1899-07-27-sc-p6-flour-mill-at-reardan
July 27, 1899 Spokane Daily Chronicle Page 6:
FLOUR MILL AT REARDAN
New Plant Will Commence Grinding Next Monday
“SNOW WHITE” FLOUR
Only Two-Thirds of a Wheat Crop in the Big Bend This Year.
COLD SPRING AND HOT SUMMER
Some Farmers Are Harvesting Now—Others Are Seeding—New Bank at Reardan.
A new flour mill, equal in size to any in the Big Bend country, and costing $15,000, has just been completed at Reardan, and will be put in operation next Monday, to run steadily from that date. It is owned by the Washington Grain and Milling company, of which the officers are:
M. Moriarity, president.
John Wycham, vice-president.
J. K, Smith, secretary and treasurer.
This company is to succeed the Washington Feed company, which is now in business here. The new concern will conduct a wholesale flour and feed business in Spokane, and will place a new brand of flour, "The Snow-White," on the market here. This is to be made in the new mill at Reardan.
All Ready for Business.
The mill has been under construction for the past three months. It was completed a few days ago and has had one or two trial runs, when everything went smoothly and the final adjustments were made. The location is in the west end of Reardan, about 100 feet from the warehouse belonging to the same company. Here a three-story building has been erected next to the Central Washington track. Milling machinery of the latest pattern and most approved make has been installed. The plant has been put in for a capacity of 250 barrels in 24 hours. For the present the mill will be run at only half its possible capacity, 125 barrels a day. All that is necessary to double this out- put is to put in additional rollers.
The milling machinery used is from the Nordyke & Marmon company of Indianapolis. A 70 horse power “Twin City Corliss Engine” was chosen, and was put in place by S. P. Wright of the Western Mining Supply company of Butte, Mont. Burt Myers is to be in charge of the plant as head miller. Some custom grinding will be done for the farmers, as is usual with the mills in the country.
Two-Thirds of a Crop.
"There will be about two-thirds of an average crop in the Big Bend country this year,” said J. K. Smith yesterday afternoon, just after he returned from Reardan, where he went to witness the first test of his new mill at that place, and with which he expressed himself as well satisfied. "The yield will be from 15 to 20 bushels to the acre. Of course, in some places the crop will go as high as 35 bushels, but in others it will not be over five. I think that 18 to 20 will be about the average yield. There have been no hot winds, and after this time of the year there will probably be none. But there has been hot weather; and, you see, this came after a cold, dry spring."
“Has there been much rain in the Big Bend?”
"No, not much; no big showers. There was not a drop of rain there at the time we had the big electrical shower here in town. On the Fourth of July and the following day there were light showers, but the moisture did not go down more than an eighth of an inch."
""Increased Acreage.
"There has been a big increase in acreage in the Big Bend this year, but the yield will be lighter per acre. Much new ground is being broken in and a good deal of summer-fallowing is being done. One reason that the crop is light is because they have raised such heavy crops there for the past two years that the land is nearly exhausted.
Are Seeding Now.
"We sold nine loads of wheat the other day for seeding, and some of the farmers are putting in fall grain now. This is the proper time to do it. And then the seed gets the benefit of the first shower. The farmers who put in their grain early last fall have the best crops now. I know of one farm owned by the Carlsons, near Hite, where there are 400 acres that will average 35 bushels to the acre. And this is ready to harvest now. It was sown last August."
"How do you think the price will be this fall?"
"Well, there are 25,00 bushels of old wheat now at Reardan; 30,000 bushels at Mondovi; 10,000 at Hite, Altogether, there are 150,000 bushels of old wheat in that country now. Most of this is at the warehouses, but some is held by the farmers. And they have held it so long that they are almost ashamed to sell at the present figure. The high price that was paid for wheat two years ago caused many of the farmers to hold for a figure that was a way up. And 49 cents is the highest price that has been paid for the club wheat. That was early last fall, and since that time it has been coming down steadily, being now quoted at 43 cents at the country points.
No Higher Next Year.
"I do not see how it can be any higher this year than it was last. From all indications at present and the visible supply, even if there is only half a crop there will be no shortage."
"When will harvesting be commenced?"
"They are harvesting today in some parts of the Big Bend. The bulk of the fall wheat will be ready for harvest by the first of August and the spring wheat will be ready by the middle or the 20th of the month."
"Are there plenty of men in the country for the fall work?"
"I don't think there will be any scarcity when the harvesting is well started."
"Will they use the big combination machines this year?"
"No more will be taken into the country. They can't use those machines until the grain is good and ripe, and then it all has to be done at once. The bulk of the grain will be cut this year with the header. Twine is so high this year that the farmers can’t afford to buy it. Last year the twine was sold at 10 and 12 cents a pound. Now it is quoted at 15 and 16 cents, on account of the war in the Philippines and its effect on Manila hemp.
"Reardan is getting to he a good little town. Olsen & Stevenson are planning to open a private bank there and it will be capitalized for $25,000. More business is done at Wilbur, but Reardan ships out more wheat than any other place on the Central Washington. Last year 375,000 bushels of wheat were sent out from that town. This fall the output will be about 325,000 bushels."
