The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-02
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
~ HICAGO. July CHARLES 7. Yerkes.
the street railway magnate. has sold
- his surface tine interests to an East
ern syndicate and left the field In
which for thirteen years he has been pre-
eminent. In that time he has spent in
Chicago in the development OF the North
and West side lines $5S 0o0.eQ0 He has
built thirty miles Of elevated railway. for
i freight and half milessTofE cable rail-
way and Al miles Of trolley lines, q total
OF SSH miles OF new track. besides con-
vertins sixty odd miles Of existing horse
car lines into cable lines. In that time he
rebuilt and converted to street car uses
the old and abandoned Wells and Wash
ington street tunnels under the river and
built the Van Buren, street tunnel. Though
he came here from Fargo q comparatively
poor man. 1t Is said he retires from the
field OF his most recent activity with $40
O0Q,000 in cash and still retains interests
in elevated properties. including the
loop" estimated at E0.oOo0O0 more. II
these figures are right. 1t has not been an
unlucky thirteen years for Mr.. Yerkes.
K x <
For years past those whose duties kept
them in the downtown district at night
have not failed to notice the army OF lit
tie italian boys and girls with baskets on
their arms securing the cutters for dis
carded cigar stubs. What use has been
made OF the "snipes" shot by the little
scavengers has often been asked, but new
er answered satisfactorily. Lucy Page
CASTOR. superintendent OF the Chicago
Anti-Cfgarette League. is inclined to be-
heve they are made into cigarettes, and
has asked the city council to pass an or
dinance prohibiting their collection.
II firmly believe" said Miss CASTOR.
that these cast-on cigars and cigarettes
are in some dark way unknown to the
public brought out again for use. drugged
even more strongly than before to give
them a fresh flavor. would like to have
this matter investigated by our city health
department, and intend to have a resolu-
ton presented to the city council to that
end Just imagine the contagion that
would come from cigarettes and cigars
that had been partly used by persons hav-
ing filthy diseased"
The collectors Of cigar stumps claim that
they are used in making sheep dip. The
smoking OF the cigar generates nicotine,
which collects in the unconsuned end.
making 1t specially valuable for their use,
nicotine being the principal ingredient OF
sheep dip. Hundreds Of poor children, they
say, make q living by gathering the stubs,
and at the same time assist In keeping
cutters and sidewalks clean.
XXX
CHICAGO is soon to have the largest pa
per mill in the world. 1t Is proposed
to use the paper and rag waste OF the city,
which Is enormous, and which is now ship
ped to the Wisconsin mills to be worked
over. A freight saving OF from 81 to So
per ton will be made on this alone. 1t is
also purposed to use the contents OF the
.nrst'' stomachs Of cattle killed at the
stockyards, which Is said to be almost a
natural paper pulp. This is now thrown
into the fertilizer heap. when in reality It
is worth at least 100 times as much Tor
paper stock. This new stockyard by-pro-
duct will add enormously to the profits OF
the packing house men, as we'll az furnish
employment for paper makers. (.
x * *
THERE never was time since the city
= was rebuilt after the '-big 1re'' when
skilled workmen in the building trades
line were so scarce as they are now. This
is the sublimated testimony of every con-
tractor in Chicago. The scarcity is due
to the unparalleled amount Of building in
the residence districts. But very little
building IL being done down town. only
one great structure, Schlesinger & Mayors
new twenty-story white marble retail dry
goods store, being in course Of construc-
ton. AS a result OF the scarcity OF men
wages are higher than ever before. not
even excepting 1882, when the building OF
s~~~>>'
< K x
A NEW tax law enacted last winter Is
- working a revolution in the mat
ter OF widening taxpaying circles in this
city. Not only Is the number of those who
pay taxes on personal property greatly in
creased - Quadrupled. In fact-but the
amounts returned as assessable by those
who did not dodge" altogether have been
so enormously increased as to be almost
beyond belief. One well-known citixen
whose uniform personal property assess
ment for years has been $500. this year
returns $247 .275. Another who scheduled
Sc 500 last year this year turns in $545.o0e
Three members of prominent Prairie av-
enue family who have invariably in times
past acknowledged possession Of S,4aO
worth OF taxable property. this year swear
to ownership OF $4,000 worth. A we'll
known banker returned $4,000 this year.
which was nearly twice az much ~ he
had ever before returned. The assessors
made 1t $4,000, and after protest and
being shown what his neighbors were
swearing to. he let the assessment stand.
AS q result OF this the rate OF assessment
in Chicago will be cut from 10 per cent. to
2l1 per cent. to meet the budget
* Xxx
THAT Chicagoans are readers Is evil
denced by the fact that for the year
ending June l they drew from the public
library $3.50 volumes OF English prose
fiction. OF juvenile literature 4G1 SIT vol
umes were withdrawn. The total with
drawals OF all classes OF books was 2,2S3.-
143 volumes.
x 4 <
TWO OF the five theaters that started
out with such = flourish to remain
open all summer have had to succumb,
and il is rumored the others will soon
follow the example thus set. Competition
with high-ciass vaudeville at the cheaper
and cooler roof and beer gardens was too
great.
x 4
n OBERT MANTELL. the romantic
X actor and matinee girls hero made
his debut In vaudeville In Chicago this
week. making his initial appearance In
character sketch ~ the Masonic Temple