American Briefs.

Otago Witness, Issue 1488, 22 May 1880, Page 15

American Briefs.

General Grant, on leaviDg the city of Mexico, was to be escorted by the Third Regiment of Rural Guards, commanded by the Misses Friable, daughters of the American General Frlsble. [What do our Otago Volunteers think of this ?]

The New York Post-office authorities are trying a new invention for cancelling postage stamps, to prevent them being used again. The process is by slightly scorching the paper- stamp. The new stamp is heated by gas, the metal being thin, to allow of both quick heating>nd rapid pooling. It is said that the person using it will be able to do twice the work that he would with the inkstamp. The drinking habits of many of the women of New York seem to be creating some discussion. One writer says that " beer is the most popular beverage in New York to day, and at the tables of any of the public or private hotels here you will Bee as many women as men enjoying the foaming cup." Squads of Chinese ara arriving in some of the Eastern States from California. The American papers aro writing strongly against the Chinese immigration, and say that "if it continues, the Anglo-Saxon will suffer, and that severely, ere long."

Some 700 Hungarians, driven from home by famine, and almost destitute, lately landed at Castle Garden. Some of them obtained employment in the Pennsylvania mining districts. From Montreal 300 car-loads of thick ice ■were shipped in one week to the Western States.

On the 20th March last, at Troy, in New York, three collar and felt skirt manufactories were burned, the insurances on which were about 200,000 dollars. In Providence and Cincinnati two woollen factories were burned > loss 25,000 and 11,000 dollars.

The Milwaukee millers have received large orders from Liverpool houses for flour which seems to be in great favour at Home.

In Illinois works are to be erected and mains laid down for the new illuminating gas to be manufactured from petroleum. A severe wind and rain storm raged on the 27th March tb.rongb.out Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, and most of the Western Statea. Fences, outbuilding?, signs, &c, were levelled to the ground and blown in every direotion. The Yankee papers have something about sulphur soap used for toilet and bath ; and that liver coughs, often taken for consumption, are speedily cured with bitters made from hops. [Do our Dunedin soapmakers and chemists know anything of these articles ?]

AMERICAN INDUSTRIES

A single order for 100,000 doors from England is occupying the time of a Chicago establishment.

The Goss and Phillips Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, consumes the enormous amount of 13,000,000 feet of lumber annually. It is running 320 men, It is stated that nearly 30 steamers, each /averaging 4000 tons actual carrying weight, leave America every week for England, laden with provisions of various kindß. The manufacture of pig-iron at present in the United States is gtea.er than during any former period since 1873.

It is estimated that 50,000 men and women are employed in Philadelphia in the manufacture of clothing, asd 20,000,000 auita are made there every year. One hundred thousand needles are stamped and bored in a day of 10 hours by a new machine jußt perfected in Westphalia, Conn. In a little leas than two years a Philadelphia firm has shipped over 500 street-car wheels on axles to Brazil, and 200 to the River Plate country, and haa at present orders from the West Indies, South America, and Europe for some 1360 chilled railroad wheels. Some are for roads in Ouba, and otherß for trains in Great Britain. Here is another fact about American enterprise. Scissors, which are still made in Sheffield by a tedious hand process, are made by one stroke of a die in Connecticut. Hence Sheffield Is sending large quantities of stoel Wanks to the United Statea to be struck off, repacked, and returned to England, where they are finished, and go back again as Sheffield ware.

It is estimated that thero aro 15,000 carriage manufacturers in the United Tfcates, who employ upwardu of 100,000 hands, aTid pay out 25,000,000 dollars to 30,000,000 dollars for labour annually.