AMERICAN SUMMARY.
A convention of wool men and flockmasters is convened at Washington for January 11. The growers and dealers 'are united in opposition to President Cleveland's proposed reductiou of the duty on wool, but manufacturers are lukewarm. A Corean embassy passed through San Francisco and arrived at Washington on January 10. The object is to establish political and trade relations with the United States.
A frightful accident befell the Portland Maine express train near Haverhill bridge, which spans the Merrimac river between Bradford and Haverhill, on January 10. Two cars left the rails on rounding a curve and crashed into the water-tank house, which was utterly demolished. Of the occupants of the cars, 15 were killed and 50 others injured. The accident was caused by the breaking of a switch rod. Walter L. Treadwell and C. C. Clarke, former partners in the cattle business, disagreeing on January 8 atTopeka, Kansas, about the sum of 10,000dol in a settlement, the former settled the dispute by killing Clarke on the spot. The parties were known as the "Cattle kings of the prairies," and immensely wealthy. Theodore Houston, ex-manager of the Os-wego-Midland Railway, and V. P. Ang, general manager of the New York, Lake Erie, and Western, committed suicide in New York on January 12. Summerville, South Carolina, was again visited by earthquake on January 12. The shock was felt throughout the state and in Georgia, inspiring the utmost terror. The Socialists have secured complete control of the Knights of Labour organisation in Chicago, outvoting the Conservative members by 3 to 1. A bill has been introduced into the New York Legislature which provides that no person alleged to be insane shall be committed to a lunatic asylum, public or private, except after trial before a jury. It was framed by the society for promoting the welfare of the insane. A "national purse" has been given to Edward Burgess, designer of the yachts Puritan, Mayflower, and Volunteer, The subscriptions
realised 10,172d0l 25c, and a cheque for the amount was sent him at Boston the day before Christmas.
An exodus of German Socialists to America is looked for during the month of January 1888. The movement will be made under pressure from Prince Bismarck, who is doing his best to stamp out Scocialism in Fatherland. Such an immigration will probably lead to some special legislation by the United States Congress. J. A Stiggles, an Americancapitalist, proposes to build a railway from Quebec to the east coast of Labrador, and place a fleet of fast vessels on the Atlantic. He thinks this would solve the question of quick transit to and from Europe, claiming that the passage could be made from Labrador to England in three and a-half days.
New York papers are publishing glowing accounts about the discoveries of gold in the Transvaal, South Africa. The correspondents say that California and Australia in their flush times will be eclipsed by the discoveries and output of gold in the South African ceuntry, and that at no very distant date.
The Papal Jubilee on the New Year was impressively celebrated in every city on the continent of North and South America. In the principal cities of the United States the demonstration was enthusiastic.
Great concern is expressed by the United States naval authorities and others at the discovery that defective steel is being used in the construction of new cruisers, both in the East and in California. The naval officers who passed the material are responsible. For the entire year of 1887 the debt of the United States was diminished by 111,701,600d01, the largest reductions being made in June and November, when payments on that account aggregated 16,852,000d0l and 16,830,U00d0l respectively. The United States consul at Odessa informs the Government^ great frauds in Russian pools, whereby the Government has in the course of some 20 years lost between 15,000,000d0l and 20,000,000d01. The charges are that invoices of wool shipped from Odessa and Rostoff to America are false. All the wool shipped from South Russia to the United States is the property of three or four American importers, who have conspired with shippers to "cook" their invoices.
By the joint resolution of Congress, the invitation to participate in the International Exhibition to commence at Melbourne on Ist August next was accepted, and an appropriation of 50,000d0l named to defray the expenses of a proper official representation. The Board of Health of San Francisco has declared smallpox epidemic in that city. The character of the disease is light, however.
C. Delano, presidentof the Woolgrowers' Association, has issued an address to flockmasters in the United States to use their influence against President Cleveland's Freetrade views as contained in the last Presidential tariff message. The woolraasters number about 1,000,000 voters, and give employment fco about 1,000,000 more.
General James C. Fremont, the early explorer of the Pacific Coast, has returned to Southern California, with which portion of the state he proposes to identify his interests. Some of his admirers presented him with 6000doland a house and lot at Inglewood, in Los Angelos.
50,000,000d0l is required to build the Tehuantepec Ship railway. As this sum can with difficulty be raised in the United States, a commissioner is now on his way to London with a view of inducing capitalists there to subscribe portion. The company will be run under charter obtained from the State of New York.
The Panama Canal Company has arranged with the Credit Lyonnais to provide the enterprise with funds until the issue of new obligations. The London Standard's correspondent, writing from Paris on December 29, says :— ln an interview to-day with Senor Matens, the Columbian Minister, he declared that neither by threats nor cajolery would his Government be induced to allow Americans to have anything to do with the canal. Even if M.de Lesseps failed to complete the work, they would rather do without the canal than see America complete it.
Owing to some misunderstanding between the Dominion and Australian Governments, the departure of the steamer to survey the Pacific cable route has been indefinitely postponed. She was to have left Halifax in December 1887, for the Pacific, to survey the route from British Columbia to Australia. The expedition was to form part of Fleming's scheme, by which it was proposed to connect British Columbia, Australia, and India by ocean cables.
Sir J. Macdonald, Canadian Premier, says the Canadian Government will reject the project of commercial union with the United States as disastrous at present to the national policy of the Dominion.
The Florida orange-growers have succeeded in gaining a market for their fruit in Europe, and thereby lessened the local contest in the markets of Eastern States with the Californian article.
The Chicago Postal Telegraph Company to co-operate with the Mackay-Bennett system are about to construct a transcontinental line, and have so notified the federal authorities. A charter was obtained a month ago.
One hundred destitute Turks (a new class of immigrants) were landed at Castle Garden, New York, on December 24.
The last spike in the overland railroad track connecting in direct line Oregon with California was driven on December 10 at Ashland, Oregon, at 5.3 p.m. As soon as the first blow of the silver sledge was given to the golden spike all the bells and steam whistles along the coast and in San Francisco, 400 miles away, gave forth joyful sounds. This result was achieved by electrical connection previously made.
Italy is endeavouring to make arrangements with American manufacturers of steel for furnishing armour plates.
The great coal strike in Pennsylvania has created immense trouble among manufacturers and consumers generally. The general opinion is that the advance of 8 per cent, asked for by miners should be granted, and added to the price ofcoal if there is no other way for the company to meet it. This would make a difference of 750,000d0l in the miners' wages. A Pennsylvania coal miner makes an average of 500dol to 600dol a year. More miners joined the strike on January 8, and work is practically stopped in the Wyoming anthracite coal region.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 14
Word Count
1,347AMERICAN SUMMARY. Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 14
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