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Show Suar House Sernionettes by E. Cecil McGa vin This is the thirteenth in a series of articles on the early day history of Sugar House. The series is presented under the sponsorship of Sugar House Camp, Sons of Ukih Pioneers. It was welcome news in the far west when it was learned that t he "Deseret Manufacturing Manufac-turing Company" had been organized, had made the necessary nec-essary preparations and purchases, pur-chases, and had the valuable sugar processing equipment on its way to Salt Lake City. In the autumn of 1851 Elder Loren Babbitt had returned to America .bringing with him 1200 pounds of sugar beet seed. This choice seed had been raised rais-ed in France and had been selected se-lected and purchased by John Taylor. It was carefully packed pack-ed in large boxes cased with tin. There was great excitement in the valley when it was learned that a vast supply of sugar beet seed was on hand to be planted next spring and that the machinery for the refinement re-finement of sugar was on its way. The pioneers, long accustomed ac-customed to maple syrup, honey, sorpham molasses, and other substitutes for flavoring their food, were of the opin ion that sugar possessed potent po-tent medicinal properties that would add materially to the health and longevity of the people who were fortunate enough to be privileged to use it freely. At that time sugar was considered more than a staple food, u'Snost a cure all, a safeguard against certain diseases that were common in the westland. The opinion of Orson Hyde, expressed in the following lines, was typical of the popular popu-lar feeling regarding this long awaited article of food: "The more free and liberal liber-al use of sugar and molasses, particularly among children, would greatly tend to pro-mole pro-mole their health, and prove an antidote against many ills that now afflict them, in addition ad-dition to the luxury and comfort to be enjoyed. Vinegar Vin-egar is also important as its free use counteracts erysipelas erysip-elas and several other common com-mon complaints incident to this climate." |