The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-07-30
can doctors also will doubtless begin
to perscribe for the cure of the new all

He tSllljldtSu SOSt VI lllc
canal has been increased by the gov
ernment commission, whose report has
just appeared. in spite of this in
crease, however," says The Manufac-
turer. "the cost remains within the
bounds of the capital and the aid which
can be legitimately extended by the
United States" The original estimate
of the Nicaragua Canal Company ten
years ago was $66, ,466,SSO. The pres
ent estimate by the government com
mission is $133, ,472,S S93 This is just
double. In the interval, however
the estimates made by the COM
pany have been increasing as the diff
culties were better known. OF late the
estimates usually made have placed
the cost at from $1OO,0OO,O00 to $110,-
100000. The report of the government
commission, instead of doubling this
latter estimate. as was freely predict
ed, advances it only to a round $133,-
100000 AS this commission was
selected in no friendly spirit and it's in
structions were evidently intended to
render it certain that it's estimates in
Guided every possible item of cost, the
figures which it has now published may
be accepted as final.
In a work on the road and pavements
of France, Professor A. P. Rockwell,
formerly of the Massa chusettS Insti-
tute of Technology. deduceS from the
reports of the Minister of the Interior,
for 1881 1886. that the average cost of
road in France, of which over 1900
miles were ordinary local roads. were
as follows: Main highways, $1,000 per
mile; secondary highways, $1,000 per
mile, and ordinary local roads, $2,O36
per mile. These figures include the
cost of the road proper and the grading
and right of way; but do not include
the cost of bridges, culverts and other
structures. The range in price is not
very great, being only $500 per mile in
some departments and as much as $5,>
600 and $1,000 per mile in others. All
Of the Paris pavements, except a por-
ton of the blackstone paving, are laid
on concrete foundations. The total
area Of Paris street pavements on jan
uary l, 1894, was 1854 $40 square
yards, and the percentages Of kinds Of
pavement were as follows: Block
stone, 71.5 per cent; macadam 1863 per
cent; asphalt, 3.S per cent. and wood,
81 per cent. Asphalt pavements date
from 1Slh and tho fret yun0I
ments were laid in 1881; but the ten
dency Of to-day is to substitute wood or
asphalt for stone and macadam, with
wood as the present favOrite.
In an interesting decision the Massa-
chusetts Supreme Court decides that
damages by smoke from a fire which
was confined exclusively in a chimney
place come within the risks insured
against by a policy of the standard
form in Massachusetts. The defend
ant contended that the policy was not
intended to apply to a fire which is
lighted and maintained for the Ordin-
airy purposes for which fires are used
III buildings, and which is confined
Judge KnOwlton for the court says,
I'VE are inclined to the opinion that a
distinction should be made between a
fire Intentionally lighted and maintain
ed for useful purpose in connection
with the occupation of a building, and
fire which starts from such fire
without human agency in a place
where fires are never lighted nor main
tained, although such ignition may ma
turally be expected to occur occasion
ally as an incident to the maintenance
of necessary fires, and although the
place where it occurs is constructed
with view to prevent damage from
such ignition. A fire in a chimney
should be considered rather a hostile
fire than a friendly fire, and as such, if
it causes damage, it is within the pro-
visions of ordinary contracts of fire in
surance."
The State Department officers feel
that the Consular reports which are
prepared at infinite pains, and in some
cases by much labor and research, by
our cOnsuls in all parts of the world are
not fully appreciated at home. These
reports aim, under the present system,
to point out to American merchants
and manufacturers the best markets
for their products. Complete data are
furnished by the Consuls, and it is
made available at once for the news
papers. 1t has been found that Ameri-
can newspapers care very little for
such news, and even the trade papers
use the material sparingly. The re-
ports are published periodically in vol
umrS which are distributed generally
to business men whose addresses are
on the State Department list By the
time this publication reaches them,
however. the information is old and in
some cases it's value is lessened The
department officers think that greater
consideration should be paid the re-
ports Of our Consuls, especially as they
mean dollars and cents to many busi-
ness houses in all parts of the country.
The subjects treated of are as varied
as the lines of commerce, and both ex-
portation and importation are dealt
uaS rom rLyaI ,saaoutlxy in, tho