The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-20

VI IIUeTS Oh lesser lIlpOIlduCc, VI W
no Importance, that have been investt
gated and reported upon, in the ter
! special reports and in the consecutive
annual reports issued since 1890.
The curse Of the new fiber industries
| has been the promoter" or boomer
| who SeizeS upon some new fiber indus
try Of which the public knows nothing
as affording an opportunity to fleece
capitalists and line his own pockets
BY talking glibly, showing fiber sam
pies that may have been produced ex-
perimentally at cost of dollar
pound, presenting marvellous figures OF
assumed possible profits, without
word regarding the obstacles to sue.
| cess, and displaying list Of names OF
people who have ignorantly lent them-
selves, but not their cash, to the en-
terprise, he is able to Organize com
pany," and even incorporate 1t, as this
is mere form. Then stock is sold to
whoever can be gulled. The bubble
bursts in a few months or year, and
the promoter rushes to new fields leav-
ing the company to settle or go into
bankruptcy.
But it is not always the capitalist
who is feeced. Sometimes 1t is the
farmer who is induced to go into Guilt
walton of a fiber crop, that at present
has no money value. Sometimes 1t Is
the small investor clerk who
saves his money, or the widow VINO mas
had few thousand left to her-who
is induced to purchase stock 1none
Of these companies.
When the office of fiber investiga-
lions was first established, such pro-
motion schemes were very common,
and they were able to thrive because
there was no literature relating to past
experience that could be consulted.
With the existence of government Of
ficer, where reliable information can
at all times be secured, these conce' MS
have practically gone out Of business,
though a bubble rises occasionally,
and attempts have been made recently
to work congress to a lively tune. 1t
will be seen then that the Office OF
fiber investigation helps the public in
two ways; by giving on the one hand
most reliable information regarding
the practical cultivation and prepara-
ton Of certain fiber plants; and on the
other by holding out a danger signal
and a warning, to keep off" thus
preventing the people from throwing
away their money. The good that the
department has accomplished in this
latter direction is incalculable, and it
is often appealed to for this kind of
information. s-
Another way in which the govern
ment assists the fiber industry is in it's
study of machinery for treating the
raw material. It is no common thing
for inventors to go over their plans
with the special agent in charge, when
ready to begin building their ma
chimes, the matter of course, being
considered strictly confidential. In
some instances the inventor has been
shown so clearly the weak points, or
INN pti ,.oIN Of h ic,
structiCn that the machine has been
abandoned, and money loss avoided.
This office also tests fiber machines
that are offered to the public, in order
to officially demonstrate what the ma
chimes are able to accomplish. Com
panies have put forth claims for ma
chimes that an official trial has shown
were utterly false, resulting in the
abandonment Of manufacture One
of these machines which was offered
to Narmers as a practical device, and
which proved a failure, was never
taken away from the testing ground
after the trial, but lies today in a
fence corner, mass of old iron and
decaying wood work, while the com
pany" went out of existence imme-
diately.
Not only does this Office test and give
opinions regarding fiber machines. but
the fibers themselves are sent to the
department to be reported upon, and
opinions given as to their utility for
manufacture. Among such specimens
may be named the straw and scutched
flax from experimental culture, sam
pies Of hemp grown under new condi-
tons or prepared by new processes or
new machines, specimens Of ramie pre-
pared by new degumning process s,
and even unknown fibers extracted
from indigeous weeds, OF found float
ing in the wind from old dead stalks,
in the field, by the farmers. All Of
these native species have been reported
upon, and thousands of letters have
been answered giving their history and
presenting statements concerning their
merits or dement's as fiber plants, or
as the sources of new Industries. Re-
Gently So-called new cotton was
doomed to such an extent that, it is
said six bushels of the seed we're sold
for $1,100. The fiber spsciaI agent hay-
ing been asked for information con-
corning this cotton, the matter was in
Vestigated, and by a demonstration of
the strength and spinning value of the
lint alone it was shown that the cot
ton was inferior to many we'll known
varieties already in cultivation
The office of fiber Investigations i'm
ports seed of fiber plants, for particu-
lar experiments, and at the present
time has some 400 pounds Of jute seed
for distribution next year. 1t will also
import over 5000 pounds of flax seed
for Pacific coast and other experiments
next season.
The Office also assists technologists
by furnishing them samples of identi-
fed fibers for examination, and lids
colleges and schools by sending out
classroom specimens. 1t prepared the
magnificent official collection that has
been exhibited in the Field Columbian
museum, at Chicago, and the similar
beautiful collection of the prominent
worlds fibers, shown in the United
States museum.
During the past three years 1t has
prepared dictionary of fiber plants of
the world, which has been placed in
the worlds botanical and scientific Ii
braries, being the first complete work
of the kind published in any country.
AS an Illustration of the apprecia-
ton of the work that has been accom-
plished in the fiber Investigations in
this country, by foreigners. it NAV be
stated that Inquiries for information
and demands for the published liter,
allure on the subject, are received
from every portion of the globe: so
much so that the United States fiber
iIPOi :" no cO!lle " ne considered
the best authorities regarding the fiber
industries of which they treat
AS to the cost of this work to the
people, the total annual appropriations
excepting for the first year, have been
but $4,000, and in but few years has
this all been expended For several
years past over thousand dollars e9,ch
year has been turned back into thu.
treasury. Smith D. FRY.
Mistress of the Pacific.
Though Japan's naval activity is primarily
significant of a nurD0se tn Seo,,ra o,o,,o,oI -