The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1858-09-29

as cuflosltles, winch we propose to transcrIbe
for our readers. We were looking for the
small things in commerce, matters that, ia
taking magnificent, broad, and comprehen-
slye view would be overlooked as the in
vcnton of the greatest importance for domestic
purposes would be overlooked and unnoticed
in its homely attire, when placed in exhibition
and surrounded by works of polished art, costly
machinery, and gorgeous furniture. An hum
bic inventor once placed in such an exhibition
a few lunches Of friction matches. They were
unnoticed. Visitors went there looking for some
great thing not realizing that the despised pack
age of splints, tipped with chemical fire, was
the greatest thing in that proud collection. des-
tined 10 work a revolution in the means of pro-
curing artificial light, and to- become a unyer-
sal necessity, to be deprived of which would
BE- one of ,he greatest Inconvenience that could
happen.
1t is not more than twenty years since the
tnderbox was in universal use Its abolished
now. The invention of ~. friction match
spread slowly; but who. a ,His day. would
venture to say they could do without ii? Iu&ig-
nticant as they appear to BE- single factories
with expensive machinery sat up large refta
of timber annually for matches.
Under the head Of pin. We frs that the
manufacture of this indisp nsable litHe instru~,
ment was commenced in ltp United States be-
tween 1879 and 1890, since which time tha
business has extended greatiy= aud several pat
ents tor the manufacture 3t pins have 0eeg
taken out, The manufacture in England and
other parts of Europe is conducted upon inn
provements made in the United States. Not
withstandng the extento of oar own productions,
the United States imported in 1866, pins to the
value of S4O.255.
Still keeping our attention directed to small
things. we find that the imports Of needles iato
this country for 1855 amouHc4. to &246 000.
1t is said that needles were first made IN Eng
land, in the time of the bloody Mary ,bg negro
from Spain; but as he would not imPart his
secret. it was lost at his death, ana not recov-
cred again till 1856, in the reign Of queen Eli
zabeth, when a German taught the art to the
English, who have since brought Ito the great
est perfection. 1t is stated that the construc-
ton of = needle requires about one hundred
and twenty operations, but they are rapidly
and uninterruptedIy successive.
The temperance people will find ao argument
to enforce their doctrine in the fact that OIL,
656 bushels Of grain, paying $25, 900 600 duty,
are annually converted into mali in Great Brit
ain for ale and porter. 1t may reasonably be
inferred that great quantity Of these beve-
RACES is drunk there.
Ground-nuts are quite AZ Institution with
Young America. 500 tons saavJHGs been 1a4pnF.s
ted into the United States S1om l+au Jill iasss
year. We, however, dissent from the eaeyefaa
pedist, when he says they are rgost ased here as
dessert, roasted as chestnuts are elsewhere.
But France is the great market for groaad-Hefs,
where they are used for oil, of which they coz
tain large quantities. The insignificant haafe+
nut, SO agreeable to the palate bat 50 diiieaI9
to get, is exported from Tarragona To K
tent of 25, 600 or $4,000 bags Of foaa 5aa
ton. kind of chocolate ia prepared rom
them, and they sometimes have been made into
bread. The. pressed oil of hazleouts ~ ttle
inferior to that Of almonds,
The original Inventor of the AYRSHIRE snuff
boxes was cripple, harJ!y possessing the
power of locomoiion. They are made OF wood
and were first maintained only sixty years
since. Instead of taking out patent, the ifa
yentor entrusted his secret to joiner iFsssha
village, who in few years amassed great
fortune, while the other died as le: had Hse1,
in the greatest poverty. Speaking nf snuff
boxes, snuf-taking took its rise ia England ii
1909
Under the head of hair, the Cfsclope3ia says
that 100000 pounds weigh Of women's hair
is annually sold in France. and that tile price
paid for it is usually six cen.s Ar ounce
One hundred thousand roses are required to,
give yield of l85 grains Of otter Or oil Of
roses.
They are, doubtless, in ibis compendious
work many curious, interesting, and instructive
facts, if one had the time 10 search them out
And now, as we are closing, We notice quite a
number of items, such as Hat bale Of Sea
Island cotton weighs 533 pounds, ana measures
35 cubic feet. while a bale Of East iDtja cotton
weighs 583 pounds, and only measures 5 cu~
bic feet, fact of great importance in the qucs.
tiop Of transportation. What makes this grea.
difference in that proportions
THE GoLD PROBLEM. unirelsal hunger
and thirst of the world for gold seems in "a far
way of being satisfied, if aH3 hing saQEt OF
mountains and oceans of the yellow d,t>. caG
do the business According 10 The best Eng
lish authorities, the yield OF the mines tor 1857
was altogether beyond precedent, Australia
alone having exported an amount equal TO on0
hundred millions Of dollars The production
in other countries is estia#Nru Hs follows:
California 100000; Tu.aia and Siberia
800, 900 600; other paris Q Gh. world. &I5.~
OOO,O We thus have tvu hundred millions
as the gold crop OF 1857.
At this rate if continued, Two thousand mil
lions of gold will be thrown into the monetary
circulation of the world during the ncxt ten
years. The mind is almost staggered at the
idea of so stupendous an accumulation of spe-
Gle Or its equivalent. 1t was thought as won
derful as it was unprecedented, that California
and Australia should have yielded $500 OOO.-
300 for the seven years subsequent to I849;
out if we take the yield of 1857 the basis
or an estimate for the future. we shall see that
lie average annual increase of those years is
o be doubled hereafter, without taking into
account the Frazer river mines, which now
promise so abundantly..
II is evidentzthat we are fast approaching
,oint when gold, having performed all the
unctions of money demanded of it by the
business world, will be subject to the same law
# supply and demand that regulates the value
# all other commodities in the market; that is
0 say, it vii! sink in value in proportion to its