Manchester Democrat., 1920-12-29
MILLIONS FOR
THE BEET GROWER
GUS RAYMOND, TELLS OF BIG
MONEY MADE By FARMERS
IN COLORADO.
1876 ACRES YIELDS sss,oot

16V nSAsklc AA<A<DS VSUSvVWsSS
$11S,OOO Is Paid as Monthly Pay Roll
in One Plant Near Fl Collins. Other
Plants BEING Erected.
d. o. Chamberlain of this city re-
ceived letter from Gus Raymond,
former resident Of this county. and
in this letter is given an interesting
account OF the money that can be made
in the sugar beet industry in the vi
cinity OF Ft. Collins, Colorado. We
give the letter in full, for we are
sure that it will be read with much
interest by our readers:
Mr.. Raymond says: II have been
going to write you for some time with
regard to our beet sugar industry and
have been waiting for some reports as
to our crops for this season. The
TT. Collins factory Of the Great Wes-
tern Sugar company started Its fall
run on the morning Of Sept. IS. when
the first complete shift Of men went
on duty, starting the wheels Of the
entire plant running and II they have
no bad luck will not stop until the
last beet is in process. Five days
previous to the opening of the plant
the farmers had instructions to start
digging the beets. SO there would be
q contsant supply and delivery to the
factory. They have about 5000 tons
OF beets on hand ready to go through
the rollers, and 500 men stand ready
to 60 to work when the whistle blows.
The work is carried on in three shifts
OF eight hours each, the first one
starting at TOO a. M, the second at
800 .. m, and the third at 1900 p.
m. Every two weeks the MEN are
changed, so no set Of men has the
night shift continually.
Pays Ont slls,0OO Monthly.
"The factory starts up slowly, so
that every man may find his place and
catch onto his job. AS soon as the
cogs Of haman machinery are running
smoothly full steam ahead will be
sounded and the rush campaign will be
on. The company is paying good
wages this year, and as usual will
divide portion Of the profits at the
end Of the season as bonuses, to those
who stayed with them during the sea
SON. $11S,O0O is now being paid out
for labor each month. After start
ing the factory receives on an average
OF 1900 tons OF heets per day
and grinds 2,400 tons per day. SO
there is surplus of beets II storm
comes to delay field delivery.
Farmers Make Big Money.
Il will tell you what some Of the
farmers get here for their beet crop.
The factory pays $12 perrton net for
the beets, after the dirt tarel is taken
off The largest check that ! nave
heard Of so far, from this factory,
went to F. J. Schroeder & Sons. and
was for the sum OF 24.6s5.S3. This
sum represented the yield Of 125 acres
or at the rate Of $197.4O per acre, and
the crop averaged little better than
16 tons to the acre. Several bO-acre
farms yielded from Is to % tons per
acre. One Of them, belonging to Fred
Schuner, averaged 81 tons for the 80
acres, or total Of Ills tons. and
brought him a check for $13,356.
Twenty acres of beets raised by JACOB
Grot went % tons to the acre or ago
for the field and earned him check
for $500. Can you beat this in dear
old Iowa? Nix.
Large Yield This Year.
The total beet yield for the TT
Collins district this year will run 3
600 tons more than the factory people
estimated. The average yield for the
district is better than II tons pei
acre. During the slicing season o.
8 1-2 months the factory pays out FOL
labor S118,000 per month and during
the remainder OF the year S25,O00 pei
month, Nothing less than IS per day
is paid this year.
Describes Beet Dump
81 went to work on one OF the bee
dumps until it closed. A beet dunn
is a receiving station for the deliver!
Of beets from the farmers and thes'
dumps are scattered throughout tn
valley every three or four miles. The!
employ from five to eight men, ac
cording to the extent Of the acerag
adjoining: There is q weighmaste
a man who operates the dump (Which
is an inclined drive with platform
at the top, built high enough and al
ranged on a turn SO that by operating
| lever the platform is released, al
lowing the wagon to be tilted SO tina
the beets roll off into the railroad ca
below, then there are two men wh
/ take sample Of each load OF beet
weigh and clean them, taking off tn
dirt and all tops which may remain
They are then weighted again, the dill
ference in weight being the tare, fig
ured as to percentage and charge
off the gross amount. There are ais
two men on the ground to move tn
cars, shifting them under the dunn
to be loaded These dumps are scene
of much activity during the can
paign.
Two New Plants To Go Up.
AFTER reading this over | see tha
! | haven't told you all that could b
said or written regarding the indus
! try but the following facts may Civ
YOU a better idea of its magnitude
From Ft. Collins you can see tn
smoke pouring out of the stacks
six sugar factories and there are tw
| ,,,o,a in coursa of construction.