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CAPITOL ITEMS.
<Cr mp Will Not Supply Armor
For Battle Ships.
LARGE BUCKWHEAT EXPORTS
orrmany Has Again Protested Against
the Discrimination Against Her Sugar—
.Not a Single Consignment Was Received
at New York Custom House Last Week.
D Offrey Tariff Anticipated.
The prohibitory effect of the Dingier
‘tariff and the anticipation of it by the
importers were exemplified at the cus¬
tom house last week by the fact that
not a single consignment was received,
and it is the first week in years that
6uc,U has been the case.
First Time on Record.
The Bureau of American Republics
has received information that mer¬
chants of Rio de Janeiro have char¬
tered two vessels now at San Francisco
to convey cargoes of California wheat
to Rio. This is the first time in his¬
tory that such a thing has occurred,
and is attributable to the short crop in
the Argentine Republic and Uruguay.
Exports of Buckwheat.
The exportation of American buck¬
wheat during the last fiscal year at¬
tained sufficient importance to be
made a matter of special note by the
bureau of statistics of the treasury
department. During the last year
there were exported 1,677,102 bushels
of buckwheat. The Netherlands fur
nish the greatest market, 1,063,064
bushels of this total having been sent
to that country; 425,244 bubhels were
exported to Germany, and 154,557
bushels to Belgium, Denmark, France,
England arid British Africa received
the balance in small quantities. The
value of the year’s exports of buck¬
wheat was $678,959.
Germany Protests Again.
The German government has again
entered a formal protest against the
application to German sugar of section
5 of the new tariff act, by which sugar
would be taxed with a higher duty
^»n that from other countries. It is
, ‘however, tlmtji German
not denied, j provi¬
sugar clearly comes within the
sion of section 5 by reason of the pay¬
ment of an export bounty, but the
eouteutiou is made that the additional
duty imposed is in effect a discrimina¬
tion against German sugar, which is
incompatible both with the most fa¬
vored nation rights that are secured to
German productions by the treaties
□ow in force, and also with the provi¬
sions of the Saratoga agreement of
August 22, 1891.
Cramp ‘A ill Not Supply Armor.
Charles Cramp, of the ship-building
firm of Cramp & Sons, was at the
uavy department the other day in
euuferenee with Secretary Roosevelt
and Capt. O’Niell, chief of the ord¬
nance bureau, to learn the intention
of the department in the matter of
procuring armor for the battleships
now building. The response of the
Cramps to Secretary Long’s invitation
to submit proposals for supplying such
armor as they need for the ships they
are building has been delayed by the
absence from the United States of
Charles Cramp. He has now made
answer, and, as was expected, declines
to undertake the task. He was not
averse, however, to undertaking to
supply the small quantity of diagonal
armor, amounting to about eighty
tons for each ship, at the maximum
price allowed by congress—$300 per
ton—his offer to do this being based
upon a desire to prevent a possible
stoppage of work on the ships owing
to the lack of this particular armor.
Meanwhile the acting secretary is
proceeding to carry out the direction
of congress on the lines laid down by
Secretary Long, and he has completed
the personnel of the special board
which is to make an investigation ot'
the cost of establishing a government
armor plant.
An Exhorbitant Rate.
Representative J. Hamilton Lewis,
of the state of Washington, has hail a
conference with the treasury oilieials
in regard to customs matter on the
Alaska-Canadiau frontier. It is said
the Canadian commissioner of customs
has fixed an exhorbitant rate of duty
ou goods of every description brought
by miners entering the Klondike coun¬
try by way of Alaska. The treasury
officials have taken means to ascertain
tho facts. If the report should lie
found to be true the action of the de¬
partment in establishing a branch cus¬
tom house at Dvea may be reconsider
ad and steps taken to protect the rights
of American miners in the premises.
Pension Roll Grow ing.
The pension roll of the United
States has already reached the million |
mark. Commissioner Evans has just
issued a statement showing that at the
beginning of the fiscal year the pen- j
sioners numbered 938,528, an increase j
of 12,850 for the past year. During j j
the year ll 50,101 new pensions were
S" i"o 11 f T , 1 ,r J , T:rrdlir:
however, is working great inroads iuto
the list, for there were 31,960 deaths
during the year. Other sources of
loss wore 1,071 from remarriage of
widows; 1,845 orphans attained ma
jority; 2,683 failures to claim pensions,
and 3,500 losses from unrecorded
causes.
