Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-09-21
WASHINGTON LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


secretly demonetzed, according to
the views Of tha silver extremists,
,o,1n5 to have already cast lis baleful
shadow over the official policy of the
government II years before, while
silver was still Mt n premium. An in.
tGrestlng statement Of the actual situ.
alton ut that time and the absolute
lack of use Of the silver dollar is con.
tanned in the report of Mr.. james
Pollock, the director of the mint, to
Secretary Chase for the fiscal year
1862 This report uses the following
language regarding the "dolIar Of the
fathers" The silver dollar, aS it
now is has actually three values: |.
1t is by law a dollar simply, or 100
unites or cents. g BY the mint
price of silver it is lO3. 9S cents, which
is its true commercial value rs COM
pared with gold. 3. 1t has an in.
terror or mint yalu', which is deter.
mined by its relations to the silver
contained in the half dollar, which
makes it 107 21-64 cents, for which
reason single pieces are paid out ut
the mint ut the even price Of lO5
cents. Two reasons seem to have ln-
tluenced Congress in retaining the sill
Yer dollar at its present anomalous
terms: First-Thut it preserves the
old dollar, known from the beginning
of our coinage, and often exact y
stipulated for in deeds of rent charge,
mortgages aud other moncyed securi-
ties, In the second place, 1t was sup
posed to be needed for our China and
Eust India trade; b t our consular
advlces are to the effect that our silver
dollars are very reluctantly taken at
the ports, and not ut all in the lu-
terror, of China. Tuey are believed
by the Chinese to be of less value
than they really are.
MINERAL PRoDUCTs- The Geologi-
cal Survey has compiled a statement
of the mineral products of the United
States, covering the calendar years
1885 to 1894 The largest pro-
duction Of pig iron was in
1890, when it was SO, 202, 7O3 long
tons, valued at $l5l, 200, 40. The
product in 1894 WAS G,657, 1888 tons,
valued at $62, OO7247 The largest
production of silver WAS in 1892,
when 63, 500, 900 troy ounces were re-
ported, of n coming value OF 49,, O9S,
l50. In 1894 the figures were 40,
5O1, 122 ounces, valued ut S64, 600, 900.
The largest production of gold was IN
1894, when 1910, SIG troy ounces were
reported with coming value OF
S39, 800, ,0O) Aluminium shown the
largest increase of all the met
ais reported, having risen from
2S3 ounces in 1885, valued at
S2,5OO to $4,000 ounces in
1894, valued at $316,250 Tin does
not appear until 1891, when 125, 2S9
pounds were reported, valued at S25,
05S. A slight increase in tin product
and value is shown in 1882, IL decrease
in 1898 and none is reported in 1894.
The bituminons coal product wa'
largest in 1898, being 12S, $50, 23l long
tons The product in 1894 fell off
nearly 10000, 600 tons. Anthracite
coal also had the largest output in
1898, being 4S, lS5, 3O6 long tous val
ued ut 5,GS7,O7S. In 1894 the pro-
duet WAS 46, 3jS, IA long tons valued
at SIS, 4SS, 063. The production of
borax was largest in 1894 being IA,
go, l30 pounds valued ut 1924, AS.
The largest value of metallic products
of all kinds was reached in 1892, when
it was S3O7, ZIG, 239. The same year
showed the largest value of non-me-
tallic minerals OF all kinds, the amount
being $3.50 go, ,7l5. The correspond
ing figures for 1894 were S2l8, l6S, 7SS
and S30S, 1856, IA.
FISH CoMMGssIoNER-A nice fat
plum is dangling from the Admins
tration tree. 1t Is the Fish Commls-
sionersbip, made vacant by the recent
death of Marshall Mcdonald. Thus
far no candidates have been mentioned
for the vacancy, although 1t Is one OF
the most desirable offices within the
gift of the President. 1t is under
stood that the practical fishermen OF
the country are at work in the inter-
est of practical fisherman for the
place. 1t is said that both Prof.
Baird and Major Mcdonald were
theorists, rather than practical fisher
men, and, because that fact has been
recognized, the Fish Commission has
been subjected to more or less rldi-
cule. There is a report here to the
effect that the members of the Wood
mont Rod and Gun Club, composed
OF many Senators and Representatives
in Congress, will urge the appoint
ment of Col William Sterrett, the
newspaper correspondent and fisher
man.
To RUSH WoRK-The correctness
of published statements that Secretary
Herbert has ordered work on vessels
under construction to be expedited
were admitted by him. "The ships
building in the navy yards have been
tagging for years." he said. For
IL long time the delay was for want of
armor. But armor is now being fur
nished promptly. The Texas and the
Maine, the former of which has just
been put in commission, and the latter
of which will be III IL few days, really
ought to have been in service months
ago. The departmenthas recently given
orders to push all work on navy yard
ships, and has also been urging the con-
tractors to increased diligence. 1t is
to be hoped that the penalties in
Cured in the future for delay will be
allowed to stand. No good reasons
can be given why ships authorized by
Congress should not be completed
with reasonable dispatch. We have
already shown that We can build guns
and ships equal to any in the world,
and L hope our shipbullders will
demonstrate to the world that ships
can be built. not only as well but as
rapidly in the United States as any
where in the world"
They Want No Boomers.
Tho Citv Eathers of White pipaOn Ind