Thursday, Pcember 12, ltU
Potash Notes
A dispatch from Washington on
Novrfnhcr 2flth says that as a rosult
of a ronferrnre with war hoard offlo.
lata thr- department of the Interior
Will hSfWsftet superintend th firo-i
dud inn of potash and the aitrluiiltu
ral department will co-operate. Agen
cies for the production of this neces
sary commodity which were eataWI.
shed dnrlnn the war. are to continue
In operation for an Indefinite period
after peace haa been established. This
fa underatood o he the plan of presi
dent Wilson. Thla action la believed
to be the outcome of the recent tri?
to Washlnnton by a delegation of Ne
braska men, including Rr. 0. E. Con
dra, W. B. Sharp, T. E. Stevens, an
others, who presented the farts In the
present situation to the government
Senator Hitchcock aided them mater
ially In getting action.
H is understood that - the stock
holders of one of the large Ant inch
potash plunta, now operating, were
recently offered a price for their
stock which would have netted them
on a basis of not less than two to one.
on their investment. However, it la
reported t hnt those holding the con
trolling Interest declined to sell at
this figure. The deal would have in
volved between $700,000 and 1800,
000. ft
A trip recently by The Herald re
presentative to the . Home Potash
Plant, ten miles southeast of Alliance
on the Phelan ranch, found them
working at full capacity In their re
cently enlarged and improved plant.
This plant operates on the "Stack"
evaporation plan. Manager Fres
Allen reports the plant making good.
It has been watched with Interest by
those who contemplate erecting new
plants on account of the novel idoa
utilized In evaporating the brine
that of dropping the brine through a
brick Htack, over baffle plates, the
heat from u large furnace being given
an outlet through the stack and dry
ing the brine as it passed through
the same.
IOI
The Commonwealth Potash Com.
pany, owners of the plant ut Birdsetl,
seven miles east of Alliance, have file
a petition In voluntary bankruptcy,
aa will be noted by the legal notice
published in The Herald This com
pany was incorporated for $60,000
and the articles of Incorporation were
filed in BoK Uutte county. It was fin
anced by Lincoln men and was practi
cally a closed corporation. Members
of the company state that the cash in
vested amounted to approximately
140,000 The plant was never com
pleted although it was finished far
enough to operate.
o
The plant erected by the owners of
the Commonwealth is the largest
"small" plant In the potash district.
It was built on the railroad and locat
ed two and one.half miles from
Bon ess lake from which It took Its
brine. The equipment Includes two
large boilers, six large covered eva
porating pansin which are steam
colls, a steam engine, complete elec
tric power plant with all buildings
wired for electricity, a grinder, ro
tary dryer, pumps, large concrete
storage tank, several well built bunk
houses, cook house, and supplies.
Several tons of potash were produced
In the Bhort time in which the plant
wbb operated, Just long enough to
show the owners that they had failed
to ascertain whether or not the sup
ply of potash in the lake to which
they piped was sufficient to care for
the plant.
There are bound to be failures in
the potash game, especially where the
builders of the plants do not make
sufficient investigation by testing
their lakes to know that they have a
supply of potash. Companies which
fail to observe ths most necessary re
quirement or who are joorly and in
sufficiently financed, will soon find
themselves In difficulty. The smalt
plants which are built on lakes with
a good supply of potash in their beds
are having no difficulty in making
good under the proper management.
The nrt meeting of creditors of the
Commonwealth company Will be held
in :he district court room In Alliance
on December 10th. It Is understood
I hot the liabilities are approximately
$8,000.
IOI
It Is understood that two of the
-ompanles operating "small" potash
plants on lake shores have solved the
in fetetn of ta ; ' t'"'r brine hy
running it through their boilers, a
proposition which was for a long time
fhoughi io be too dlflcult to solve, on
account of the fact Hint the olkali
water foams very. easil The Wyo
ming. Nebraska and Oftflri Northern
companies, both of which operat
small plants, are reported to have
solved this difficulty and to be secur
ing a uch greater evaporation in pro
portion to the fuel used, than If fr
water was first made Into steam and
th'-n this steam used to evaporate the
brine in which the potash salt
held. One of the chief items of ex
pense In the operating of potash
plants is that of coal and oil. Th'
plants which are trying out the new
plan will be watched with interest.
Mince Pie
like Mcther Used to Maht
it only one of tke
many good things tLat
can e made with
None Such
Mincemeat
Send for
Illustrated Kecipee
Mtrwii-SouU Co. Sywrwwjre
The enroursRin-t news from Wash
ington thai the (.. r incut is tit in?
a band in the potash situation, is caus
ing renewal a "'vity Hi -the potash
district f western Nebraska. None
of the v'.- its lis e tu: doWN ;:i..jc
tion rnc. the new on s are In -teasing
i ir production towarts th
limit ill fail Its pti'-. Approxl
natel SlO.uOl'.UOO i ns been invest
ed In he potash .! ii nud ntttfiot.J
,.ave al.'ity fcseii male by those in
terested in the Indus-try. The Industry
Is rapidly getting on a stable basis
and should continue to pay hand.
some returns on money Invested for
years to come.
:o:
Although the potasn plants were
hindered somewhat by the Influenza
epidemic, the prompt measures taken
by them to stop the spread of the
disease prevented a general epidemls
and the resultant lowering in effic
iency of the working forces. Plenn
of doctors and nurses were secured
both at Iloffland and Antloch; warm,
modern buildings were set aside for
the patients, and every care given
them, with the result that the spread
haB been held down and the number,
of fatal cases small.
IOI
The Lincoln Potash Company,
which erected a ten ton plant on the
Stoughten lakes, fifteen miles north
of Antioch, Is operating at full capaci
ty these days and producing a fine
product. The lakes on which the
modern complete plant was built
are especially rich in potash. J. O.
