The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-02-01
OUR GROWING COUNTRY.
Its Industrial, Commercial, Railroad.
and Agricultural Development.
FINANCE AND TRADE.
Latest Reports from Leading
Business Centres.

The statistics of California's oyster trade for
the past year are interesting The imports in
the shell for 1852 foot up 200 carloads contain
ing 100000. Though hailing from the CheSa-
peakc, they come mostly from New York wa
tiers. OF these, 60 per cent. are not consumed,
but planted in the bay of San Francisco, there
to repose and fatten for two or three years
when they will be equal to imported in size
and in flavor In addition, California received
10000 cans. lsOmc steamed Freight is four
cents pound. But a dealer i'll Eastern BIZ
valves has established a canncry in San Fran
CISCO and is prepared TO market in 1883, 800
cases a day of Pacific coast oysters, each case
sixty cans. At paving prices, the home and the
transmarinc markets will support score or
two of these factories. The report from cX
perts from the trade in San Francisco who
have been on a tour of investigation along the
extensive oyster bearing Mexican gulf Of
Lower California, gives interesting facts in this
connection. The same prospecting Juror that
during the year has made in Puget Sound the
extraordinary discoveries of new and extern
sive beds of York River varieties of oysters,
has met with like success, and greater as to
quality, in the Mexican gulf. long reputed
for its gigantic pearly-shelled bivalves.
Anintcresting letter from Ogden, Utah, makes
mention Of the great cattle kings of the north
west and the size of their herds 1t says Rand
x Co. Of Cheyenne, IN connection with Eastern
capitalists, are covering with their herds thou
sands of acres in Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho.
Swan Bros. are about closing sale of $1,000
head of cattle and few hundred horses to par
ties in Scotland for s., 100000. They started
fifteen wears age ', it'll less than $4,000 and are
to-day the r7eathiest cattle-men in Wyoming.
Last year their shipments aggregated 100000.
The Powder River Cattle Company has Just
filed at Cheyenne and other necessary points
its articles of association and of incorporation,
and also copy of the English law under which
it is organized The company has capital
stock of 100000, or &1,500,000, and includes
among its directors the Duke of Manchester,
William Tipping, Lord Henry Neville, Ernest
Beckett Denison, and Andrew Wilton. Many
of the cattle-men have sold out their interests
and are investing in sheep, the past season hav
ing been unusually profitable, many of the
sheep-men having cleared 100 per cent. Owing
TO the close grazing of the sheep the ranges are
in some localities being ruined for the cattle.
A charter has been issued at the State depart
ment, Harrisburg, Pa, for the connection of one
OF the railroads to be under the Vanderbilt con-
troll. The name of the line proposed to be built
is the Harrisburg and Western Railroad 1t is
TO run from Harrisburg 10 a connection with
she Pittsburg, Mckeesport and YoughiOgheny
Railroad, in Allegheny county. The road is TO
be 300 miles long. and Will pass through or into
the counties of Dauphin, Cumberland, Frank
lin, Huntington, Fulton, Bedford, Somerset,
Westmoreland, Fayette, Allegheny, and Wash
ingtOn. The capital is placed at $IS000000
being at least $4,000 for every mile of road
proposed 10 lie constructed The number of
shares of stock is $4,000. ut $50 each The af-
fairs of the company will be managed the first
year by the following named persons: Presi-
dent, Richard K. Sheldon. Directors, William
T. Sanger, Harrisburg; G. NJ Watson George
o. Morgan, and George i. GTayer, Allegheny
City; L. T. Mcnamara, Pittsburg, and Fred
eric6 J. Grotevent, of Harrisburg. Nearly all
the stock is in the name of Richard X. Sheldon.
Statistics prepared by Commissioner Hender-
son show the marvellous agricultural growth of
Georgia when the years 1870 and 1882 are con-
trasted. The State shows over 200 per cent
increase in corn, 600 per cent. in oats 200 in
wheat, % in rye, 100 in Irish potatoes, 500 in
cane and sorghum, 400 in sweet potatoes and
similar increase in the yield of other farm
and garden products. In 1870 Georgia raised
473,934 bales Of cotton. In 1880 the State raised
Slf.44l bales, nearly 100 per cent increase,
ranking as the second cotton-producng State
In 1882 the cotton production grew to go, 443
bales, the increase being accomplished with
diminished acreage. The crop of 1880 was
raised on 2617, 13S acres while that of 1852 was
raised on 355. 425 acres. Horses have increased
20 per cent, mules 81 per cent, milch COWS So
other cattle 81, sheep 26, and swine 40 per cent
In 1870 Georgia had 10000 farms. In 1850 she
had 10000. The estimated value of farm
products in 1870 was $50, 00e0C0 In 1850 it
swelled to $125, 100000.
Mr. William H. Vanderbilt has abandoned
the idea of starting on his proposed western
trip with his family. lie assigns the bad
weather as the reason for p0stponement, having
been advised that it would be pleasanter three
or four weeks later. Having been asked
whether he had heard any talk of an alleged
plan to kidnap him III the West and hold him
for ransom, Mr.. Vanderbilt said Now, as to
this ransom business, it is simply impossible.
Why, they couldn't kidnap me if they wanted
to. No one knows five minutes ahead where I
am going to be. l have got things so fixed that
i can go IN any direction at any moment. So
you see they could hardly lay any trap for
me-"
The statement Of the business of all lines of
the Pennsylvania Railroad east of Pittsburg
and Erie, for December 1S52, as compared with
the same month in 1881, shows an increase in
gross earnings of $i2541S ar increase in ex-
penscs Of S443,157. and decrease in net earn
ings of $16,339. The twelve months Of 1882,
as compared with the same period Of 1881 show
an increase IN gross earnings Of S4,9J0,601, an
increase in expenses of s., 937, 595, and an in
crease in net earnings Of $10IS056. All lines
west Of Pittsburg and Erie for the twelve
months of 1882 show a surplus over all liabili-
ties of 81, 924 1865 being a decrease of $723 973
rs compared with the same period of 1881.
A bill has been introduced in the Delaware
mouse Oh representatives to extend the
Sussex Midland Railroad to Lcwes with the
privilege Of building branch to Rehoboth and
10 consolidate with other projected roads in
Maryland, as to form a continuous line from
Washington ID. c. TO the seacoast. The pro-
jected route is by rail from Washington to An
napolis, thence by ferry to Kent Island, and
thence by rail to the Atlantic. The Sussex
Midland was chartered eight years ago, but
work has not yet been commenced on it,
From official statistics received by the secre-
tary Of the American Iron and Steel Associa-
ton he reports that the production Of bcsscmer
steel ingots IN the United States last year was
1866 40 TONS being an increase over 1881 of 10
per cent. The quantity of bessemer steel rails
produced IN 1852 by the fourteen completed
works was 1874 ,349 tons, an increase of 6 per
cent. compared with that Of 1881. These
figures do not cover rails made from imported
steel blooms and open-hearth still rails.
Bergin & Sons glassworks in Philadelphia
have shut down, and have thrown POO hands
out Of employment. The firm announces its
inability 10 compete with New Jersey manu-
facturers, who pay their men in store orders,
realizing a profit Oh the stores which they
run instead Of the mandatory. The work
men also are said TO be cutting under the rate
OF wages provided by the gass-blowcrs union,
enabling the employers to undersell their com
petitors.
The paid-up capital of the building societies
Of Pennsylvania aggregates $30,000,000. The