Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
91 
correct. I know there are thousands of acres near our capitol, and 
in one place 28 feet deep. 
Mr. Newton. What is the cost of this fuel which you speak of 
—its manufacturing cost? 
Mr. Delaplaine. They claim they can manufacture it at a dol¬ 
lar and fifty-five cents a ton at the works. 
I will say that Mr. Roberts, who had the machine that is now 
left, over which there is a law suit at Rochester, contracted to furn¬ 
ish a certain amount of dried peat, but they found in drying this 
peat they would have to invest about $70,000 for lumber, and off¬ 
ered to furnish it for a dollar a ton on the ground. He went to 
work and dug so much one afternoon there as to frighten the peo¬ 
ple he had made the contract with, and they broke the contract, 
and he sued them and recovered judgment. 
Mr. Newton. There is an establishment at Fond du Lac, or near 
it, that have brought to this country at an expense of 30 or $40,000, 
the Bridge's machinery as it is called. They have used it for two 
years and find that it makes a peat of about the same density of 
Levett’s machine, and the lowest cost is about $2 a ton, and Mr. Mc¬ 
Donald has examined my plan and this one that Mr. Delaplaine 
refers to, and also the process in Illinois, and he expressed himself 
so satisfied with the process, as to undertake to utilize it next year. 
Mr. Delaplaine. There have been numberless theories ad¬ 
vanced, all of which involve a great amount of means. I have said 
this to parties who have written to us to engage in it; these theo¬ 
ries are all good for nothing, and not a dollar more will we put into 
any theory, but give us the mill, machine, or apparatus and we 
will go into it, and not only we, but all the railroads in the coun¬ 
try. These theories are all well enough, but there are twenty diff¬ 
erent effective grinding machines, and the thing is to condense and 
dry the peat and make it a cheap commercial fuel. It cannot be 
used in its crude state. It is dug near the Gray wire works 
of Worcester and Lowell, but it is dug and used right at their works, 
and it is cheaper than other fuels; but the great desideratum is to 
get it dried and condensed and make it marketable. 
Mr. Newton. I suppose this theory is like all others; it has to 
to be tried to know whether it is good or bad, but to condemn the 
theory before it is tried would be idle, and you could not convince 
any one here when I show what I have done, and the value of a 
