The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-09
CURRENT TOPICS.

one of whom was from the latter city, and one
doing business in Chattanooga, Tenn. Converse
tion turned upon the relative advantages for max
| ;no leather. North and South. The gentleman
from Cincinnati, German OF long experience and
Thoroughly posted i'll his business gave his opinion
that the South had now decided advantages for
tanning Mexico, California, Texas, South America
and Florida might he added, furnish the best
hides and largest supplies. New Orleans, Pensa-
cola, Mobile, Charleston and Savannah afford
as favorable and more convenient ports OF entry
and as good markets of sale to these points OF sup
ply as New York or, ii they do not already can be
prepared to do so. Inland transportation is shorter
1 than the lines which connect the metropons with
the tanneries of the great Wes'. Hides procured,
| the South las the further advantage OF cheaper
| and more abundant bark and cheaper unsklllet
labor The gentleman from C SAID that his bark
cost him about eighteen dollars per cord. Any
tanner can readily sce the advantage the manu-
facturer has in this single item WHO can get his
bark at four to six dollars per cord Labor cost there
an average of two dollars per day; here about dol
lar. Tic skilled manager and worklnen would cost
about the same at both points. Taking these figures
in.o consideration, it is clear that northern tan
ners must keep up the present high prices of
leather or lose money so that the Southern leather
maker has choice between competing for the mar
| ket at the same price, making large profits, and
taking entire control of it by selling like qualities
of leather at lower rates. The Chattanooga tam
merry is the largest in the South, and the owner
does not hesitate to say that it had proved enor-
mously profitable to the propretors. At one time
| in the history OF Charleston the tannery was an
| important branch of business. The coast and Sea
Islands furnished bark in abundance, and for
while tho tanperies fourished, but their prosper-
| ty was only short lived. Northern competition
entered the field, and the enterprise was soon
abandoned as useless and Improbable. The
changed circumstances of the South demand that
she should now employ every availabe means to
advance her commercial interest, and among them
| few are more easily manipulated or would return
larger profit to the projectors than the tannery
and leather manufacturing business.
The JAPANESE ART of converting paper INTO ar
tc!es of domestic use and convenience will proba-
bly be fully developed in this country at no distant
period. At Greenpoint, L. l., there Is large fac-
tory which is now turning out variety OF articles,
such as have heretofore been manufactured of
wood, tin, copper, other metals. The process
is of course secret. But it may be stated that
the ordinary paper pulp is subjected to chemical
ID mechanical influences, which render it as hard
as hickory wood, and superior to it in many re-
spects. The substance thus produced is non
conductor Of heat, impervious to the action of
acids, and not liable to be warped or injured either
by heat or cold, being capable of sustaining tenn
perature of three hundred degrees Fahrenheit
without injury. The preparation in its soft or
pulpy state is shaped OF molds and patterns,
and converted into water pals, Wa h basins |
and pitchers, fire buckets, sugar molds, and |
other articles. improvements are in process |
by which complete sets OF novel and ele-
CANT kitchen and parlor dishes mado OF
paper, will be brought into competition with |
crockery and china 1t is also intended to manu-
facture trunks, boxes, carriage bodies, gentle
mems hats, ice coolers, refrigerators, and
number of other articles for which patents have
been already secured It is also spoken of as an
excellent substitute for plaster in the interior OF
houses, In fact, judging from the specimens OF
paper manufacture which We have seen, there is
no reason why paper commodities may not come
into as general use in this country as in Japan.
The White House and the Departments in Wash
ington have been already supplied with sets Of
paper water pals, ice coolers and spttoons and
in the large sugar factory of HAvEMEYER d
ELDER, in Williamsburg paper sugar molds have
entirely substituted those heretofore made of iron
and tin. The process of manufacture is based on
the Japanese system, perfected and improved by
original experiments and discoveries in this coun
try and in Austria. 1t is to be observed That near
ly all the articles manufactured frorl paper are
more durable than the same kind Of commodities
made OF wood, tin, and other substances in ordi-
nary use.
THE DUKE OF BRUNSWICK, Of diamond notorety, |
has rival, not only in eccentricity, but likewise
in the extent of his collection Of precious stones.
M. NEaRoN is the name of this happy individual.
He lately called on Me. YvER well-known nota-
~, and requested Of him to look out for Paris
ian hotel, the price Of which was not to exceed
f16,OOO sterling. Me. YvER having found hotel
which suited the great mans fancy, proceeded to
make out the deed OF sale. On the day fixed
for the payment, the man of law was somewhat
startled by receiving handful Of diamonds,
instead of the gold pieces no was accustomed |
to. "What difference can it make 2" said the
nabob. "Send for ali expert, he will tell you
that my stones are Of the purest water. 1 will
deposit for the value of million, if you wish, at
the bank, in order that he may select those he
prefers" The verifcation took place, the dia-
monds were acknowledged to be OF the purest
water, and thus the bargain was concluded. A
few days after this curious transaction NJ. NEaRoIN
called again on Me. YvER and begged OF him to
purchase country house for him, within few 4,
miles Of Paris. There were TO be gardens, hot
houses, park, &c. The price was to vary from
cas-, 900 to ESQ, 900 sterling. ''Wl you pay, sir,
for this estate in diamonds 2" Certainly" re-
piled NJ. NEaRoN. 81 possess several millions' |
worth. do not wish to dispose of them just now,
because there is fall in their price both in the
Paris and London markets, but those who receive 7
these stones in payment are fortunate, for their
vslue is greater than their current price" ,
The new Paris Guide, which, being written by
men Of the finest WIT and first literary talent in
France, is most entertaining book to read on its
OWN account, even by us stay-at-homes contains S
few humorous sketches worth passing smile,
though in general the illustration Of tho book, ,
and pictorial is not up to its literary
contents. One OF these sketches (all designed by
the great CHAM-not of Tartary, but of Chartuari),
represents pig-tailed, wooden-shod Chinaman
Juggling garcon to the College of France for the {
translation of his bill of fare for dinner. Another
ia comical representation of the top of crowded
Clchy omnibus, whereon an American OF the
North meets an American of the South, to the huge
satisfaction of the other travellers :" the Americans
exchanging fraternal pistol shots and the other
travellers demonstrating lively satisfaction by
perfect melee of spasmodic legs convulsive arms
md contorted faces, with mouths open for the t
Widest of howls. But perhaps, the wittest point
made is in the shape of an advertisement of the
book, wherein Frenchnan is represented ap-