American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-06-26
INDUSTRIAL.

The cane and rice crops of Louisiana
are in an exceedingly promising condi-
ton, especially along the coast between
New Orleans and the Gulf.
| THE Atlantic cotton mills, of Law
renee, Mass, employing $50 operatives,
and manufacturing 100000 yards per
| week, will shut down on account OF the
dull market on the 10th of July, and re-
main closed till Sept. 1.
THERE are five or six manufactures of
condensed milk in this country. There
| is an extensive trade with Germany in
this article. and some of the companies
do large business with China and
japan.
| Company is about to inaugurate opera
| tions on an extensive scale at Isle
Royale. There are some sixty ancient
pits on the company's property, and 1T is
estimated that with the tools then in use
| it must have taken a hundred thousand
| men hundred years to perform the
work done by that ancient and unknown
race. Certain it is that copper exists
| there in almost inexhaustible quantities,
and no mine has yet been developed on
one of these ancient sites which has not
proved profitable.
THE substitution of machines for hand
labor in the feeding of furnaces is one
of the advanced steps of practical en-
cheering now being adopted. The sys-
TEN, however, pursued by the expert
enced stoker and that involved in the
machine method are not very dissimilar.
In both cases frequent charges, at short
intervals, are made, instead OF heavy
charges at longer intervals; but in the
case of hand firing the incessant open
ing of doors and the Interruptions caused
by cleaning the, bars are drawbacks
that are avoided in the machine. The
chief source of economy in the employ
ment of the latter is the facility it affords
for using the smallest ana cheapest
descriptions of fuel, much of which
cannot be used at all in ordinary hand
fire furnaces. The saving from this cause
varies, of course, according to locality
and other circumstances, the difference
in this respect running all the way from
20 to 100 per cent. There is no doubt
that mechanical stocking will hnally,
though gradually, supersede the hand
process.
A yERy important branch of industry,
in which England has become largely
concerned, is that furnished by the lac
insect of India. These insects are found
upon and supported by variety OF trees,
all plants yielding milky juice serving
them for food. The natives of India in
collecting the lac destroy the insect; but
the English, having found that its cells
only are valuable, have devised methods
for collecting the products without de-
stroying the producers. The lac is found
incrusted around branches or sticks, and
is therefore known as stick lac. In this
crude state it is sold for a mere tribe per
pound. When separated from the res
nous matter and pulverized it becomes
seed lac; other processes convert 1t into
lump, plate and shell lac. 1t is used as
dye for producing permanent red
color and also as a pigment and varnish
combined, which resists the effect of
cold water and does not wear OFF. When
| colored with yellow orliment it may be
made into bracelets, chains, and other
ornaments, scarcely distinguishable In
appearance from gold. As dye it pro-
duces a color equal to cochlneai, ana is
less liable to change from wet; 1t pro-
duces also the beautiful color called by
artists lac lake. Shell lac, dlssolVeo IN
naphtha, has been largely employed by
alters in forming the frame or base OF
the hat. 1t enters into almost all var
nishes, and the glue which is made from
it in combination with other ingredients
is known and used everywhere.
~
A REMARKABLE verdict was returned
at the Cheshire Quarter Sessions at
Knutsford, in England, the other day.
Two men who were accused of destroy.
ing fish by putting chloride of lime into
stream at Woodford were, after long
deliberation by the jury, found not gull
ty of the offense with which they were
charged, but were, with solemn formal
ity, pronounced guilty of - fishing" with
which thew were not charged The
Chairman, Sir Henry Mainwaring, char
acterized the verdict as the sifliest he
had ever heard in his life. The men were
of course discharged.
IT is subtle remark of the Cbicngo
Journal that "there is often Just as much
difference between two sisters rs there is
between a trailing arbutus and a. horse
radish plant" ...s...- ..--
CALIFORNIA LICK say he knows his
business, but by tomorrow he may come
out with the announcement that he
doesn't.