The New York herald., 1873-09-23
INDUSTRY ABROAD.
7aluable Statistical Report from Herald
Correspondent at Geneva.
ISOLATED SWITZERLAND.
aasasF
Why the Commercial Importance Of the Model
Republic Of Europe is Misunderstood.
INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS.
Americans as Consumers of Watches, Silks,
Cheese, Embroidered Cotton
Goods and Asphalt.
GENEVA, Switzerland, July

GENEVA, Switzerland July 80, 1873.
Trade statistics relating to the intercourse be-
tween the United States and Switzerland present
peculiar interest," from the TACT that the tables OF
export have no place among the annual returns
obtained from the Custom House. Being an inland
State, Switzerland sends her produce and manu-
1actures through foreign ports, and thus helps to
swell the importance of trade returns OF other
countries. The accompanying tables have been
compiled from the returns OF the Consular books,
and tend to SHOW that the shipments during the
past ten years have gradually ana steadily in
creased. Thus 1t will be seer that the export OF
gold and silver watches has more than doubled
since the year 1854 The declared value
OF invoices, which In 1872 exceeded SO, 500, 900,
represents, however, euly q small portion
OF the actual export OF watches 10 the United
States. In the first place, it is well known that
very few American tourists return home from Ell
ropean travel without having purchased q watch,
and it is well understood that there are various
other ways by which large numbers Of watches are
brought to the United States without ever at
tracing the attention OF the Custom House
thorities The Consular returns represent the
average export from Geneva to be about $7O0, O0O
comprising mostly gold aud the more costly time
measuring instruments while the larger ship.
ments are invoiced through Base, comprising the
cheaper kind OF watches, chiefly silver, manufac-
tured by inhabitants Of the Jura Mountains.
SILK RIBBONS
form the staple export of the district OF Basle,
while silk goods produced the villages along
the Lake of Zurich. The total production Of silk
dress goods is estimated at nearly 10000, 600 an
nualy; 1t follows, therefore, that the United
States takes nearly one-fourth of the entire
production. These silks consist chiefly OF light,
cheap goods. The trade is in very fourishing
condition, realizing large profits to those engaged
sherein.
Nearly half millions worth OF
GRUYERE
and other cheese the produce OF the '.Emmen-
tha,' finds its way to the United States. This is a
curious incident considering the fact that on the
other hand American cheese can be found at nearly
every Swiss other Continental hotel The article
Is usually palmed on the Gus toner as Cheshire
cheese but to those who know the origin is un-
mistakable.
But the most remarkable feature in the Swiss
tables refers to the export Of embroidered cotton
goods, the produce OF st. Gall. few years ago
say, l865-the export exceeded barely $lOO, ,OOO
while during the past year 1t exceeded ST. 600 O00
ana the manufacturers have orders in hand for
the United states which will employ all available
labor for the next twelve or fifteen months. There
are two distinct articles under this head-namely,
hand embroidery and machine embroidery The
persons, mostly women and children, whose wages
wary from twenty II to fifty cents per day. Hand
embroidery consists Of cotton tue and muslin,
nseh for curtains handkerchefs and numerous ar
tices of ladies' Dress The tulle used as ground
work is imported from England or from neighbor-
ing factories IN Alsace.
Machine embroidery gives employment to nearly
10000 persons Each machine is worked by an
.abie-bodied person and a female assistant to
tbo
for every two machines to mend defective places.
Wages paid per hundred stitches; the price OF
labor, varying according to the skill of the opera
tor averages about 81 per day, the assistant
female earning about thirty cents. The machines
formerly employed In most kinds OF embroidery
consisted simply Of a kind OF frame, while those
now in use OF eedingly ingenious charac-
ter increasing manifold the rapidity of working as
well as giving greater variety and more richness
In design. The needles have point at each
END, with eyes in the middle, attached
TO Kind OF carriage. They travel over
the web, passing the threads in and out
ahile pncers take hold oil the needle at one end OF
the'web ana send 1t back to the other. Machines
have lately been introduced capable of working
more than 100 needles al once, thus producing an
Infinite variety and beauty OF patterns So lar the
working OF the new system has been kept secret,
hut lhere.ls now macnlne at work at the Vienna
Exhibition
The web employed for common embroidery con-
sists OF cotton cambria, which, as well as the
Unread, Is produced in switzerland and Asace.
Articles OF exquisite beauty are produced at st.
Gall on what is known as swiss muslin, but these
better classes OF goods continue To Oe produced by
hand looms There are at present more than 5000
embroidery machines at work, while in 1868 the
snumber scarcely exceeded 1000. II is hardly
necessary to add that this branch OF in-
dustry has afforded an immense source OF
wealth to the district. 1t must be understood that
the value OF exports to america is considerably
targer than would appear from the accompanying
tables for the reason that immense quantities are
sent from st. Gau in the state to England
Mere TO be beached calendered and finished for
sllpment TO the United states Thus the goods
ere invoiced through British consulates.
Another novelty in these tables Is
TILE EXPORT OF ASPHALT,
pfSnuced az Val de Trayers about twelve miles
from NeuicBatel. Bituminous or tar substances
nav ol Iale attracted increased attention, espe-
ClaiS asphalt ny reason OF the variety OF uses TO
Mmeh IL mas been applied. The mines at Val De |
iravers !i, were known in the early part OF
period the produce was much used for med |
nnrcho MH. puposes sa9 tes n lsS7 French company
pIestA situated ON the right bank OF the River !
Reuse. The operations have been very prosper
Gus ever since Asphalt II now used without apy |
previous preparation, or rather IL should be SAID.
without Aduiteratlon and thus Is emInentlv snited
for pavement OF public thoroughiares The In
creased Gemana for the article haS been faliored
by a considerable rise in TIE value A. Tho he~;n
ming OF operations. In 1881. the price reauzed waa
about nfty cents per ton while at the present day
IL yields ~ per ton About 100000 tons nave been
extracted during the last thirty years Three |
years aRo the federal government Instituted in |
auiries to be m made @ regarding the extent OF exist
tapished the existence OF extensive layers com. |
prsing an area OF 3oo 900 cuDic yards. Calculating
Two and ope-half tons as the yield of cubic yard
itl estimated that 75o 900 tons may be extracted
(roi1 the mines at NeuIchatel.
ZURICH.
ports to the United states from the Consular DIS
trcr 81 Zurich -