The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-09

Commercial and Financial Matters,
There are In Chicago lightweight lumber
yards. with total stock on hand amounting
10 927 $685. 7s9 feet OF lumber 40. $50 800 Of lath
and 126, 49,, 25o shingles.
The family prices for ice In New York thi,
mouth are a. follows: IL pounds to Is pounds
daily, 10 cents per week; 20 pounds daily, 81
per week; 30 pounds and upward daily, &
cents per 100 pounds.
Since 1870 Russia has borrowed f7oD00, 0Ot
for the construction Of railways, and the
money cost to her Of the war with Turkey Il
about COO. OOO, 900, or $45O, 600, o00-gold valua
ton. 1t IL probable that Russia would have
been much stronger II she had spent thif
money on her railroads.
Among wheat producing States Iowa takes
first rank, Minnesota second, Illinois third
and Wisconsin fourth. Ohio raises most win
ter wheat and Illinois the most corn and oats
Pennsylvania raises the most rye (one-ifth Of
the whole crop and California the most bar
ley. -
A curious candle used In Alaska is q fish
eighteen inches long, almost Transparent, and
very fat, the fat being pure white and very
sweet. The Indians dry this fish, then light
IL at the tail, and 1t burns with clear, spark
ling flame, which the wind will not extingulsh.
"A pretty good fish story that
The first money coined In the United States
was turned out In 1899. The machinery used,
as we'll AZ the material, was imported from
ENGLAND. Copper was scarce, but copper cents
were the FIRST specimens made and two years
later silver was coined, and thenext year gold
eagles followed.
There are 10000 miles Of telegraph wire In
tho United States, and $3.50 Offices, or one
mile OF line for every SO squire miles of area.
England has $4,000 miles Of line and 5000
Offices or one mile Of line for every one and a
half miles OF area. Russia has 81. 500 miles Of
line and 800 offices. or one mile Of line to every
so square miles Of OF area.
New York has reduced her debt in the past
year III, loo, 600. having the sinking fund with
which 10 pay of that amount as It fell due.
Her debt has steadily fallen from $5O, 900 900
In 1885 to s10.000 900 now, and will be entirely
swept OF within q lew years. In the same
time the debt OF Massachusetts, has risen
from $4,000 900 to &33, $4,000.
The Statistician Of the Agricultural Depart
ment in Washington has completed his esti-
mate Of the condition Of the crops this year.
His reports show that the cereal product will
be In excess Of any former year. He estimates
that the winter wheat crop will yield 100000
900 bushels, and the corn yield not less than
1900, 100000.
We are glad to observe that grain continues
TO be sent forward in large cargoes from the
West to this port for shipment to Europe
The steamer My Choice, with barges, brings
91,0S2 bushels of corn and 10000 bushels Of
rye In bulk. The steamboat Port Eads, with
barges, from st. Louis. Is expected to arrive
tomorrow with 9O,699 bushels of corn and
10000 Of rye In bulk, besides 221s sacks Of
corn.
II is estimated that the railways Of the
United States consume annually about 12o. 600
acres Of timber for ties. 1000 for the manu-
facture of rolling stock, and near 500, 900 for
fuel, making an aggregate Of 1900 square
miles Of land stripped for the benefit Of rail-
ways. There is a suggestion Of Importance in
these facts. How many years will it take to
devastate the timber land of this country at
such rapid rate
Bremen now receives from the United States
40 much petroleum and tobacco as any other
port on the continent of Europe. Several
leading manufacturers Of agricultural nipple
ments now have warehouses and offices there,
and q large business is springing up. A firm
Of enterprising young Americans opened an
agency there some time ago, and at one sale
they made q complete outfit to the new Impe-
rial Postoffice of the American lock boxes.
They have very useful society In Phila-
delphia an association Of rich business men,
who. when an old merchant fails, unless there
is fraud involved, pension him off literally for
life. The names Of the pensioners are kept
secret, and 1t is given out that their wives had
a little income, or that rich relatives have
purchased annuities for them. or some other
harmless fiction is resorted to. Oddly enough
though they are thus generous to the unfor-
tunate tradesmen, they will not start them
again In business.
In Sweden the butter manufactures are
joint-stock companies, purchasing their milk
from the neighboring farmers. A large part
Of their success Is due to the careful study of
the requirements of the market Quantities
Of butter are exported to India, Japan and
China and the British colonies. For these
markets it is made from sweet cream, the
rising OF the cream being forced be immersing
the milk cans In iced water for twelve hours,
and little salt being used. This butter Is put
up In tins of from one to twenty pounds in
weight. -
By reference to the American Almanac for
1878, we find convincing proof of the shrink
age that has taken place in breadstuffs,
meats, ETC., In the last ten years. In 1868 the