The herald., 1898-03-20
THE INVESTOR
CONDUCTED BY GEO. A. ooBINsoN
OFFICE OF THE HERALD,
Los Angeles, March 10, 1898.


mo man can he provdent of his time
who is not prudent in the choice of his
company"
A general demand has come to the treas
ury department especially from cities In
the middle-western states, for minor coins.
The demand is taken as an indication of
Improvement in business, and the depart
ment has expressed II willingness to meet
it. Secretary Gage has sent letter to the
director of the mint informing him that o.
cent nickel and 1-cent bronze pieces will
be furnished in the order of application
from the United States mint at Philadel-
phia to points reached by the United States
and connecting express companies, free
of transportation charges in sums of 500
or multiples thereof, except New York,
Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cincin-
natl, Chicago, st. Louis, New Orleans and
San Francisco, upon receipt of lawful
money by the superintendent of that mint,
The London Shipping Gazette says: The
practical disappearance of the Stars and
Stripes from the worlds ocean commerce
Is unquestionably one of the most singular
features of the maritime history of the
century. A nation which possesses mag
exhibited unprecedented internal develop
ment, which produces excellent seamen,
and which Is Inherently capable of build
Ing as many ships as she needs, has, for
some reason or other, been content to allow
her foreign going merchant marine to fall
into a neglected and inglorious condition.
Her coasting and inland navigation Is con-
Quoted under circumstances which in GER
tain respects excite pride and even envy;
yet when it Is q question of undertaking the
transport to foreign shores of that export
trade which is the wealth of the country
an American ship is rarely available. The
common explanation of the phenomenon
is that the United States lost her merchant
fleet during the civil war and that she has
never been able to regain 1t. But can 1t
fairly be said that that war has been
actively operating during all the remain
Ing years of this century and bids fair to
make it's influence felt even in the next?
In other words, If the foreign shipping of
a nation once receives a severe and even
disastrous check, can it never recover,
despite the fact that subsequent condi-
tions seem highly favorable to its revival?
This Is the problem for American states
men to solve.
The value of precious stones produced in
the United States during 1897. as shown by
preliminary report of the United States
pared with $97,S50 in 1885, The principal
items of this total are: Turquoise. 500 900;
sapphire $4,000; quartz crystal. $12 ,00O;
tourmaline. $9O25, and gold quartz, $1,000.
A Photographic apparatus is to be in
stalled In the hall where the municipal
council of Etampes, q little town in the
forest of Fontainebeau, in France, meets
TO take down the official record of the pro-
ceedings. The man who advanced the
scheme charges the city only for the regis
ter cylinders, which are to be kept in it's
archives. How the names of the various
speakers are to be recorded by the ma
chine is not stated, but the French official
stenogTaphers are looking forward to the
experiment with some interest.
Advices from London indicate that the
ensuing year will be one of great activity
for shipbuilding throughout the United
Kingdom. Some idea of the enormous
from the fact that the Clyde alone now
has orders for 5S1 900 tons, apart from the
four big Cunard freight boats. which are
said to be in negotiation. 1t is expected
that the United States will also share in
the boom, because of the demand for fin
isheed iron. steel and machinery of all de-
scriptions.
of Canada recognizes the Importance of
fostering and encouraging the fisheries
of the country is made apparent, says
Bradstreets, by the fact that since the
inception of the bounty system $2,250. 900
has been paid to Canadian fishermen. Some
Idea of the Importance of the fisheries
may be gained when 1t Is stated that the
eastern seacoast covers $500 miles, and
that of British Columbia 7lS0 miles. The
salt water area. not including indentations,
amounts to more than 1900 square miles, |
while the fresh water area of that part
of the Great Lakes owned by Canada is
estimated at 100 square miles. This does
not, however, include the many lakes of |
Manitoba and the northwest territories |
which are all stocked with excellent spe-
cies of food fish. The development and |
Importance of these fisheries are brought
out by statistics, which show that in 1857 |
their value amounted to ST. 900, while |
last year they reached $50, 100000 Between
the years 1860 and 1897, inclusive, the Ave !
principal commercial fisheries yielded as
follows: Cod, $106, ,43S.2l7; herring, S54,373,- |
042; Holsters, $751; $50; salmon, $i5 740. 40:
mackerel, $375S9,S95. Upward of Is, 900 men
engaged as fishermen, sailors and Gamers
were occupied in the industry during 1897, |
and the total capital invested aggregated \
$9,75O,0O0 The number of United States |
vessels taking advantage of the modus |
viVendi licenses was nearly so per cent |
one seizure was made during the year. |
About 200 100000 fry were hatched and sue
cessfully distributed some 10000, 900 of |
which were young Holsters.
Railways of China
The Chinese railway system, says United |
States Consul John GOodnov of Sho puhoi