Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1901 — Shelby’s Beet Sugar Factory [ARTICLE]

Shelby’s Beet Sugar Factory

Mr. Salter, of the Central Sugar Co., of Shelby, Ind., was here this week talking up sugar beets and trying to get our people interested in growing them. Mr. Salter informed us that the contract for the big plant at Shelby had already been let and work upon the same will begih as soon as the weather will permit. The plant will be located some few hundred feet east of the Monon railroad on the north side of the Kankakee river, and between the river and 3-1 road. The main building will be about 170 x 80 feet, four stories in height, and will be of brick and stone. The plant is to cost about $500,000 and will have a capacity of 600 tons or 30 carloads of beets per day. It will also use about 2 carloads of limestone (the company will make its own lime used in clarifying the sugar), 2 cars of coke, one or two carloads of coal, etc. Its daily output will be two to three carloads of sugar. It will employ at the factory over 200 people, and Shelby may look for a boom greater than her wildest fancies ever dreamed of. The plant is to be completed by Sept. 15, 1901, ready to take card' of this season’s crop. Mr. Salter says that prominent members of the company experimented last year with the growing of beets about Shelby and the experiments were most satisfactory. A large acre age will be put out there this year as well as in Keener, Wheatfield and Kankakee townships, in this county, and it is hoped to interest the farmers in other sections of northern Indiana in their growth. About 600 acres has already been contracted at South Holland, 11l , for this factory, and it is expected to secure altogether in various districts 6,000 acres. Mr. Salter will return here again soon and a called meeting of farmers will be had at which he will give a talk on sugar beet culture and answer all questions relating thereto. It is hoped that tho farmers of Northern Jasper especially, will encourage this mammoth industry which, while located just across the line in Lake county, will be of much financial benefit to them in various ways.