The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-11-12
THE nsARsEE LETTERS.
No. 12.
10 Horace Greeley:

the present dtlapIdated state of steam
ship-engine building in the United
States.
Ny mind dwelt so much upon this
subject that / could not sleep. Some
thing struck me that either or Roach,
sahib, made mistake. ] returned
next morning TO the Morgan Works,
foot of Ninth street, and saw Roach,
sahib, whom / addressed thus: II
cannot reconcile the statement you
gave me of the cost of the engine In
the Olympia steamship with the cost
Of the engine you built in 1853. You
stated to me the following, viz: THE
engine in the Olympia contracted for
$40 900. j lose s. 900 by the con
tract This would make the engines
to cost $45, 900. You say that, owing
to the differences in gold and green
backs III the high tariff and increase of
wages, materials and wages together
amount TO an increase of 100 per. cent.
We'll. then" | said, ''you also
stated that the engine you built in
1858, which was n perfect tac-stmite,
you sold for s23 900, which, less your
profit, IL, say, in round sum, $50 600.
Nov, if ! add 100 per cent. on $50 900.
it would make $40 900. / therefore
find discrepancy of something like
So coo.
"You see. Roach, sahib, ! contin-
ued, i write TO n great political econ
omist, who naturally disdains to go
into figures. He would certainly not
notice this. but | DO and | would
not for the world convey information
To 10 great prop of American indus
try which cannot be borne out BY the
strictest investigation.
Friend curiosibhoy," answered
Roach. sahib, Won are bright man
and sec things with n proper eye
Come hero aud / viii show YOU mel
ancholy and strange fact, which will
explain all you ask 4"
I'm 1858, when I built the engine
for $23 900 which was n fac-siBile oi
the one in the Olympia, finished il
in 1929 days-that IS to say, | paid
wages for 1893 daya-while for the
engine in the Olympia ] paid wages
for 3 3,53S days, or ,2l5 days more
wages, which amounts 10 over 81 900
The other differences can easily be ac.
counted for IN higher rates Of interest
iluctnated in gold, as / have to buy
boilor plates for gold for which / paid
rs 30 premium. which now is 80 pre-
MUM. and You will see that every cen
can be accounted for: but here are N,
books. look Mt them yourself.
WHAT cried / do you mean Il
shy t':at, after eleven years Of expert
cnce. you employed 1.2l5 days NOR.
TO build steam engine than you dis
eleven years ago r.
''Yes, friend Curiosibhoy." he said
Il do, and that Is the melnnchol,
story. our best aud frsad workmen
who had superior skill and were trust
worthy, we lost. In spite of what on
lupholdcrs of the tariff may say, n skill
full, good workman who does not liv,
like a pauper, but is used to hav,
Everything comfortable for himself ant
family, cannot live with twenty-five o
ltwenty-four dollars a week now, par
ticnlarly If he has to pay no less thar
} seven dollars q week rent out of it 70
} n respectable floor TO live in. Sucl
men can turn their hands Mt anythin.
in our great Western world, and,
they only earn ten dollars weel
there, they only pay two dollars
week for rent, and get their eatable
for less than half what they cost hin
in New York. This useful class o
! people have left us long since. in spit
: of the double wages they can carr
now. They have found out they coul,
not lire for the tcdges. We have lei
, hands who, even if honest enough t
do good days labor are comparative
! ly new to the work, and drive them n
we may, the result is shown by IN
: statement of facts-viz: that require,
,215 days labor more to build an en-
: gine in 1869 than j did in 1858.
"You have cleared up the discrep
ancy," said / to Roach, sahib, land
somehow, begin to see that you
trade, at least, is in chronic state o
decline, and will have to bite the dust.
mot Mt all, sirp' cried the stout
hearted old boy, Roach, sahib Civ
: us fair-1olay, only give us fair-play
J: and you shall see whether within on
year / will not fill your sugar-mill or
J der, and compete with the Clyd
people.
"Oh! Roach, sahib," said I, g
wish could, / would do it at once
], but still / ,ciU do something for you,
and I abruptly left him. And now
: o Greeley, sahib, let me me interced
for Loach, sahib. and all the. irol
founders. just order Congress to Civ
them fair play After all, he does no
, ask for anything so unreasonable.
1 When l was in Bombay a little DO,
! my English teacher used to reat
J, your paper, and applauded you 70
demanding from Congress and tn
people fair play for the negroes
Surely, Roach, sahib, should be a
good at least in your eyes as one 0
} your colored proteges. In mine,
], confess he is as good as any man il
, the United States, and particularly a
he only asks that which parsees i
: Bombay would dendnd-fair-play.
: Respectfully, A. CuR1osIBHoY.
Parsee Merchant of Bombay.
No. 13.
To Horace Greeley:
i sAHIB: I have taken a great ikin,