The Gold Production.
Mr. Preston, mint director, esti¬
mates the gold production of the
world for 1896 to have been S'205,000,
000, of which the United States con¬
tributed over $53,000,000. For 1397
it is believed the world’s gold produc¬
tion will reaoh at least $290,000,000.
Mr. Preston says:
“As an indicatien of the increase in
the world’s gold product for 1897, the
following table, showing the product
of the United States, Australia, South
Africa, Russia, Mexico, British India
and Canada for 1896, and their proba¬
ble output of 1897 is given.
1806. lSt>7
United States * 53,000,000 J 60,000,001 52,550,'CO
Australia ------- ...46,250,000 ...41,000,000 56,0)0,000
South Africa.... . 25,000,000
Russia .....22,0)0,000 UU>,INa)
Mexico ., 7, lAW, UJO 9, ,006
British India ......-, : IM 7,'j ' DUO
Canada....... ... S, SO I, 34) 10, M,
Total.......................$18H, tire 550, 1 00 $iU) 55fl ,<*#
That world’s gold product will
continue to increase for a number of
years to come, says Mr, Preston, is
self-evident, as new mines will lie
opened up in all parts of the world,
and with the improved appliances and
the methods for extracting the gold
contained in the ores, it is believed
that by the close of the present centu¬
ry the world’s gold product will exceed
$300,000,444.
Representatives Instructed New Tariff.
The state department has sent in¬
structions to the United States ambas¬
sadors and ministers abroad accredit¬
ed to couutries with which we have
trade relation that have been affected
by the enactment of the Dingley act,
directing them to present to the gov¬
ernments at their poets a copy of the
new act and to call attention to the
provisions of tho new act which call
for retaliation, reciprocity and similar
arrangements.
This is done in order that there may
be a proper basis for the institution of
negotiations looking to tho consumma¬
tion of some of the reciprocal agree¬
ments contemplated in the Dingley act.
The grounds not covered by the
state department in these negotiations
will be difficult to traverse, owing to
the complexity of the subjects to bo
treated and the dissimilar conditions
existing in various countries with
which we must have to do, yet there
cannot be any delay iu undertaking
the task, inasmuch as congress in
terms enjoyed the beginning of the
negotiations as soon as may bo after
tbe passage of this act.
So far, it is said, noformul responses
to our advances have been made, hut
from certain news items that come
from Europe it is perceived that such
overtures may be expected at any mo¬
ment.
.'fails to the Klondike.
The hosts that have migrated to the
Alaskan and Klondike gold fields
during the past few months will not
be wholly without postal facilities
during the coming winter. There will
be one round trip a mouth to Circle
City until J uly 1 of next year. This
monthly service began ou the first of
last mouth, aud while no route is
specially designated, it will be via the
Ohilkoot pass. This service carries
only letter mail, uo provision being
made for any other classes of matter.
Heavy mails are carried so far under
contract for five steamer trips via the
Yukon river, and tbe lust of the five
trips will be started from San Francis
co about September 1. It is doubtful
whether the last expedition can pro
ceed all the way, for in the latter part
of September the Yukon is frozen
over. The fourth expedition carrying
the mails over the course is now en
route. Tbe contract allows the carry
age of mails to the extent of five tons
in weight, and by the time the mails
now on the way will reach the Circle
City district and are forwarded iuto
the diggings into which the rush lias
been made the prospectors will be
well supplied with reading matter.
WHOLESALE VACCINATION.
Fifteen Thousand People Have Been
Worked On in Birmingham.
Birmingham is erecting more build
iti^s on the other Si e of Led Mouu
tain at the pest-house fur the smallpox
patients.
Fifteen thousand people have been
vaccinated iu Birmingham and in this
district. I he city has vaccinated more
than 5,o )0 free of charge, while fam
ily physicians have been busy from
morning until night puncturing the
arms of the men. women aud children.
More vaccine points were used in Bir
mingham during tbe last six weeks
than was ever used in the whole .fate
before.
