Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-13

Hundreds of hackney cabs, scores OF omni-
buses, a maze Of trucks. all keep up a hum
ming. drubblng roll and all sorts Of trades
and traffc occupy the ground surface. while
above the trains Of the Dover railway Coy
crashing over their viaduct almost every
minute. A cross section Of the under earth
would reveal a strange confusion. One rail-
way above and two below are only items
in the activities Of this crowded spot.
In the building Of the new lowermost cleo
trio road, which is seventy-seven feet below
street level, more than half Of the construc-
ton was with American equipment and a
large part Of the electrical installation was
performed by experts from the United
States.
A much longer line is that now being
pushed by day and night to completion from
the Royal Exchange to Oxford street under
the heart Of London. It will be nine miles
In length when Its ~laternls are complete and
cost about I, 000.0 900 for the work now
under way. There was danger that the
American electricians would capture all the
equipment contracts by the superiority OF
their materials and by making lower bids
than the English could reach; but a compro-
mise was finally agreed upon, by which the
contracts are now so divided that English
companies will get about half OF the work.
Were it no. that English firms are con-
stantly favored America would eventually
drive out a great deal Of the home business.
The conservative old underground companies
are beginning to realize that they must
equip their lines with electricity or lose
their trade, and so they have appropriated
ego, 900 for "a system of experiments with
both English and American equipments. So
far the London county council has not con-
scented to surface trolley lines, even in the
suburbs, but permission has finally been Sc
cured to allow q trial Of electrical traction
on the street grade outside the city c%enters,
all of which promises new and profitable
fields for American industry.
Invasion by American Cattle.
So many American cattle come to the
islands that they must be Disseminated
against by law for the protection Of the En-
glish stock ~raisers. 1t is provided that they
shall be slaughtered at the port Of entry
within ten days from arrival. American
cattle thus have not sufficient time to re.
cover from their long sea trip and the rum
down condition engendered by confinement
on ship. Yet the number Of beeves arriving
Is steadily increasing In spite Of these hand
leaps. Detford, near London, Liverpool and
Glasgow are the points Of cattle entry.
where rigid government inspectors are sta
toned. George Gould OF New York contem-
plates putting a new line of cattle ships be-
tween New Orleans and Southampton deliv-
ering southern and western cattle into the
English markets by a practically all water
route to lessen the present shipping ex-
penses. Large weekly consignments of re-
frigerated, smoked, sailed and timed meats
are made to England by the Armour and
Swift packing companies Of Chicago and So
cheaply are the shipments made that they
undersell home grown meats. Many butch.
ers substitute at a large profit American for
English meats with their customers, who
rarely know the difference. The cheaper
grade OF American side meat costs but 3
pence a pound, while Irish and other choice
home grown bacons ommand a shilling.
Many hog raisers In the northern provinces
sell their fatted stock for cash and then buy
the cheaper American pork for their own
use.
Even American coal is looking to Eng
land, the land Of carbon, for a new outlet.
Henry s. Fleming Of New York, secretary
Of the anthracite coal combination of Penn
sylvania, is in England looking over the
field with a view to putting on a line Of coal
carrying steamers between America and this
country. So frequent have been the strikes
OF English coal operatives, and 80 great the
inconvenience from this and other causes,
that 1t Is thought there is a good opening
for foreign coal. Anthracite is unknown
here, but those familiar with the English
trade say 1t will rapidly grow in popularity
when once introduced.
American Fruits and Candies.
The English people are habitually preju-
diced against foreign goods, until they have
proved them, when they take the best, what
ever its source, and American productions
are especially welcomed. A present trouble
with American foods Is that such shippers
as the California fruit dealers usually send
the second grade Of canned goods to the
foreign market, and the general trade is
severely injured. There is a large opening
for green fruits, as California oranges sell
for threepence, and other fruits are high in
proportion. Even the New England dough-
nut has invaded old England, accompanied
by fancy cakes and sweets sold in q number
i Of American stores. Candles OF fine grades
from the United States are steadily gaining
the patronage Of the rich.
London Is the supply center for the ire
mendous purchases Of American agricultural
machinery being made in Russia, Germany
and other states OF Europe. England has
never been much Of a market for the i'm