Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-11-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Written and compiled for the HERALD. ]
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 3-Secretary
Tracy is as anxious as anybody could
possibly be that the United States should
have the best armored vessels afost. but
being a careful paine-taking official
be has not lost his head on account OF
the recent tests of armor made at Annapo-
lis. as some other people seem 10 have
done, therefore be proposes moving slow
" and cautiously about spending the
special appropriation of one million dol
lars made by Congress for tht purchase OF
nickel The only specimen of armor that
stood the test was the nickel steel, made
by a firm in France, and the Secretary
has no idea of making this Government
dependent upon that firm for it's supply
of armor plate, so he has decided to have
the only two firms in this country that
have a plant necessary to undertake the
wOrk-The Bethlehem Iron Works Com
pany of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, aud
Carnegie, Phlpps Il Co., of PIttsburg-
make several plates similar to those made
by the French firm. These plates when
completed are to be subjected to the se-
yerest tests, and should they prove as
good as the French plates the Secretary
will at once enter into contract for the
manufacturing of a sufficient quantity of
them to armor all of the vessels now be-
ing built for the Navy.
Mr.. Tracy has no fear of any corner in
the nickel market, as be has received Of
fers enough of nickel ore from various
sections of this country to make 1t certain
that the owners of the Canadian nickel
mines cannot dictate the price which the
Government shall pay for this metal, and
he thinks that the increased demand for
nickel in this country and abroad will re-
suit in building up new and great
American industry.
Secretary Noble has received another
letter from Mayor Grant, also one from
Governor Hill asking that the population
of New York city be recounted. He has
not answered either of them, but it is
quite certain that the original decision
of the Census Bureau will not be changed
There has no good reason been given for
giving Tammany Hall an additional
member of the House in the Fifty-third
Congress and the State of New York an
additional vote in the electoral college
that will elect the next President and
Vice President, and what is more. none
can be given. The Census wac taken in
New York City, in June, just as it was
every where else and it was just as free
of errors as it would be il retaken in
November or December.
Everybody is talking about the official
bulletin issued by the Census Bureau
giving the population of the United
States as shown by the recent census.
The total number, exclusive OF white per-
sons in Indian Territory and Indians on
reservations and in Alaska, is 62,4e0,5 $40
and the increase over the census of 1850
is Il, 324,757. The percentage of increase
for the last ten years was 24.57 against
a percentage of 30.05 for the ten years
between 1870 and 1880. The Census
Bureaus bulletin in explanation OF the
apparent smaller percentage of increase
for the last than preceding ten years says
at is we'll known, the fact having been
demonstrated by extensive and thorough
investigation, that the census of 1870 was
/ grossly deficient in the Southern States,
SO much so as not only to give an aggre'
gated rate of increase of the population
between 1870 and 1880 in these states
but to affect very materially the rate Of
increase in the country at large. These
omissions were not the fault, nor were
| they within the control of the Censu'
office"
As in the last census, New York Ia the
most populous state and Pennsylvania
the next. Ohio and Illinois have changed
places. Texas jumps from IL to 7, while
kentucky goes down from 8 to IL Min
nesota goes from 26 to 90; Nebraska from
80 to %; Maryland drops from "a to q
Colorado goes up from 81 to 81 Vermont
drops from 80 to sc, the new State OF
Washington strides forward from 43 Il
40 and Arizona from "a to as. The figures
as a total are somewhat disappointing be
cause the most of us had been figuring OF
a population of 65,O00,0OO, but still We
are one of the big nations of the world.
Another most interesting bulletin ha
been ISSUED by the Census Bureau show
ing the production of steel in the United
States daring the last ten years. During
the wear ending June 80, 1890, We pro.
duced 4,466,926 tons Of steel against l.,
1871 tons produced in the year ending
Nav 81, 1890, an increase of 1921 81!
tons or 300 per cent. Pennsylvania still
holds her own 10 steel production, in 18S
she turned out 81 per cent and in 1890 g.
per cent of the entire product. lllinoi
and Ohio are still second and third re
spectiyely, just as they were ten year
ago.
Haughwont Howe, whose marriage +
Miss Mary ButterwOrth, daughter of Con
gresham Butterworth. took place at hi
bedside last Wednesday afternoon, died
few minutes past II o'clock last Thursday