EXAGGERATED
i The r>c.6.,a,. Reports That Fabulous
;Are e
Sums Are Paid for Claims.
latest KLONDIKE news.
Provisions are a Scarce Commodity.—-It Is
Said Stores are Already Short.—Suffer¬
ing and Death Will no D.rnbt Occur
During the Winter.
The latest news received f >m Daw
son City, center of the K; like dig
giugs, conies in a private letter, and it
is not cheering to those wfio are mak¬
ing to the frozen north.
It states that the reports of fabulous
sums paid or to be paid f ir claims arc
greatly exaggerated. Tbs writer says
one claim was sold fer $100,060.
However, this was au esjcepiiou. for
the prices generally figure range from $2,000
to $10,000. Any t hove the lat¬
ter is very rare.
Tho news has the opp mite effect to
that expected. It has encouraged
many, and there are uo a few who
are going to the diggings with consid¬
erable money and with the object of
getting good property cheap
The otbet side of the picture—that
if the claims are not bringing more,
it is probably because they are not
worth more—does not seem to be
given full consideration.
The letter also confifms previous
reports that provisions are a scarce
commodity. It is said stores are
a lready short, and that most of the
newcomers flocking in ars nil provided
with food and clothing fur the winter
This, in view of the fact that the
real rush has not reached the place
yet, means that the Kl ; like will be
a synouym for suffering and death
before the next ten lliouths have
passed. pointed bat that when
However, it is
this letter was written tbe companies
on the Klondike had nowyut gotten iu
their winter stores.
Of course these are mijies larger than
anyone up iu that reghiu knows yet,
and it is hoped they will he sufficient
to ward off actual suffering, though it
is entirely probable shoxt rations will
be the rule for a time. |?
TOOK THE aROOrr.fi Pf-ACE.
Kansas fUn Determine* ’that the Hrl<L
Shnuld Not Be T appointed.
A telegram from tVpeka, Kans.,
Rays: Hutchinson schiety has just
had the greatest surpri e that has over
visited the town. Thu on sday night was
to have been tho occasi Vas of a wedding
iu which a largo circle fin interested.
A. D. Yoder, a clerk fitanished r^lry goods all
store, had a bouse auil
preparations made Hutchinson. fotj his marriage
with Miss Hattie Be¬
cause Lis intended has p As is ted in tak¬
ing a buggy ride with owse Cook, a
handsome young grocer,* on the even¬
ing before Mr. Yoder decided Thurs¬
day morning that the marriage should
not take place.
Mr. Cook was one ol the first to
hear the report and he immediately
called upon Miss Hutchiuion and ask¬
ed her for her hand iu marriage. 11c
was accepted uudthe two vere married
at the same hour that the Yoler
Hutchiuson marriage waste have taken
place.
SPRECKLES SUGAR COMPANY.
Capital ot the Big Concern Five trillion
Dollars.
Articles of incorporation of the
Spreckles Sugar company have been
filed at San Francisco. i he capital is
$5,000,000. Of this amount tbe or
ganizers of the company, J. I).
Spreckles, A. B. Spreckles, A. E.
Morrison, M. H. Weed, .A O. K.
K. Gibson, have each ,subscribed
$1,000, Producing beets and muuu
lecturing sugar therefrom is to be the
primary object of the company, and
incidentally they will engage in agri
culture, will build, equip and manage
factories aud refineries, deal in real
Estate, construct railways, build ships
,lI| d do nil other things necessary to
the development of the sugar-making
business.
Sherman Denies the Slfccy
Secretary Sherman arriveii. in New
y ork city the oUjt . r j ay fro J a short
outing ou the Long Island -oast. 1 He
speared greatly irnpr. d. Mr.
yherinau denied the statenu at that
Minister Sewall hail been in tructedto
proclaim a protectorate o.ut the Ha
waiian Islands iu the event tn senate
failed to approve tho auuexst, u trea
ty _ y ecre tary Shermaa juud the Unit
e "d States would not guarantee the car
ryilJg eut o{ u, 8 agreement between
j apall aIid Hawaii if the daemon of
the arbitrators was against this latter,
p t »t was a matter between the conn
concerned.
