The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-04
NEWS AND NOTES.

The total exports of merchandise
from the United States for the year 1891
were 500, 1872 an increase of S1l3-
003, 734 over those of 1890, and of Sl43,-
399,935 over the exports of 1882 The
figures for last year exceed the average
annual exports of the ten years preced-
ing by no less than S206, 563, $50. In
spite of the fact that our imports ex-
ceeded by five millions those of the year
before, the whole balance of trade in our
favor in 1891 was SAP, 49,, 636. These
fUnrnS ara NOT omen ~ question and
their significance even the most iaun-
diced free trader will hardly dare to dis
pute. They allow that the first full
year under the Mckinley law has been
one of signal prosperity and increase in
wealth for the great national firm of the
United States, and especially for the
agricultural classes, whose crops have
figured SO largely in the exports.
There can be no question where
Congressman Powers stands on the Sun
day question. Rev. E. Wilmot Cum
mings of Barre, VI, addressed him re-
Gently, asking him to oppose all govern
ment aid to the Columbian exposition
unless it was agreed that it should be
closed Sundays. Congressman Powers
promptly acknowledged the receipt of
the letter, and in reply answered as fol-
lows: II most emphatICally endorse
your views upon this subject. The
sacredness of the Christian Sabbath has
already been to severely encroached up
on, and l have no patience with any
suggestion looking to its further des-
erection by the government or anybody
else"
Ward McAllister has defined the UNI
written law of society, and the country
is safe again. When asked what goes to
make up person of fashion he astutely
replied: at is a very hard thing to say,
dontcheknow, just what goes to make
up a person of fashion. 1t is an I'M
known something. A chic, je ne-sais-
quot, One girl in family, don't you
understand, may be a girl of fashion
dOntcheknow, and another girl in the
same family may not be-"
The largest number of immigrants
last year came from Germany, 123, 4Ol;
from the United Kingdom, including
England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
there were l2O, 722; no other country ex-
ceeding 1000 The immigration from
the United Kingdom was about the same
in 1891 as in 1890, but, that from Ger
many showed an enormous Increase
nearly twenty-Seven thousand persons.
The greatest increase, however; from
any country was from Russia. In 1890
there came from that country 40.SS3 per-
sons; in 1891, 3,l77-an increase of 3D.
294. From Poland, probably Russia sub
jectS, and came mainly for the same
reasons that led to such heavy immi-
grafton from Russia, these two countries
may be considered together. Taken in
this way the figures are little less than
startling. The total number of Russian
and Polish immigrants for 1890 was co.
G20. For 1891 it was 104, 1852, an increase
of 1882.
The contractors who are putting up
the big steel trusses for the roof of the
manufacturers building at the worlds
fair, are getting ready for the biggest
"barn-raisng" in history. There are
twenty-seven main trusses, Will g span
of $50 feet, and height of 2ll feet.
They are fourteen feet wide at the floor,
and ten at the apex. These trusses with
the eight smaller gable trusses weigh TO-
800, 900 pounds. The main truses weigh
about $780, 600 pounds each, and they are
to be raised in position from the floor.
To handle these great iron structures
traveller is being constructed on the
floor of the building, 80 feet by 26O feet
and 120 feet high On top of this tray
eler' will be raised ceD trail tower 1876
feet high, so that the total height of this
great lifting arrangement is 255 feet 1t
will weigh 100000 pounds, and over half
a million feet of lumber will be used in
Reconstruction. The floor of the build
ing will not, OF course, bear this great
weight and the "trayeler' will move on
a track specially prepared for it.