Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-08-18
NEGRO CHEMIST ATTRACTS
Gets 115 Products From the Sweet
Potato


George Carver, negro chemist of
Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegce, Ala,
and fellow of the Royal Society OF
London, in speaking before the Con-
ference on Life and Work at Lake
Junaluska, y. c., astonished his audi
cnce time and again at the many
varied exhibits of products he has dis
covered can be developed from the
sweet potato. His subject was "A
Negro's Contribution to Southern
Agriculture"
This chemist has been working in his
laboratory at Tuskegee for the past
2S years, and during that time has
developed product after product from
the sweet potato, the peanut and the
pecan, making an alliterative trio of
what he calls the three chief money
crops that the South is destined to
produce Large sums have been Of
fered for these products by concerns
ed each day, Is for instance the man
ufacture of chocolate bonbons from the
sweet potato. This delicacy is being
made from the sweet potato by large
candy manufacturers and every day
people eat it, but they don't know it is
made from the sweet potato.
The chemist is about so years old,
tall and gaunt in appearance, and is
iull blooded negro. He was born in
Missouri, and was for some time a
professor of chemistry at Tuskegee In
ititute, but is now retired, devoting
all his time to the chemical work with
he sweet potato, the peanut, the pc
.an, the yellow mari clays of Alabama,
md other products Of interest to him.
He states that from the sweet potato
le has secured 115 products, from the
peanut over 100 products, and from
he pecan Is. He expects to get as
many again from the sweet potato,
md states that the peanut wilP go
.wice the number of the sweet potato
because Of the oils. The peanut and
The pecan he has only recently ex-
perimented with,
From the sweet potato there is no
waste according to the methods used
~ this chemist in extracting the mani
fold products of nature from the vege-
table The vine he makes into stock
ood. Some Of his products, exhibited
;,onl
ootato, stock food, potato meal, potato
hips, potato -four Of several kinds;
breakfast foods, coffee, Van Dyke
brown paint, a cross between a Van
Dyke brown and an italian brown
,aint and other colors; instant tapioca,
,oloring matter to take the place of
he yolk of an egg in cake making
his being called a perfect substitute
according to bakers; chocolate bon
)ons. starch, which is a powerful ad-
,esiye for textiles, and is also used for
culinary purposes; chocolate, mock
shredded cocoanut, peanut flour, pea
tut bar the last two from the peanut;
md others.
An entire banquet was prepared by
he chemist at one time from the sweet
potato. He was asked by the host to
make some after dinner mints, so he
lid. making three kinds, which are the
.weet potato orange drop and lemon
lrop, and one other. He also makes
Instant coffee free from caffeine. HIS
.ubber discovery has been used by Il
concern in South Carolina which put
on the market too soon. Now the
chemist won't turn it loose until ne
discovers all the possibilities attached
% it. The chemist also makes from
he sweet potato, gingers. vinegar, 81
lifferent kinds of dyes for silk, WOOL,
.otton, leather; paints Of different
shades and many other things. The IN
slant coffee product was made only
asst Monday by the chemist.
Several large corporations are IN
crested in the products of this talent
ed negro, and when he returns to Tus-
Segee at the end of the week, he will
Immediately go into conference with
several concerns, including the Ala
oama Water Power company, a coffee
concern and several others which de-
sire to take over some of his discov-
| cries.