The National tribune., 1883-02-15
OUR GROWING COUNTRY.
Its Industrial, Commercial, Railroad,
and Agricultural Development.
FINANCE AND TR ADE.
Latest Reports from Leading
Business Centres.

The lease is perpetual, and the considerations
are the guarantee of the principal and interest
of the $5,0G0,000 bonds of the Mutual Union
and II per cent yearly upon its S10,000,00O of
stock. The Western Union assumes all con-
tracts for service, press and Individual and for
leased wires made by the Mutual Union. The
fixed yearly charges assumed by the Western
Union are as follows: Three hundred thousand
dollars interest on the Mutual Union bonds,
S150,000 dividends on stock, and $4,000 to
meet the requirements of the sinking fund pro-
vided for in the bonds q total of S500,000. The
present gross earnings of the Mutual Union
lines are officially stated to be at the rate of
about 81, 100000 a year, of which at least two
thirds is required for operating expenses, leav-
ing net earnings not much IN excess of the re-
quirements Of the bonded debt. The Western
Union will also receive about 100000 year
Cf the dividends and interest payments upon
stocks and bonds of Mutual Union which it
owns. The lease was ratified on Saturday by
the directors of both companies, and will be
ratified by thrce-ffths of the stockholders of
both, as required by law. The Mutual Union
will, of course, maintain its formal organiZa-
tion, and one or two of its original directors
may in time be elected into the Western Union
directory. The property will be turned over
10 the Western Union as soon as the details of
the lease can be arranged. 1t consists of about
10000 miles of wire and Offices between Port
land, Me-, and Chicago and st. Louis.
The business in dressed meats has grown to
enormous proportions in Chicago. More than
100000 hogs and 100000 head of beef cattle
have been slaughtered there in year. These
are conveyed to the stock yard by eighteen
different railroads. The killing is now usually
done by shooting the animal just back of the
ear, and machinery does nearly all the work of
dressing. 1t is only three to five minutes from
the time q bullock is shot until he is quartered
ready for the ice-box. The furnishing of fresh
Hat To bat 10 fo1r,
years ago, when one firm undertook to send
choice cuts to several hotels ncar Chicago, and
found that the plan worked well enough to
prove the feasibility of shipments to more dis
tant points. There were delays and losses at
first but suitable refrigerator car was soon
invented, and now there arc no difficulties in
the traffic. After the best parts of the carcass
are shipped, tho coarse meat is canned or made
into sausage, the blood dried, and the bones
ground for fertilizer, the horns sold to comb
makers and every scrap turned to account in
some way. we are selling the best loins for
eleven cents pound" says leading slaugh-
terer, land adding cent for freightage, they
cost the New York dealer twelve cents. That
Is for the very best quality, such as he sells for
about twenty cents"
The new flour mill to be built By Starr & Co.
next summer on the southern shore off the Straits
of Carquinez, near South Vallejo Junction,
California, will be built upon hard rock foundC-
tion, above water at low tide, concrete arches,
through which the tide can flow and ebb. The
main building is to be of hard brick, $50 by $50
feet and six stories in height. The two other
brick buildings 80 by so, are to be used as
warehouses. The capacity of the mill is to be
1900 barrels Of -four per day, with possible
future enlargement to 5000 barrels per day.
the mill will have wharfage for schooners and
barges on the east and west sides while on the
north VIII be the deep-water berth for ocean
going ships to load -four for Europe. Adjoining
the mill to the west will be large grain ware
house and deep-water wharf 800 by 200, where
grain ships will load for Europe. But the most
interesting feature is to be a regular wheat
elevator, where wheat will be graded not only
as Nos. l. and g. for shipment in bulk but also
into the various qualities required for all mill
ing purposes. The cost of the building will be
about 100000.
1t appears from statistics which have recently
been compiled that the United States possesses
in round numbers $4,000 600 cattle, India 3d.
100000, and Russia 100000. Russia has 90
00o,o00 horses, the United States 10500000,
and Austria 3,500,000. Australia possesses
60,000,000 sheep, the Argentine Republic
100000, and Russia Sc, 900, 900. The United
States comes fourth in this list with 36,0000O0
out in the matter of swine she heads the world
having 100000. The goat is an important
animal in many countries. India is credited
with no less than 20,000,000 Africa with 10 000-
600, and Mexico with 100000. From the above
figures it will be seen that the United States
comes first in the list Of nations with the two
most important articles of flesh food-cattle and
hogs-while she is second in horses and fourth
In sheep. In regard TO the latter two animals
however, she is making rapid strides to higher
position.
Another great bridge is in course of con-
struction across the Missouri River twenty
miles north of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The
fered with the work. The bridge is for the use
of the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad into
Nebraska. When completed it will cost nearly
100000. The piers are iron, the caissons
being filled with concrete masonry, and are ITO
feet high. The superstructure will be of iron,
1000 feet long. about one-third less than the
Union Pacific Railroad bridge at Council Bluffs
The masonry and piers will all be up by Aug.
], and the bridge will be ready for use by Nov.
next. The popularity of the soil and banks of
the Missouri River make the problem of en-
gineering one of the most perpleXing character,
but the success in bridging the stream at Coun-
Gil Bluffs has settled the question of the practi-
cability Of another bridge.
A long litigation in reference to the Marietta
and Cincinnati Railroad has been virtually
terminated at Chillicothe Ohio, by the election
of a board of nine directors and changing the
name of the road TO the Cincinnati, Washing
ton and Baltimore Railway. This is pursuant
TO the orders Of the Ross county common pleas
court and the laws of Ohio. AS will be seen
by the following list of directors, the new
organization will be on good termsswith the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company The
board of directors are Robert Garrett, T. Edward
Hambleton, Samuel Spencer, J. Carroll Walsh
all of Baltimore; George Hoadley, j. d. Leh-
mer, J. L. Keck, of Cincinnati; w. F. McClin-
tick. of Chillicothe and Orlando Smith, of Co.
lumbus, Ohio. Mr. Smith has been elected presi-
dent, Chas. +. Low secretary, and w. E. Jones
treasurer
Fir, pine, oak, and cedar of unsurpassed
quality and practically unlimited in quantity
clOthe the mountains, overhang the rivers,
and shadow the plains of the Puget Sound dis
trict in Washington Territory. On moderate
estimate 1t is calculated that this region will
yield the almost unimaginable quantity of
100000 100000 feet of valuable timber. The
trees attain remarkable development both in
height and beauty. The yellow fir is frequently
found growing to height of $50 feet the
white cedar TO 100 feet, with a girth of over
sixty feet; the white oak is seventy feet
in height, while ordinary-sized specimens of
the sugar pine yield from 5000 to 5000 feet of
cut lumber.
Steel manufacturers are anxiously awaiting
the result of trial of paper rails to be made on
a prominent Western road. Car-wheels of this
material have long been in use and are reported
20 give satisfaction. The rails are said TO be
made wholly of paper pulp subjected to pres
sure which renders it solid rs metal 1t is
hot