The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-05-12

A Washington dispatch states that
steps are being taken by the encouragement
to take possession for the government of the
Hot Springs reservation, Arkansas. Judge
PierrepOnt Will move for the appointment
of a receiver for these lands. 1t is under
stood that threats have been made against
persons attempting to take possession for
! the government, and in this event it is GER
tain that troops will be brought into requi-
sltiOn to enforce the decision of the court
| The much talked of cutoff that tore
through the narrow strip of the Mississippi
river opposite Vicksburg last week is one of
the shortest ever known to have occurred in
the valley of the river. The distance around
the bend or newly formed lake is about five
miles, and the newly made channel flows
across so as to strike the eastern shore near
" opposite, but little below the southern
part of the city. 1t is likely that the only
effect of this freak of the river on Vicksburg
will be to change the landing for steamboats,
to point somewhat lower than it is now
that is, if the lake ever fills up with sand
bars, so as to make the water too shoal for
them to ascend to the present landing point
The area of the newly formed island oppo-
site the city is less than 5000 acres. Last
August, when a survey was made, the dis
tance across the narrow neck of the penin-
sula was 951 feet. The engineers then calcu-
lated that the cut would make through and
Vicksburg would be left on the margin of
the newly Ike some time about JAN
uary last. They were of course slightly mis-
taken as to the time.
Mr.. T. S. Hunt, of Boston, has COM
piled some statistics concerning the mineral
wealth of the country which are really in
teresting. He divides the country by a north
and south line at the eastern base of the
Rocky mountains upon the Atlantic side OF
which are coal, iron, copper, lead, salt and
petroleum, and upon the Pacific side the
more precious minerals. The grand total of
coal for 1873 he finds to be about fifty mill
lions of tons. In 1872, iron reached its high
est figures of production, the total being tive
million eight hundred and eighty thousand
and seventy tons. In 1874 the Lake Supe'
riol mines alone turned out seventeen thou
sand three hundred and twenty-seven tons
of copper. The product of petroleum rose
from five hundred thousand barrels in 1859
to ten million eight hundred and sixty-seven
thousand nine hundred and thirty barrels in
1874. West of the Rocky mountains the
official figures show that California, Nevada,
Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Oregon,
Washington and New Mexico yielded OF the
precious metals, S72, ,42s, ,2O5 in 1874, and in
1875, $sO,SS9,OS7.
Advices from Washington indicate
that there is temporary run on all of the
sub-Treasuries from which silver is being
paid out. Hence there is growing scarcity
of fractional currency and a slight premium
attached TO the latter. The government
commenced paying on Wednesday with
$16,OOO,OO0 of coin pieces in the vaults and
a capacity Of running off $3,0OO,OOO a month
all the time. In a month or two, if neces-
sary, that capacity could be almost doubled.
The amount of silver coin and bullion in
the hands of the government is $4,000, 900
possibly when all is coined $2l 900, ,000-and
payments during the rush have been about
81, ,OOO, 600 a dav, and it is estimated that the
rush will be kept up forthree or four days
longer. 1t is said, however, that there is no
danger that there will be any scarcity of
silver for the redemption of fractional cur
rency, because there are only S42, 900, 900 out
standing, of which $1O,OOO,OOO or $12, ,OOO, 900
are lost or destroyed, and $l0,O0O,O0O per-
haps will be floating around for some time.
There is only the danger of boarding, which
is incident TO any change in the system of
paper money back to a coin system.