley, as all plans
have been perfected and ground has
been broken for the installation of a
sugar plant, by the Utah. Idaho Sugar
Company, and by the time another
season rolls around that prosperous
little community will be enjoying the
benefits Of a payroll of considerable
proportion, and one that would be ma
terially enjoyed by many communi-
ties of much larger population.
The Shelley plant will be duplicate
of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company 5
plant at Payson, Utah, with the differ
cnce that the smoke stacks, instead of
being constructed of pipe, will be of ce-
ment. Otherwise, the Tribune is in
formed by Thomas R. Cutler, vice.
president of the company, that the
plants will be twins.
For some time Shelley, which is one
OF the old time and most prosperous
communities of Bingham county, and To-
Gated Ala miles from Pocatello, has
desired sugar factory. The great
agricultural area surrounding that com,
munity has produced for years some
Of the finest products the markets af-
ford and its potato crop has stood su-
preme. During the past few years ex.
tensive experiments have been made
throughout the district on the cult
walton of sugar beets-all section of the
valley having proved prolific on that
product-and coupling product and
area with transportation facilities the
very natural desire was to manufacture
sugar rather than to ship the beets.
For years all communities in Eastern
Idaho have been promoted to the limit,
but our good friends of that community
have been modest on the publicity
game, and little has gone to the out
side world in respect to the possibilities
of the town. While it numbers less
than thousand people, it gill shortly
have an institution that will compre
hend an investment of $l,000,000, with
a payroll of 100000, to say nothing of
the initial investment in land, which
consists of 100 acres, and for which the
Utah Idaho Sugar Company is said to
have paid $500 an acre, and Vice -Presi-
dent Cutler informs us that he consid-
cred the purchase as an ideal site for
the project, and worth the money.
Plants Capacity
Letters addressed to Mr.. Cutler re-
garding the big enterprise for Shell
ley, and asking for information re-
garding it's operation and other data
of information elected an interesting
response, and in the course of his
communication he takes occasion to
state:
"The approximate investment viii
tons of beets each twenty four hours
during the campaign, which will NEAR
at least 10000 tons of beets, for whici
we will pay $500 per ton; the annua
payroll for labor will be about 800,
600.
"The factory will employ about 20(
men during the campaign Of about l0l
days, and about 35 men during thu
whole of the year On.side of the cam
paign. 1t will be in operation for thu
1917 crop of beets.'
A similar expression was received
from James Duckworth, president o
Blackfoot Stake of Zion, and mucl
interested in the big enterprise TO
Shelley, and he refers at some lengtl
regarding the extent and scope o
the projected institution, its field o
operation, payrolls, possibilities il
the way of advancing the country
and the value of such a project III re
spect to land values and general ton
ing up of the country, particular
that adjacent to the factory, and i
this respect he states, in response t
an inquiry as to whether the locatio
of factory had tendency to IL
crease the value of lands located .ad
Joining such an institutions: