The herald., 1898-03-02
OFFICE OF THE HERALD,

OFFICE OF THE HERALD,
LOS ANGELES, Cal, March l, 1S9S
Hope is lure. There Is no hand that
can retain a wave or a shadow"
The Alaskan gold mining craze and the
Klondike excitement have been the means
of instigating the starting of countless
companies for the purposes Of exploring
the riches of these frozen lands, of fitting
out expeditions, of shipping merchandise,
of furnishing transportation, of doing any
thing in fact by which an honest penny
or, in too many cases, a dishonest dollar,
might be turned The excitement has
been productive of a veritable bonanza to
the professional promoter. He has been
able to gloat in terms of the most fusome
kind over the gorgeous prospects held out
by this new El Dorado. The farther away
from the scene, the brighter has been the
glow OF descriptive language in which the
attractions are described.
In London, companies have been organ
lied with extravagant capitalization,
whose promoters are holding out fabulous
Inducements in order to capture the wealth
of venturous investors. The names of
titled personages grace the prospectuses
issued, in accordance with an ingrained
British belief that "noblesse oblige," be-
lief that current British history does not
seem to undermine to any material extent.
large harvest is certainly being reaped
by these promoters, and the outcome for
conhding investors is not likely to remain
In doubt for great while longer.
A swarm of such corporations has ap-
peared on this coast, organized for the
purpose of turning to advantage every
conceivable feature of this excitement.
Among these ventures may be noted the
alaskan Hot-Air Ground Thawing and
Mining Machine Company" just organized
a nominal
stock of $4,000, of which the sum of fifty
dollars has been actually subscribed
Without the assistance of a fiowery pros
pectus as a guide, it is a matter of diff
Guilty for the imagination to conceive how
Tar fifty dollars, or even $4,000, may be
made to go in thawing out the icebound
crust that conceals the riches of the Klon-
dixie. If the money can be made to effect
the purpose of the company as indicated
in its title, 1t then becomes simply matter
of arithmetical calculation to find the cost
Of thawing out a clear path to the north
pole, and Lieutenant Peary may go back
home and cease to waste his energies on
romantic expeditions. If the "hot-air.
ground thawing' method can be applied
at comparatively small expense to the
Klondike region. by all means let the gov
eminent take the matter up at once and
in addition to thawing the north pole let
the patent process be applied, for exam
pie. to Secretary Alger.
O O O
The nomenclature of new interpretations
Is matter for constant surprise. The pro-
moters are SO desirous of expressing every
purpose of the bantling company In its
name that the concern Is born into the
world, frequently thereafter encountered
throughout it's existence with title as
long as that of a Spanish grandee. No
thought is given, apparently, to the an
noyance, irritation and extra work caused
to the officials of the company and to all
connected with it by the necessity for the
continual iteration Of the elongated cog
nomen in every document, paper, record or
other register with which 1t is concerned.
The alaskan Hot-Air Ground Thawing
and Mining Machine Company" for exam
pie, has a name that will be troublesome to
write frequently, though perhaps not so
tiresome as that of a certain corporation
once known to fame as the United Boot
black, Stove Polishing Oil and Sand Pro-
ducing and Punctual Delivery Company"
Tobacco culture and manufacture have
been making rapid strides in Florida of
late years. Some time ago the president
suggested to the secretary of agriculture
that 1t would be a useful thing for him
TO make visit to that state to study its
productions, and as the result of his per-
sonal view of the situation there he has
communicated some interesting informa
1n to euSc Wson II ns saa OF te
growth of the tobacco interest was the
most striking development he found
in the state. The Cubans: he says recog-
nize the hummock lands of Florida as hav-
ing soil similar to that of the best tobacco
lands of Cuba. and within the past few
years 10000 Cubans have come over from
their native country, many of whom had
been lifelong tobacco growers, curers and
cigar makers, who understand the art
from the planting of the seed to the mar
keting of the cigar. The statistics of the
state, according to Bradstreet's, show that
the Cubans there last year sold 100 900 900
cigars. and that the sales of tobacco in all
its forms brought Cubans .sl3.OoO,OOo. In
spite of the fact, however, that the people
get 160 900 cigars annually from Florida,
scarcely such a thing is to be found on the
market as Florida cigar. but those which
vanas.
The annual report of the French COM
missioners of indirect taxes, a full digest
Of which Is published in the Moniteur
Vinicole confirms estimates formed at the
close of the vintage as to the quantity of
wine made in France last year. the total
yield of the 4.222,325 acres under cultivation
erage yield of 1sO gallons per acre, or
nearly third less than in 1885, while by
comparison with the previous ten years
the total yield Is about up to the average,
though falling far below the total of over
1,O0O,00O0 900 gallons made in 1896. 1t may
be added that the value of last years vim
tage is estimated at about E32, 900 900, of
which little over $4,000 900 is for wine of
superior quality, the rest being for what
may be classed as ordinary or table
wine. Although there was an increase of
the area under cultivation in twenty-seven
departments, so many vines had to be de-
stroyed In others that the total acreage
planted In vines decreased during the pns
twelvemonth by nearly 100 900 acres, and
Is now 100000 acres less than 1t was ten
years ago. 1t is remarkable that of the to-
tai quantity of wine made in France, near
~ a. third comes from the one department
or the Herault. which, with the three ad-
Joining departments of the Aude the Py-
renees Orlentales and the Gard, produces
nearly hve-eighths. The average produc-
ti0n OF wine in France for the last ten
years has been about 73O, ZOO, 900 gallons,
this being considerably more than any of
the other European countries have grown.
the est aated production, according to the
Monite~e Vinicole, being as under:
Production
Country. Ga,ions
T.ni,, ice .''''................ .727 791 ,2;5
LAZY 4S5 800 900
p,,., AL $50. 900
AwSts L., - 72 SOC, 900
5.Sst hungary ................... $500, 900
port,,a.; Sc 25O, 900
1sormenv '''''''''.'''............ Sc 250, 900
Tvriaw ''''''''''''............... Al, $50, 900