Aldrich, a Lincoln man. Is manager
of the plant and Mr. Miller, a Lincoln
banker is- president of the company.
Although the plant has only been in
operation a short time, Its output un
der the direction of competent men
has been so satisfactory that the own
ers are thinking of enlargeing its
capacity. The fuel and supplies are
hauled fro Antioch and the potash
to their warehouse at that point.
IOI
The Ellsworth Potash Company,
organized by Wyoming capitalists,
which has options on about a thou
sand acres of water in the vicinity of
Ellsworth, has spent several thou
sand dollars during the past few
months in thoroughly testing out
their lakes Much of the testing has
been done under the supervision of
D. E. W. Jones, formerly of Alliance,
who has been engaged in the potr.3h
industry for n-.ore -than a ycr.r, hav
ing been in charge of the erection of
the big Alliance plant at Antioch.
The Ellsworth company plans on ex
pending not leas than $300,000 in a
plant at Ellsworth, piping to their
lakes in that vicinity. Their plant will
include the very latest plans for se.
curing the maximum amount of eva
poration for the fuel used.
I Ul
It is reported that a contract has
been ade or is about to be made for
the turning over of the leases held
yb the Peterson Potash company on
the Peterson ranch lakes south of An
tioch, to a new organisation which
will erect a large plant at Antioch.
The Peterson company holds leases
on more than a thousand acres of
water, located from eight to twenty
Imiea from Antioch. The lakes were
thoroughly tested during the past
summer and the men who are tak
ing over the leases have been MkgM
in the potash industry for some time.
The work done so far includes the
securing of a Bite at Antioch, leasing
of right-of-way for pipe line, and t
drawing up of plans for the plant. It
is understood that the stockholders
of the Peterson Potash Company are
to receive a good block of stock In
the new organization as well as a sub
stantlal cash bonus.
The Associated Potash Plants, or
ganised by Alliance men, is rapodly
completing Its organization and pro
ceeding with plans for the erection
of small plants on lakes held b the
company wht.-ii have been thoroughly
teste 1 out an. I shown to be rich in
potash. This company haa holdings in
different sections of the potash dlst.
rtct, near Ellsworth, Lakeside and
Antioch. Its complete holdings in
approxlinttely 6,000 acres of water
and several times that amount of
land. It la capitalized for $500,000,
with $100,000 werth of its stock
nlkAAil nn t ha irk l
NKWRKRR'N HARDWARK COMPANY
1
War Savings Stamps cost in Decern
bar $4.1$; worth $5 00 January 1,
192$.
365- DAY ROAD FACTS
WHAT HANNAH Of II NKIOHIIOK
IS l'i l ( .
Kansas has now 175 miles of Ml
day roads and you know what 365
day roads mean. Hy July 1st, 1919
she will have over 2000 miles of 365
days road and part of the roads are
brick buik twenty feet with; with a
concrete base. Barton County located
In the Western part of Kansas Just
recently voted One Million dollars
for brick roads. Ford County not to
be out done voted the same amount
and Rice County voted Two Hundred
and Fifty Thousand for bflck and
oncrete roads. Kansas hasn't any
more intelligent men than Nebraska
Western Nebraska excells Western
Kansas when it comes to raising
crops. Western Nebraska has more
money than Western Kansas there
fore there must be something wrong
with us, we lack organization, we are
afraid of co-operation and that Is
why we are fourth from the bottom
In the United States when it comes
io permanent roads.
DO YOU KNOW
That a concrete road costing $25,
000.00 per mie will only cost the
farmer 25 cents per acre per year for
10 years and only 12 cents per acre
per year for 20 years. With paved
roads any county will save from $75.
000 to $100,000 per year with less
breakage, less gas .oil, tire wear and
haul far bigger loads. The Govern
ment statistics prove that over $300,
000,000 worth of farm produce is lost
through inability to haul crops over
mud roads.
I
COMMUNITY SILVER
for CHRISTMAS GIFTS
por very little money here is a gift of great
distinction, most acceptable to every woman,
and with a quality that cannot be surpassed.
'yfyfc can give you a wide choice of these sets in the beautiful
Community designs-various combinations of pieces, at a range
of prices to meet any desired expenditure. Each set cased com
plete in handsome deep blue imported seal-grain leatherette
lined with velvet and satin.
NKWRKRR'M HARDWARE OOMPA NY
T
!
i
I
m
5
as
CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR WILL BE UNUSUAL IT WILL BE MARKED BECAUSE OP THE
UNIVERSAL GIVING OF SENSIBLE THINGS AS PRESENTS. WHAT COULD BE MORE SO
THAN A GOOD SUIT OR OVERCOAT?"
Clothing With Personality
Your Clothing should be more than simple garments to protect from the chill of winter
months. . It should express a personality. This expression comes through pleasing styles
and tailoring that conform with your particular individuality.
H1RSCH-WICKW1RE CO.
Suits and Overcoats
Provide that personality because they are
made right, in the right styles and of the right
fabrics. Years of leadership in the manufacture
of clothing for men have enabled them to estab
lish a prestige that is unequaled and at amazing
ly moderate prices.
HAND BAGS
SILK SHIRTS
SILK HOSE
NECKWEAR
GLOVES
SWEATERS
SCARFS
SILK HANDKER-CHIEFS
Time is short; Christmas eve will soon be here, and no doubt
many of the gifts for the men folks still remain nnchosen. Don't
go rushing around trying to find something that you think will
please him Select his gift at bis regular shoppng place "The
Right Store." Here you will find suggestions galore in men's wear
ing apparel and dress accessories suitable and practical gifts
the kind a man wants and likes best.
ROY BECKWITH