The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-24
4 NATIVE AUSTRALIAN
Corects Some False Impressions
About Australian Wool,
MUST SUPPLANToUR PRODUCT
If Free Wool Passes Congrcss-The
Logic of Facts and Figurcs-A
Graphic Description of tho
Great New Continent.

Logic of Facts and Figurcs-A
Graphic Description Of tho
Great New Continent.
To the Editor o. he Inteligmoer:
sIR:-In the issue Of your contempt
rary OF tho 10th instant, l notice para
graph headed Australian Wool, which
as am an Australian, l read with Mt
small degree Of interest. As the question
Of free tariff on wool is at present excit
ing u good deal OF discussion in THU
country, the following short account o
Australia as n wool producing country
and Australian wool as compared witt
the wool OF other countries, may not be
without interest to the agricultural class
OF your readers. l might even, il space
will admit, extend the subject and apply
my remarks to Australia generally. And
first let me express my surprise that the
Americans, who have SO justly earned
the reputation Of being weii-informed
people, should DO 50 completely ignorant
of the great Island continent, and its re,
sources. TO most Americans l have
met it is as much n terra incOgnita as the
centre Of Africa. Equal in extent to the
United States without Alaska, and with
the climate OF Italy, Australia in the
plenitude OF its natural riches, and
abundance OF all that goes to make Il
people great, happy and prosperous, is
perhaps unequaled, certainly not sur
passed, by any country under the sun.
II has been called, and justly SO, the
workingman's paradise, for higher wages
prevail there, for all kinds oflabor, than
in any other part OF the world. As an
agricultural country it offers great in
duCements to the settler, possessing as 1t
does very large area OF most fertile soil
The finest wheat is extensively raised in
South Australia, and maize thrives adj
mirably all around the eastern coast.
In the orchards OF Tasmania and the
South every European fruit grows to
perfection, and in such abundance, as to
furnish full work to several immense
jam and canning factories; whilst in
Queensland and the North all kinds OF
tropical productions and fruits are found
in the most lavish profusion. AS George
Augustus Sala Witty said: "You have
only to tickle the surface with hoe,
and It smiles with harvest" In New
South Wales, midway between the two
colonies last named, oranges are extern
sively cultivated, and large vineyards
give employment to numerous hands in
the making OF wine.
OTHER INDUSTRIES.
The cultivation OF sugar cane is a
great and increasing industry in the
coastal districts OF Queensland, where,
in many places, large mills containingthe
most improved and costly machinery,
and representing an enormous capital,
have been built. Arrow-root, coffee and
tobacco growing, are at present among
the minor industries.
Australia, however, is best known as 4
mining country. Its production Of gold
is a matter OF worldwide notoFiety. 1t
has large tracts OF most valuable tin
bearing country us yet practically un-
touched, whilst the richness of its silver
lodes is perhaps unsurpassed even by the
celebrated mines OF Colorado and Nevada.
OF copper there is an inexhaustible sup.
ply at Barra Barra and Wallaroo in South
Australia, and ClonCurry in Queensland.
Diamonds arc found ut Bingera, in New
South Wales, where petroleum has re.
Gently been discovered in the form OF
kerosene shale. In this latter colony
there Is a vast coal field $4,000 square
miles in extent, and from New Castle, its
port coal, is sent not only to China and
the East, but also to the whole of the
West coast Of America, from Valparaiso
to Portland, Oregon.
AUSTRALIAN WOOL.
But it Is as a pastoral country that
Australia shines prccminent. Its bound
less plains support countless herds OF
cattle and sheep, and wool raising prom
Uses to become greater source OF wealth
than even the unparalleled riches OF its
mines. There are 90,000,0OO OF sheep in
Australia, more than twice the number
owned by the United States, and Aus:
tralian wool is generally acknowledged
to be the finest grown. 1t is, as your
paragraph quotes, well grown, soft, and
the very perfection OF high merino." 1t
has almost driven English grown wool
out OF the market, and commands u
much higher price ut the London sales
than the South American article. The
only country that compares with Aus
tralia as a wool producing country is the
Argentine Republic, but the wool there
grown is inferior in staple and quality to
Australian; nor can the small cross.
bred sheep of the Republic compare
either in number or blood with the
splendid focks Of the Southern cross.
Andhere let me take exception to one
paragraph in the article Of your eontem.
porary, where it quotes: ut is well
known in Australia that not only sheep
but stock OF all kinds are in much better
condition in the Middle States than in
any country in the world" can hard
tly think that this is true with regard Ia
the sheep, for many OF the leading Aus
tralian "squatters" have for many years
been introducing the best ovine blood
with view to improving their tlocks
and many Of them, notably Mr.. Gibson
and Mr.. Parkes, OF Tasmania, and the
Hon, James White, Of NewSouth Wales
have magnificent hocks, containing
many very highly bred animals. STUD
rams from Mr.. Gibson's flock have beer
known to fetch at auction E3, 900 sterling
GREAT WOOL TRADE,
Vast, substantial, stone-built ware
houses are rs prominent u feature il
Australian seaport cities as are the grair
elevators in the American cities OF the
| Northwest. Already the value of woo
annually reported exceeds GS,0O0,0O(
sterling, and il the industry has attained
such gigantic proportions with the pres
ent population 100000 what will il
become when enterprise and the press
ure OF population open up the grea
colony of Western Australia? Thil
enormous colony, containing l,0O0,0OC
square miles-a third OF the continent
has only 81, 900 inhabitants. 1t contains
vast areas Of the finest grazing lands, n!
vet untrodden by a single hoof. Blu
1.-The older colonies are rapidly becoming
thickly settled. and its time must come