The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-09-02
BLACKwooD.

describing Blackwood, the founder OF this
magazine. As being lin 1870 "a nimble &C
tive looking man of middle age, and moves
about from one corner to another with great
alscrity, and apparently under the influence
of high animal spirits. His complexion is
very sanguineous, but nothing can be more
intelligent, keen and sagacious, than the ex-
preston of the whole physiognomy above
all, the gray eyes and eyebrows, as full of
loeomotion as those of Catalan The re-
marks he makes are, in general, extremely
acute-much more so, indeed, than those of
any member of the trade ever heard speak
upon such topics
Blackwood commenced life as an appren-
tice with Bull and Bradfute, booksellers, in
Edinburgh. lie read great deal, while in
their employment, and became master OF
Scottish history and antiquities. On the first
of April, 1917, the first number of his Maya
| zine was published, Blackwood conducting
/ the business department. In the Fall, Will
| son and other eminent men became its con-
| tributors, Wilson being its virtual editor
| Its present editor is Aytoun, a sonin-law of
| Wilson. Alison is now one of its principal
contributors. Blackwood was very liberal,
giving sometimes as much as twenty guineas
page, for long articles He died on Sept.
| 10, 1884, in the 5sth year of his age.
DIR. Mackenzie states that the circulation
of this Magazine has never been less than
$500 month; that it has been as high as TO-,
900 and some numbers have been more than
| once reprinted. At present, the sale is about
5000 per month. The returns are 10000 per
annum, which, after taking out expenses of
every kind, is supposed to leave a net profit
of about t3, 500 per snnum. 1t is striking
comment on the boosted intelligence of the
age that Harper's Magazine, monthly buc-
ket of stale, wisby washy drippiDgs from the
literary garrets of New York, claims circu-
lation of l3O,OOO a month.
ENGLISH MERCANTILE STEAMERS.
Mr.. Cummings in the speech in the House
of Representatives, referred to in another
article, stated that 'the number of EHglish
mercantile sea-going steamers registered in
the different ports in 1852 was l,227, cover
ing tonnage of 1885, Soc tons. The number
of sea going British steamers that entered
Britain in $50 from foreign countries direct
was 1896; tonnage 924 $40; and foreign stea
mers from foreign countries $50. with tom
mage of 204759 total British and foreign
steamers 5,345, with total tonnage of l, 139,-
60e tons, and about the same number clear
ed Of this vast fleet of steamers pouring
into Great Britain, there were from Rus.ia
80, tonnage l0,342 tons from Sweden, 10.
tonnage 31s5; from Denmark 50, Is,476
tons; Prussia 9, 2,139 tons; Germany 479,
1926 tons Holland GIG, goo, 500 tons; Bel
GUM 1903, 134,334 tons France 1893, 347..
42a tons: Portugal, Azores, &c, 7, $685. tons:
Spain, Canary Islands, l, ia tons; Gibraltar
30, 1857 tons; Italian States 90, 1925 tons
Turkish Dominions Al, 1880 tons; Walla-
CHA and MOldavia 5, 434 tons Syria and
Africa l3, 1887 tons British West Indies
5, 5,93l tons; Foreign West Indies 4, 4o4
tons; United States 90, ~, 100 tons, (of which
only %, %, 41o tons, belonged to the United
States j Central and Southern American
Powers II, 1888 tons; and Channel Islands
459, 56,7el tons. Comparing the U. States
with Great Britain in regard to steam mail ia
cilities and intercourse with foreign nations
we ind ourselves in the most insignificant
position, below the smallest commercial ma
ton in Europe
This TRUTH we agree with Mr.. Cummings.
will prove equally astonishing and mortify.
ing to those who hear it for the first time.
Mr. Cummings farther states that every
year there are $4,000 vessels entering and
leaving the Baltic sea, of which but 76 belong
to the United States, whereas in former wears
we had 10 in that trade. He adds:
There are sir, thirty chit thousand .bi,s e,t.r;.
and clearing from the thirteen German sea ports on
the Baltic and North every year: and of tb o
only from thirty TO forty belong to the United States
bred and thirty-six ships of q burden of five bn5
and fortythree thousand one hundred and fortv
tons, entered and cleared rom the United Srats b
longing to those Northern nations; while dnrins ~
same period, our own chips employed in the so ,no
trade amounted to but two hundred and sSMe
of one hundred and fifiy.eight thoussn6 s;t i've
dred and forty-two tons burden. These forsisn n
sels independent OF their merchandise freiehf nssr
~ monopoilzed the most valuable part Of .h;n,.
ea,nngs-that is, the transportation of pss.spnp
which amounts ON yearly average to nearin a.,
.hnn;n GI 10 which handsome income our
pantry hundreds OF Thousands of dollars
The friends of direct Southern trade with
Europe have before them fair field for their
enterprise, Let them prepare to enter the
inviting lists of competition, or it will, be
monopolized by more energetic rivals.
EXPENSIVE PLEAsURE.-A Newport oor
respondent of the N. York Journal of Com.
merce, says that Mr.. Weaver of the Ocean
| House, erected a cottage on a lot adio;n;no
the hotel 3; and, before it was fairly comn,eted
he rented it to family from Natchez, Miss
who are to occupy it four weeks and for tb;s
they pay him six hundred dollars, Ada 20
this small item of house rent says the CORES
pendent, all the other expenses incident 70
months sojourn here, and you can calcula,e
what ought to be the proportions of the purse
that is to foot all the bills incurred bv a fam;
ly with expensive tastes.
This is one specimen of the annual tr;bute
which the South pays to the North for ,le..
| sure alone f'0"
| STREET fREAeHIN6.-The Neu yol IT..