WOULD MAKE ARMOR PLATE.
Birmingham Working to Secure a Govern¬
ment Plant.
Birmingham will make a big fight
for the location of an armor plate fac¬
tory to be erected by the government.
Congressman Oscar IV. Underwood,
of the ninth district, is working the
movement with much vigor, aud has
hopes of haviug a committee make iu
vestigatious of the section, and the op¬
portunity the government has in plac¬
ing a plant for the manufacture of the
plate. Under¬
A few days ago Congressman
wood, iu order that Birmingham
might put iu a bid for the proposed
plant, wrote the secretary of war to
know what steps would be necessary
for this city to preseut and urge its
claims iu the premises.
Last Friday moruiug ha received
the following reply from Theodore
Roosevelt, acting secretary of the uavy.
“Navy Department, Washington, Refer¬
D. C., August 3, 1897.—Sir:
ring to your communication of the 31st
ultimo, addressed to the secretary of
war, but forwarded to this department,
stating that you desired to lay before
the board on government armor fac¬
tory certain facts showing the advan¬
tages of your section of the country
for the establishment of au armor
plant, I have the Uonor to inform you
that said letter has been referred to
the bureau of ordnance to be layed
before tho board when convened, aud
that said board has been instructed to
communicate with you in tho matter.
Very respectfully, T. Roosevelt,
“Acting Secretary.”
“Hon. O. \V. Underwood, House of
Representatives. ”
The plate manufacturers have re¬
fused to bid at the prices fixed for the
armor plate. The maximum price
fixed by congress was $300 per tou for
the plate, aud congress decided that
in ease this price was refused a special
board is to investigate the cost and
feasibility of establishing a govern¬
ment armor plate factory and report,
to congress iu December.
WOULD-BE KLONDIKERS.
The Decision of the Insurance Companies
Will Save Many Lives.
The determination of the leading
life insurance companies fo carry uo
risks on Klondike explorers lias fallen
with dampening tll'cct ou the co¬
operative companies which were form¬
ing iu Indianapolis, lud., and upon a
number of men who are preparing to
start for Alaska during the coming
winter.
One of the companies intended
sending ten representatives, each in¬
sured for $10,000, giving each man
$1,000, besides mouoy for contingent
expenses, all of the meu to co-operate
in the search for gold, dividing equally
with the company, and iu case of
death the iusurauco money to be paid
to tho company. On each death tho
company stood to win $8,500, m the
basis that not more than $1,500 would
be spent on each representative.
Another company simply designed
carrying sufficient insurance to reim¬
burse for actual coutlay. It is not
thought that any of these oomanies
will proceed further with tho organiza¬
tion.
COT ION MIGHTY SCARCE
St. Louis Cotton Firm Said to Have a Cor¬
ner on the Fleecy Staple.
Cotton is said to he cornered in St.
Louis, and is likely to remain so uutil
September 1, when the official cotton
year opens ami the new crop begins to
move. Statements of local warehouses
show that the total number of bales in
storage aggregates 9,682 bales, Last
year at this time there were 25,235
bales.
Of the 9,682 bales now ou hand 9,000
are held by one firm, the Allen West
Commission Company. James F. Al
len, of the latter company, when asked
if there was a Corner, replied :
“This is the end of the cotton sea¬
son of 1896-97,’’ said he, “and cotton
is mighty scarce at all the leading
points between New Orleans and St.
Louis. Wo have over 9,000 bales in
the warehouse and we uto bolding on
to it, as nearly half of that out tou i
two years old. It is well seasoned,
and then the crop of two years ago was
finer than last years growth.”
He would not admit the existence of !
u corner.
DECLINE I SIL VER.
Will Have No Scrims Effect on the
Mines.
’i he effect of the decline in silver
and the probable further fall to as low
as 50 cents, which seems to be conced¬
ed by those iu the best position to
judge, is current topic of conversation
among mining men at Denver, Col.,
aud while som,e are greatly discouraged
at the outlook for mining in Colorado,
tho general opinion seems to be tint
the decline of silver will have no very
serious effect upon tin, mines, beesuse
there is comparatively little silver
mined iu the state except in oonueo >
•ion with copper, g ■ 1.1 and lead. ,
TRADE REVIEW.
