The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-02-18
G. ANGLE, Editor and Proprietor

foreign labor in his British gold mines
as he recently voted against the bill
restricted immigration.
WE suggest that Mr.. Pringle look
up section 8, Article l, of the constl-
tuition of the United States, and in the
meantime, go to Mexico and get his
money doubled" Later when poll
tics again come in season, we will
probably be disposed to take up what
ever issue Mr.. p. is driving at.
THERE is very evident improve
ment in business conditions all over
the Sound, and some movement is 60
ing on in real estate, in the various
cities and towns. In Tacoma for the
first time in its history, the large and
costly school buildings, generally con-
sdered to be years ahead of the needs,
are filled to overlooking, and new
pupils are refused admission. 1t is
the same in most places, and is an
evidence that they have quietly been
filled with substantial population I'M
til there are no vacant buildings to be
had. Building operations have already
begun, and there promises to be good
local demand for lumber, as we'll as
carpenters, during the coming sum-
mer.
TIE United States battleship Maine
was blown up in Havana harbOr 9 40
o'clock Tuesday evening, resulting, it
is feared, in the death of at least of
253 of the crew The explosion oc-
CURED we'll forward, under the men s
quarters, consequently the great fatal
ity among the crew and less among
the office force, whose apartments
were in another part of the ship. The
cause of the explosion is not under
stood, and is to be investigated, though
it is generally believed that one of the
magazines caught fire. Genaral Blan-
co and the Spanish army and navy
officers rendered every assistance poss
IDLE to save the drowning and minis
tered to the wants of the wounded
The Maine was built in the Brooklyn
navy yards in 1890 and cost Uncl
Sam So, 5SS,0OO.
THE plant of the Pacific Sheet Meta
works has been located at Fairhavel
and work announced on the buildings
The company has plants at San Fran
cisco, Astoria and New Westminster
largely devoted to making cans 10
the salmon canneries, but make any
thing out of TIN and sheet metal The
canneries have increased with such
rapiditv on the Sound that the estab-
llshment of the can factory was a ne
cessity in order to handle the business
properly. The Fairhaven plant will
employ 50 to 100 men, all white labor
and already has orders for 15,OOO,O 0(
salmon cans, which, together with ti1
buckets and other tinware, will con
sumo 200 carloads or 900 tons of til
during the coming season. Thus
payroll of about $4,000 a month il
established on Bellingham Bay. Th,
"tin bucket brigade" is necessary
adjunct to prosperity.
THE State dairy commissioner esti
mates that there are about 7O,O0l
mich cows in the state, and that tn,
value of the dairy product for 1897
was, butter, 2,O94,45 pounds; valued
at 2Ocents erpound, $41S, S91 cheese
7O9,364, at 10 cents per pound, $40,
936. Aside from this is the vas
amount made by farmers and sold il
the smaller towns, of which there
no means of estimating. There is lit
tie danger of an ovor-production, how
ever, when there were shipped int
Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane from
outside the state. 3S9, $50 pounds but
Ger; 1875, $50 cheese, and 392,41O dozel
eggs. 1t is also estimated that 174,77
pounds of butter and 112,4O2 pound
of cheese were shipped out of the stat
during the last year. Considering tn
splendid facilities for dairying in thi
state, our farmers ought to effectuall
shut off the outside product, and hav
surplus for outside markets, an
especially the vast Alaskan deman
In the future.
The number of foreign manufact(
ries that are to be moved to TIL
country on account of the Dingle
tariff is increasing. In addition I
the large German silk mills mentione
recently two million dollar ste,
plant is to be erected at Birmingham
Ala, by an English firm large Ge
man velvet manufacturer is to remov
his plant to Connecticut, and sewers
French silk mills will be. brought t
this country. This will give employ
ment to several thousand America
workingmen. There is reason for a
this. Under the Wilson bill impol
tation OF foreign manufactured good