Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-03
QUEER THINGS IN TRADE.
Whence Comes the Raw Material for the
American Girls Chewing Cum Peculiar
Phrases OF Commerce In South Ameri-
ean Hnuutriaa

1ntTce Vi lHlS COuull), WiibSo ~ w oSh
ington correspondent TO The 81. Louis
Globe Democrat, he will be astonished
to learn that during the year 1884 the
republic of Mexico exported Sl34, DBL
65 worth of chewing gum, nearly all
of which came To Pittsburgh for manu-
facture, and during the fourth quarter
of last year alone exports from Mexico
of this enchanting raw material
amounted to Sal, 233.70. When the
public understands that the caoutchouc
exports during the past year only
reached S202, 1860, and for the last
quarter only $40, 459. l6, it will begin
to appreciate the exciting race be.
tween the rubber goods and chewing
gum furnished by the Aztec country.
According to Minister Morgan, our
total imports from Mexico for the last
twelve months reached the enormous
sum of S21 ,S2i, 400.55 exceeding by
over 81, 200, 900 the imports fl ON Mex
leo by any other nation. OF this
amount more than one-half, or Sl2,-
S22, 240. was in precious metals, the
remainder being distributed in fruits,
fine woods, hides, live animals, coffee,
sugar, and tobacco.
The state of Colima is dwelt upon at
length by Consul Mahlo, of Manzanillo,
as IA magnificent country for American
investment in coffee estates, which are
said to be wonderfully successful and
remunerative. The Colima coffee has
become an article of export to the
United States. where il realizes the
highest prices. II resembles Mocha,
has an exquisite flavor, and sells for
20 to 25 cents a pound. Colima ranks
second as TO quantity and first as to
quality in the coilee-producing states
of Mexico. but Colima, in addition 10
wrestling now and then with yellow
fever, is on the ragged edge of a liv-
ing volcano, which almost destroyed
the city in 1918, and killed two thou
sand people in 1906. Nevertheless
Consul Mahlo saws: THE wholesale
trade of Colima is chiefly in the hands
of Germans, who are doing an inn
mense business. and many of them
have been able To retire, after com
paratively short residence here, To
their native country as rich men. 1t
may not be amisS to add that the pre-
sent consul intimates that he will re-
sign If his annual salary of $3.50 Gin
fees) Is not increased. and there may
yet be a chance for some of the
patriotic democrats of Missouri to
"catch on Consul General sutton,
of Matamoras, calls attention to the
immense profit in establishing ranches
on Il large scale in Tamaulipas and
raising cattle and horses for export to
the United States and Cuba.
A curious feature of the annual re-
port of Consul Frisbie is that of the
-. 7SS. 200 81 worth of sparkling cham
pagncs imported by the United States
from Rheims during the past year ST.
Joseph. Mo-, received 30 cases direct,
while ST. Louis only imported 10 cases
This is almost unaccountable, when
New York imported rs, 255 cases,
Chicago l,292 cases. Cincinnati ia
cases. and Louisville 30 cases, unless
il be that st. Louis buys all her i'm
ported champagnes in New York at
secondhand. But it looks like bad
showing. In Rheims at the present
time there are 10000 mechanics and
other laboring people ont of employ
ment, but the city authorities did an
original thing by furnishing employ
ment to married men only on public
at 80 cents day.
Consul Irish, of Cognac, reports
~ l35, 500 % worth of brandy exported
to the United States last year, besides
1884, 693 in porcelain and S13, 100 in
paper, for which we exchanged wood
for construction, wheat, and small
81 ,.f g.. 81
A peculiar item in this report is
Sis "a worth of "show-cards and
exported to this country.
Consul Irish remarks: Great for
tunes await the successful efforts of
Americans who shall intro
duce and develop trade that shall
revolutionize the present order of
things. The people are wealthy, fond
of their own country, and rarely emf
CRATE.
Consul Charlesworth shows that the
wine trade of MADEIRA has steadily de-
creased in exports To- the United States
from $780, in 1850 to Sl7,2l6 in
1884. Last seasons grapes were finely
and the wine said to be of
better quality than for years past. 1t
may shock the tender stomachs of st.
Louisans who drink MADEIRA to learn
that the very ancient practice of tread
ing out the wine with the feet Is still
in vogue. Consul Charlesworth saws
the grapes are placed in large wood
en- or stone vat, in which the peasants,
with legs bare to the knee, travel in
circle TO the cadence of an extempor-
fynH Tho - IL :.
suited to the occasion-until the grapes
are reduced to pulp. This is placed
in primitive press with long sweep
and wooden screw. If not too far
from shore, the must-as it is now
called-is put in casks and conveyed
by boats to the merchant in Funchal,
in whose hands it undergoes the vari-
GUS operations of racking and fermen-
tation. 1t then receives the necessary
amount of spirit, and either undergoes
the artificial heating process or is stor-
ed in warehouses until it has acquired
the proper age for use the consul
adds, by way of solace, perhaps, that
all the wine firms have steadily refus-
ed to handle any authorizations, and
their brands may always be relied
upon.
Consul General Heap writes from
Salonica that this is most favorable
time to introduce agricultural imple-
ments into Macedonia.
0This country has lost caste in Car
acas. Oleomargarine has done the
job for us, and many American goods
are now looked upon there with sus-
picion. Nevertheless, Consular Agent
Rohl says the United States exports to
Caracas enormous amounts of flour,
lard, canned oysters, canned hams,