Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-12-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The old octagon House Stay Away
From acknowledgements In Amer
lean Exports.
[specIal correspondence.l


York avenue, west of the White House
and the new Corcoran Art gallery, has
revived interest in that historical struc-
ture, and visitors who happened to hear
of the building have been led to visit
and inspect it. 1t is somewhat out OF
the way of sightseers, on street that Is
not yet thoroughfare, but which may
come TO be convenient and attractive as
the direct approach 10 proposed bridge,
memorial TO General Grant TO be
constructed from its western end across
the Potomac to Arlington. 1t is three
story structure of brick, with Acquia
sandstone window trimmings and a
semicircular front at the street corner,
facing west. This front has a porch at
the top of higE stoop. The bricks have
never been painted, and they look re-
markably we'll fCr bricks that have
stood the weather # hundred years
for it was begun in 1898 and completed
in 1900. DIR. William Thornton, the
architect who designed it for Colonel
John Tayloe, was affected to some extent
by English ideas Of what private
house should be, for he surrounded the
grounds with high and substantial
brick wall, over which one may see the
roofs of the ample stables, servants
quarters and kitchen.
When the British forces swept down
upon Washington in 1914 and burned
the White House, President Monroe used
the Octagon House as temporary ex-
ha 70
oupant the treaty of Client was signed
by him, it is said, in the circular room
Immediately over the porch and vesti
bule.
Stay Away From Hawaii.
1.-THE Hawaiian Islands have eli
mate that is nearly perfect, but l would
not advise any poor man to migrate to
them in the hope of lettering his con-
dition, remarked Mr.. Milton w.
Blumenberg. who accompanied the
United States commissioners on their re
cent mission to the islands when they
went thither TO devise system of gov
eminent for our newly acquired posses
sion in the Pacific.
"Only men with considerable money
uttu lHlnh VI EOIHS tHtlS, hO NOhbAh
ued, ''for there are no opportunities for
those who cannot command capital.
The Japanese and Chinese are already
on the ground in sufficient numbers to
perform all the manual labor required,
and they will work for wages so small
that white men cannot compete with
them. Of course. money can be- made in
the production OF coffee, but good lands
are held at high figure, and the area
susceptible Of cultivation is limited
The board of trade of Honolulu issued
circular prior to our leaving warning
people without money to stay away. l
should say that the limit of material de-
yeiopment III the islands has pretty
nearly been reached. ="
Increase In American Exports.
An increase of over 500, 600, 900 in
exports and "a decrease of the same
amount in imports is the record OF
American foreign commerce for the first
nine months of this year over the same
period of 1897. This breaks all records
in the history of the nation S commerce.
Exports for this period were twice as
great as those for the corresponding pc
Rod in 1888, while the imports show a
decrease of IL per cent despite the
growth in population. Imports of mer-
chandise for the period just ended are
less than the same corresponding period
since 1885. All classes of exports have
prospered during the last decade. Ex-
ports of mine products were $50, 900, 900,
an increase Of 33 per cent; productions
of the forests for 1888 were SIS, 775, 144
and for 1898, $50, 900, 000 agricultural
products, 1904, 77j, SIS, against $57l,-
294, 995; domestic manufactures, $685.
SAP, 972, against 1927, S22, 045, or nearly
81, 900, 600 for each business day in the
year.
These figures indicate that the exports
of domestic manufactures will reach
$500, 600, 900 for the calendar year for
the first time in history.
Plain and Simple Language.
1.-The charge frequently made that
the department of agriculture sends out
bulletins of such scientific character
that no farmer and only a most erudite
person could understand them is alb
surd, " said "a man who holds an impor-
tant place in the department. From
the time of one of its early chiefs, that
eccentric but intensely practical man
known to his contemporaries as Sir
Isaac Newton, the work has been con.
Quoted on strictly practical lines, espe
cially as it concerns the agriculturists
of the country. The literature sent to
the farmers is written in such plain and
simple language that a child could IN
derstand it. The department does nat
urally print quantity of technical and
scientific papers, the result Of investiga-
ton and experiments, but this matter
is sent only to scientific libraries and
other repositories where such records
are preserved. Adverse criticism of the
departments methodist is doubtless from
people who, knowing that literature of
this character is issued by the depart
ment, imagine it is for general circula-
ton. -