, 1899-08-31

| BONtTuIltul vi uttOhhl VI tit chioh
Pacific railroad. From time to time
for months past requests have been re-
| ceived from citizens in the West for
information concerning an alleged
claim. 1t appears nat some schemers
have been attempting to Interest the
people in that section in an alleged
| suit to recover about $54,0O0,0OO, the
amount of irst-mortgage bonds of the
Union Pacific, which they represent
were deposited with the government
and never returned.
Lieutenant d. II. Jarvis, commander
of the evenue cutter Bear, gives an
account of the rescue of gold seekers
who rushed into the KOtZebue gold
country, Alaska, in the summer OF
1898. On arrival there he found a ter
rible condition Of affairs. Mel had died
of starvation, scurvy md by drowning,
and he obtained a list of forty-eight
deaths. Over 1000 of the gold seekers
had wintered there. The Bear, nfter
relieving as much of the distress ns
possible n leaving stores, lime juice,
ETC., for the survivors, ook eighty-two
of the survivors to st. Michael, where
they were turned over to the military
authorities. Lieutenant Jarvis left he.
tween 225 and $50 survivors Mt KotZe
bue sound. He will proceed to Cape
Barrow and upon his return touch at
KotZebue sound and pick up any who
desire to return with him. Lieutenant
Jarvis says: 1.-The rush of people to
Kotzebue sound was n deplorable af-
fair. Misled by false information and
advertisements, 100 people, many to-
tally untitled to stand hard conditions
and climate, rushed to the country dur
ing the open season of 1898. During
the winter no gold whatever was found
aud in the spring they sought every
means of escaping from the region.
Many drowned in the swift currents Of
the rivers. in the fall of 1898. Others
lost their lives during the winter from
the cold. and worst of all. in the spring
scurvy broke out in nearly all the
camps"
The official report of the mineral pro
duction of the United States for the
calendar year 1898 was made public
Wednesday by the geological survey.
1t shows that since 1880 the total value
of the mineral production of the United
States has increased from 1860, 319,OO o
to SG97 $50, OO2 in 1898, nearly 80 per
cent The normal increase deduced
from this record of nineteen years Is ut
the rate of S1S,OOO.OOO annually, but
during the five years since 1893 the
rate of increase has been nearly 800
00O,000 annually. While the normal
rate of increase may lie somewhere
between these two figures. the totals
are marked by great Irregularities.
From 1891 to 1895 the Increase was
nearly S10O.O00.OOO and in the follow
ing year the increase was only n little
over 81, OO0,OOO, while from 1892 to
1894 there was n decrease, owing to
the business depression. of over S121.-
100000. From 1896 to 1897 the increase
was about SS.OOO.0OO. about liz per
cent. while 1897 to 1895. the increase
was S66.9 O.53I. The 1898 total pro
ductlon was the largest in history. ex-
cceding that of 1892. which held the
record prior to 1898, by nearly 100000
600. This was due to II general increase
all along the line of mineral products,
all of the more important of these
showing large increases and almost ev-
cry II showing some gain. The value
of all metallic products in 1893 was
SSi4,09G. 100. ms compared with S3O2.-
19S.5O2 in 1897, n gain of Si1.S9T. Cos.
All of the metals, except nickel, made
large gains; copper, lead. zinc, alumni
mum n antimony reaching their max
imum in both production and value,
hut while the amount of pig iron pro-
duccd in 1898 was greater than In any
other year. the value of this product
was considerably less than in 1890. or
1892. though II increased S21.I34. 7OI
over 1897. this being more than one
half of the increase I'm the total metal
product from 1897 to 1898.
The correspondent of the Chicago
Record writes: There are two law
yers In the cabinet, Secretary of Wal
Root and Attorney General Griggs,
and, although their official association
has been of short duration. they have
already disagreed. AS stated last
night. Secretary Root took with him ON
his visit to the President n plan for II
civil government for Porto Rico. He
is of the opinion that the President has
authority To extend our laws to the
island, and is especially earnest in the
desire to do something TO relieve the
people. who are suffering from n dis
eliminating tarir. Members of the
insular commission and prominent
Porto Ricans have informed the Pres
ident that the customs duties collect.
ed in Porto Rico mt present are Il Sc
rious burden to the people. who are
suffering from Ii lack of necessaries
of life. Nearly every one who has Wis
tied the island agrees that the duties
should be lowered. The recent devas-
tatiOn by n hurricane called forth an
order, with the approval of tllc Prcsl-
dent. whereby the duties upon certain
goods were suspended and they given
free admission. There has been no
question Of the constitutionality of this
charitable act, and Secretary Root
takes the view that an order from the
President extending our custom laws
over the island until Congress can act
would be- unqucstionably legal. He
wants to relieve the suffering people in
the first place. give them markets for
their tobacco. coffee and other prod
ucts and drill them in self government.
lie would have free trade between the
island and the United States and n civ
II government in every municipality.
The President was pleased with his
recommendations. but before taking
action upon them consulted Attorney
General Griggs. The latter did not
agree with some of Secretary Roots
views on the law points involved and
questioned the Presidents authority to
give Porto Rico n civil government.
Hc advised the President to refrain
from the contemplated action and