The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-17
BIG TRADE MUSEUM.
CONNER cial Wonderland to Stimu-
late Our Foreign Trade.
President Cleveland VIII Soon O pen
Remark able Institution.

President Cleveland, few weeks hence
will formally open In Philadelphia the
most remarkable institution OF its kind in
existence--a museum which will contain
specimens Of the natural and manufacture
ed products Of all the countries of tho
world. Its object Is 20 stimulate COM
merce and boom Yankee trade, particu-
larly with South America and Africa.
All parts Of the United States are inter-
ested In the enterprise 90 which contribu-
tions have been made In one shape or an
other by cities north, south, east and west
The idea is that anybody who has any
thing to sell shall be enabled 20 find out
offhand just where and how 1t Is wanted
and the best way TO seek purchasers any
where on the globe.
Merchants and manufacturers In every
section of this country may obtain from
the trade museum the most complete and
comprehensive information respecting
markets and all commercial data up TO
date, extending even to quotations for
merchandise In remote corners of tho
earth.
Suppose, for example, that a maker of
ribbons desires to send his goods TO South
America. He applies to this wonderful
institution, where are exhibited many
thousands OF samples Of French ribbons
which today are sold in the shops Of Rio
do Janeiro, Buenos Ayres, Caracas and
other cities and towns of the southern
continent. France at present monopolizes
the business of producing ribbons for the
women of South America. These ribbons
are of peculiar patterns and colors being
made exclusively for the DANES and dam
sells Of the Latin American republics.
The ladies of the United States have
never set eyes on anything like them. If
they did so, they would surely demand
them In quantities at once because they
are incomparably more beautiful than the
prettiest that can be bought in New York,
philadelphia or Chicago. They have the
hues of the rainbow and The humming
bird, with dainty 6yers and all sorts of
exquisite designs u, EN- into them. Things
that are made for the South American
trade-the remark applies also TO Mexico
and Central America-nust be brightly
oolored where textile fabrics are concerned.
This is true also of carpets and oilcloths.
The latter should be in all sorts of fancy
patterns, such rs we do not use. But the
patterns in oilcloths and carpets do not
have TO be changed from year to year for
the South American market. People down
there acquire aliking for certain designs
and are satisfied TO retain them. Their
towels are much prettier than ours, and
enormously larger, so as to cover one like
u sheet when he gets out Of the bath.
These arc some of the points that the
Yankee manufactures will have TO get on
to- before he can dispose Of his goods in
South America. At the museum he will
find out not only what is wanted In those
markets, bnt also how the goods ought to
be packed, what the freight charges are,
the latest prices quoted, and the names of
firms which are guaranteed as reliable con-
signees.
All the valuable woods Of tho world are
assembled in one great room. III manu-
facturer wants material for tool handles or
piano covers, he can find there in ten min
utes the best stuff that is furnished by 40
countries One of the most interesting
woods is the "quebracho" of Argentina
and Paraguay 1t ~ one of the hardest
woods known, and the name means
"hatchet breaking 1t contains no less
than "a per cent OF tannin. This valuable
product, now becoming scarce, is obtained
from 10 by grinding the wood. 1t tans
leather In one-fourth the time required by
ordinary tannin.
In Paraguay are found some remark
ably sweet smelling woods. Ono of them
is the SO called incense wood, and an
other is the cspanillo, which, in the
shape Of furniture makes q whole room
deliciously fragrant.
The museum occupies the whole of the
huge building on Fourth street, near Wal
nut, which until recently was used for
office purposes by the Pennsylvania rail-
road, with the addition of four adjoining
houses The arrangement of it has already
been practically completed, the exhibit be-
ing for the most part assembled geograph-
ically, each country by itself. Wandering
from room to room, the curiously inclined
visitor discovers ever SO many queer and
out of the way thingswhich no never saw
before.
For instance, there are number of huge
Jumps Of whitish stun which seem to defy
identihcation until it is explained that
they are nothing moro nor less than chew.
ing gum. All OF the chewing gum used
in this country it appears, comes in this
shape from Mexico. 1t is obtained from "a
tree the thick juice of which is boitsd
down like maple sap Cut off bit and il
is just the same as the chewing gum OF
commerce, except that it is tasteless Not
thing is done 70 it in the process of
manufacture except that various cheap
1avorings are added. No wonder that
manufacturers OF this widely consumed
commercial article make fortunes by SELL
ing little pieces OF il at l cent each.
1t has beon discovered recently that a
small shrub OF Mexico and Central Amer
lea, belonging 20 the order composite,
yields first class rubber. The plant is not
SO high as ones shoulder, and IL grows so
plentifully wild as To promise an immense
new industry. This is very important in
view Of the fact that rubber trees are
threatened with extinction by reckless
destruction.
From the same part Of the world comes
the interesting bixa pod, the seeds con-
tained in which are ground up 20 furnish
tic anatto Of commerce. Nearly all Ok
the butter that comes 70 market, and most
Of the cream also, is colored arti6cially
with this extract New York Journal
Victims of Parents Neglect
New Whatcom, Wash. oct. 17.-Dur-