Mule Day, (Calvary, Georgia)

The Lions Club in Calvary, GA, sponsors an annual Mule Day. This is a phenomenally successful event, attracting about 600 vendors and tens of thousands of people. A focus of the day is production of sugar-cane syrup, which they do with both horse mill & kettle as well as with power mill and evaporator. Syrup is also produced for several days leading up to the event. Many people favor their syrup, and some purchase it by the case. (My thanks to Mr. Robert Lee for identifying the mills and explaining the process.)

(click on images for full sized picture)

The above pictures show the mule-powered set-up and the typical kettle arrangement. Circumstances did not permit me to get the number off the mill, but I believe that it is a #4.
The above pictures show various shots of several men feeding a Chattanooga # 72, which is rigged to a tractor pto.

Above are different views of a Golden # 36. Note the beads welded onto the worn rollers.

The two photos above are of a second Golden # 36. This one is in operation and feeding juice into a storage vat inside the evaporator shed. Note the safety shield and the conveyor for removing bagasse.

Above, a Columbus # 18 mill that was sold by Roddenbery Hardware Store in Cairo, GA.

Above left, the warming pan (foreground) that holds the juice before it goes into the copper evaporator (background). Next picture puts the warming pan in the background and the "syrup end" of the copper evaporator in the foreground. The third and fourth pictures are full views of the evaporator pan.

Picture above left, shows syrup coming off. Right, is the bottling station.

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