The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-12-31
POTAT0FLOUR
PLANT BEING
TUNED up FOR
INITIAL START
Officials of Machinery Conn
/ pany Here; Full Operation
/ in Another Week
EQUIPMENT INSTALLED;
LARGE BUSINESS SEEN
Operation Is Interesting; Plant
Location Ideal; Public
Inspection Soon

tSNThe Bemidji Potato Products
plant, occupying the site Of the for
rler Bemidii brewery, presents q
Scene Of unusual activity, the new
equipment being tuned up pre-
paratory to It's opening for business.
which is expected In about a week.
When in full running order, General
Manager Kaplan will hold a recep.
tion for the Bemidji public for In
Espection Of the new industry, which
is believed will become one of the
city's most important business insti-
tutions.
The plant Is ideal in every respect.
It consists Of the large brick build
ing which is one Of the most sub
stantial in the city. Not a change
had to be made in It's layout for the
new industry, and it has a storage
capacity Of forty cars Of potatoes.
|. The machinery has all arrived and
lis 30 installed that the capacity can
easily be doubled.
EXPERTS Are Here.
Officials Of the Potato Machinery
Manufacturing company OF Minnea-
polls are here experimenting the
machinery In its adjustment. F. II.
Donthitt, president Of the machinery
company, is personally in charge,
the machinery being from the John
B. Aat company Of Baltimore, Md.
with him Is Carl Feldhusen, who
represents the machinery company
also, and he was the man who In
stalled the first potato. -four plant
in the United States, at Idaho Falls,
Idaho. There are now about eight OF
these plants in the country.
Mr.. Douthitt is also the secretary
OF the Potato Association Of
America.
8 Wagon TO Sack.
! From the siding built by the Red
Lake railroad, or from the wagon of
the farmers. the potatoes are un-
lnaded into conveyors. sorted as to
Size as they travel to their bins.
busted enroute. From the bin they
may be carried by machinery to the
huge washer where they are cleaned
thoroughly, every particle of dirt be-
ing removed Again they take up
their journey to the big cooker
where they are made into fine pulp
and run out on large cylinder
termed the flaker, which discharges
into an endless driver contrivance.
which conveys the fake on and up
to the -four mill where 1t Is made
into -four, sent to the sacker, ALI
fine -four dust being drawn away en-
route, and deposited in special re-
Fceptical.
Continuous Process.
1t Is one continuous process from
the unloading to the sack all ready
for shipment and Is intensely inter-
estfng.
There Is large quantity Of po-
tatoes ready for turning into flour.
The potato -four has many sources
of patronage. one Of them being
large manufacturers of sausage.
which use the potato flour for sau-
sage stock, while large paste factor
les also perfer the potato -four
Large quantities are used in homes
throughout the country and as the
plant gets under full swing potato
chips will be made. There are sew
eral other lines the plant is capabls
of producing and these will receive
attention later.
Several inquiries have been and
are being received with reference
to shipments and the outlook for
success seems roseate.