St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-15

FIJIANS OF THE FUTURE.
group, there is not one that is not suited to
the growth of sugar cane, and go extensive
has been the cultivation of late years that
capitalists in Sydney and in Lo,lka are now
planning to establish ,refneries here so as to
send the perfected product of the cane into
markets of the world. One company already
established, which grows sugar here and re-
fines it in New South Wales, has over $4,000
900 invested in the enterprise, and on this it
has been paying dividends, am informed, of
over II per cent.
I am told by those who are competent to
judge that the coffee grown in Fiji is far SUI
perior to that of Rio. Not only is the ar
ticie finer, but the production Per acre is
nearly twice as great, from 800 to 1000
pounds being considered an average crop,
the cost OF production being about IL cents
per pound. Ten years ago there were only
about 1,S00 acres in coffee in all Fiji. To-day
over 20, 900 acres are under cultivation, and
this will be doubled within the next two years,
promising an output of at least 10000 tons
per a2num.'
In addition to sugar, coffee and sea island
Goa, tea and chincona have been introduced
with success. These products should soon
enrich the Fiji Islanders, for the people will
not need to import much of their food-none,
indeed, that is actually necessary to the ma
tiyes. Indian corn, rice, tapioca, sweet po-
tatoes and many Of the garden products of
the temperate zones grow here in abundance.
The surrounding seas TEEN with fish, and al.
though horses, cattle, pigs and domestic
fowls OF all kinds have been imported, they
are found to succeed here as well as they do
on the neighboring continent of Australia.
Bananas, cocoanuts and pineapples abound
everywhere; indeed, know of no land under
the sun where good food is so abundant and
SO cheap. Never a child goes hungry to sleep
in the fair land of Fiji.
Australia and New Zealand now monopolize
the trade of Fiji and of many of the surround
ing islands, but as neither Australia or New
Zealand is a manufacturing country the arti-
cles they send up for trade are exclusively of
English manufacture. With the proper en-
terprise California and Oregon could soon
get a monopoly Of the business, for the mar
ket is there and American goods could be
Fiji are within easier reach of San Francisco
than are the teas and silks of China and
Japan.
I have just completed four weeks tour
OF the principal Fiji Islands on one of the half
dozen inter-insuiar steamers that are now
found necessary for the local trade, and, with
all due respect to all other lands I have trav-
eled, must confess I have never seen a
fcountry that comes nearer to the poets no.
ton of an earthly Paradise" On the larg-
est island one is not seldom out of sight
of the sea. The coast lines are broken by
exquisite bays and harbors, and tortuous
but navigable straits separate the many
islands of the group, ensuring through their
tides q constant breeze and climate never
too hot tor work nor for repose. Springs are
abundant, and one cannot go half mile
without crossing stream that comes hurry
ing down with all its vested power from the
hills.
The forests, while not SO dense as are to be
found on the neighboring continent have
park-lke appearance that is fascinating.
Wild flowets flourish on every side in perpet-
ual bloom, and native birds, like winged
blossoms fill the air. To all these glories
there is but one drawback. and that is the
mosquitoes, though LIDO not think they are
so bad here as I have seen them for months
at time in New Jersey.
If from this description any workingman
might be tempted to try his fortunes in Fiji,
let me say that there is at this time an abund-
ance of labor there, though skilled carpen-
tiers, machinists and engine drivers are in
demand. The man who will make money in
Fiji is the man who goes there with pur-
pose and takes some money with him. For
tunes are being made here by men who began
without penny, but such chances, as rule,
come only to those who are present to take
advantage Of the first opportunities
x ANi'
One can always tell New York anglo
maniac by the exuberance Of his spirits when
ever there is a particular heavy fog.
1t is estimated that at the last ball given
by Mime. Carnot, wife of the president of
France, the diamonds worn by the ladies in
attendance were worth some $50, 0O0, 900.
Annapolis, Nd, was chartered as city in
170S. Before that it was called Anne Arundel
after the wife of Lord Baltimore, but in
honor of the queen who granted the charter
the name was changed.
The late Richard Proctor, whose brilliant
lectures on astronomy and sad death by yell
low fever in Florida some few years ago, is
still fresh in the memory of all left daughter,
Miss Mary, who promises to win in the field
where her illustrious father achieved fame.
She is now lecturing with success on 0TAe
Giant Sun and his Family" under which
poetic title she discourses interestingly of
the solar system.
Cocain my be tested thus: Add to the So
luton to be examined a drop of a solu5ioa-cf
potassium bichromate. r cccain he present
precipitate will form which yanishes rapid
ly, and on warming, the liquid turns s;reea