The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-02
OCEAN TANKS TO
BRING MOLASSES
TO LOCAL WHARF
Great Tanks Will Hold 1t at
illinois Ave. for DiStribu-
tion to Sweet Feed Mills All
Over Country.

Oceans going tank steamships from
Havana and other tropical ports direct
70 Memphis, will be operated by the
Sugar Products company Of New York,
one of the largest producers and dis.
tributors OF molassea such as Is used
in the manufacture OF mixed feeds. The
tank steamship line Ia to be established
to transport molasses direct from the
mills owned by the company In Cuba,
Porto Rico, Santo Domingo and Vene-
zuela, TO Memphis for distribution by
rail TO the mixed feed manufacturers
all over the central part of the United
States as far west as Colorado and
north to Canada.
The Sugar Products company now
Of draft capable of navigating the
Mississippi river as far as Memphis.
The j, l., Nessly company, Memphis
Tents for the Sugar Products com
pHny, closed a long time lease Satur-
day morning for pro grty on the river
mont bety sen Wisconsin and Illinois
avenues, on tho old incline tracks OF
tanks, large enough tohold several shir
cargoes Of molasses win be built, The
molasscs win be pumped direct from
the tank boats to the storage tanks
From the storage the molaEses win be
fed by gravity into steel tank freight
cars for transp rtation TO the mixed
feed manufacturing points, One steel
tank So feet In diameter was ordered
by the company several months ago,
and is awaiting shipping instructions
until the deal for the wharf site was
closed.
Big Saving in Freight.
Robert ". Buchanan, division freight
agent for the Frisco. represented the
lease of the wharf site. The papers
were signed and delivered Saturday
morning, j. l., Nessly has been author.
lied TO proceed at onoe with the ar.
rangements for putting, the new dis.
trihution aystetn into effect
The Sugar Products company owns
its own sugar plantations and molssses
mills as Well as large number Of
ocean going tank steamships Hereto
fore its product haB been distributed
by rail from gulf ports, For some time
the company has been considering
plans for establishing large distrib-
utilg sta on nearer the center OF the
trade, After the fact was established
that Its pmaler tanla steamships could
navigate the Mississippi river as far as
Memphis, no time was lost In putting
the plan In effect, and negotiations were
started for local site for Its storage
tanks several months ago.
The cheap transportation made pos
sible by shipping Its oduct In It's
own tank boats. without transfer from
the time tho molasses leaves the mills
until II reaches the very heart OF the
distribution center, wiH mean big
factor In The cost Of production OF mixed
feeds, officials Of the company say.
The volume OF molasses used in the
production OF mixed feeds Is enormous,
and increasing al the time, There are
about eight companies manufacturing
mixed feeds In Memphis Alone turning
out thousands Of tons of feed annually.
The cost of the transportation will be
further reduced by plans the company
Is said to have under way for providing
full Cargoes for the ships on the return
trip. The tank boats are so built that
they may be washed out when emptied
and lined with light framework, &c
that grain, hay, alfalfa meal and other
products may be shipped from Memphis
TO the island ports where grain OF that
kind is said to be In good demand, but
heretofore the high cost OF transporta
tion has made the export business al
most prohibitive.
Mr. Nessly has represented the Sugar
Products company at Memphis for sew.
eral years and has built up q big
business for the company here, He
will have charge OF the new dlstribut.
ing plant when 1t " completed, 1t Is
understood.
Tho engineers FOR the Frisco railroad
have been authorized to draw UP plans
for trackage facilities to the new site
The line runs right through the loca-
tIon and II Will ~only be necessary to
build n short spur to the storage tanks
In the opinion OF local grains and
feed authorities the establishment OF
the direct steamship line from foreign
ocean ports TO Memphis will mean the
first step toward making Memphis one
Of the greatest distribution centers In
the country, and open up vast export
possibilities for the city.