More Encouraging Features Than
For Previous Five Year?
TRADE MOVEMENT GOOD.
Farm Products Arc Realizing Good Prices
And the Possible Decrease In Vied of
Corn May Help to Market the Enormous
Surplus Brought Over From Last Year.
R. G. Dun & Co.’s weekly review of
trade says: Fonr years ago, Aug. 5,
1893, the first edition of Dun’s review
was issued with failures in that month
amounting to over $60,000,000, while
iu tho month just closed failures have
been only $7,177,172, the smallest of
any month since 1892. The statement
of failures by classes for July aud for
forty-six mouths shows that those iu
manufacturing failuros have boon
smaller thuu iu any other mouth of
the entire period; in trading smaller
thau iu any other month except one,
and iu many branches of each depart¬
ment smaller than most mouths of
which record exists. Tho pessimists
who pronounced reports of gain ficti¬
tious aud misrepresenting have grown
weary of their dismals, aud begin to
see the dawn of bettor days. Last
mouth was tho first for four years iu
which the volume of business reported
by clearing houses was larger than in
tho same mouth of 1892 aud the tele¬
graphic dispatches from all parts of
tho country giveu this week show a
gratifying improvement, This is
partly due to a largo yield of wheat
aud good prices, though tho crop is
probably not as large, 18?2, nor arc prices
thus far as high as iu but of cot¬
ton the price is higher and tho yield
probably larger thau in that year.
Other farm products are realiziug
good prices and the possible decrease
in yield of corn may help to market
tho enormous surplus brought over
from last year.
Liquidation of a powerful combina¬
tion iu wheat brought a reaction of 3
cents ou Thursday, but a gain of 1 4
cents occurred the day following. It
is the wrong year to expect much from
industries aud yot there has been
material increase in tho number of
bauds employed in the manufacture of
iron because of the satisfactory adjust¬
ment of wage disputes with the Amal¬
gamated association and the oiinnuji,
of numerous establishments which
have been waiting, whilo tho coal
miners’ strikes seem more likely
to end iu n permanent settlement
beneficial to both parties. Meuuwhilo
the demuud for most of tho finished
products is steadily increasing, tho fea¬
ture being largo contracts for tho Rus¬
sian oil field, Sumatra and Germany.
Whilo consumption does not yot
equal tho capacity of the works in op¬
eration, aud prices of iron nud steel
products average slightly lower, tho
situation is altogether more hopeful.
In the minor metals, the consump¬
tion of this equals tho outcome and
tiro visible is practically tho sumo us a
month ago, while the exports of c qu
per have been heavy and prevont u
decliue of Jake below 11c , and realms
ing in lead has caused only a slight do
cliue to 3.80c.
The sales of wool, as comparative re¬
turns by months show, bear little rela¬
tion to tho actual consumption in man¬
ufacture, but heavy liquidation since
the new tariff was enacted gives the
impression that some dealers arc no
longer confident of a speedy advance.
Nevertheless prices have risen during
the past few weeks nearly 1 cent per
pound. Manufacturers arc buying but
little, though they are rapidly increas¬
ing tho output, and are able to obtain
an advance of about 10 yer cent in
prices of tho goods, with rapidly in¬
creasing orders. J lie temporary cur¬
tailment of the output of cotton mills
continues, but docs not yet bring im¬
proved prices for products, although
the demand is generally gaining.
Stenographers Will Organlz -.
At a meeting of the stenographers
from various states held at the Nash¬
ville exposition last week, it was de¬
cided to form a national organization
at mi early day. A committee will be
appointed to make the necessary ur
ruugoments.
Death Rate at Bombay.
At Bombay considerable alarm has
been caused by the official statistics of
the public health published. They
show that there were 1,071 deaths
during tho past week, of which num¬
ber 220 were deaths from cholera and
18 from the plague- 'This total death
rate is equal to 65.61 per thousand, or
double the normal rate
Georgia Fruit Brewers.
At Savannah, (la, the State Horti¬
cultural Society re-elected its old offi¬
cers, and will meet at Americas next
year. The appointment of the Htate
£ntamologijt to protect the peach aud
other fruits was mourn mended by the
convention.
