Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-12-07
OF INTEREST TO AMERICANS.
Industrial Matters in Which we May
Properly Have Concern.

RESOURCES Oh the Inre6 southern states
of Brazil, the United States consul
general to that country urges the i'm
port of Yerba Mate paraguay tea) into
the United States. Mate is a temperate
drink, and the temperance societies
in the United States could do useful
work by helping to popularize it. Para
quay tea, as it is called abroad, has all
the stimulating and sustaining quail
ties Of Chinese tea or coffee, without
the detrimental effect caused by their
constant and excessive use-affection
Of liver and kidneys, irritation of the
nervous system, etc.-and it is cheap.
The great masses in Uruguay and
gauchos (cowboys) of the great
prairies, who drink it constantly in
stead of water tea or coffee. hardly
ever use alcoholic stimulants. Intoxi-
cation is a rare occurrence there. It
is almost incredible what hardships
they undergo and how vigorous they
are, while often for a su ,cessive num-
Der of days they use nothing to sustain
them but mate. To the question,
what shall our soldiers in the tropics
drink?" the consuPs answer is, "un-
qualifiedly, mate-mate, warm or cold,
with sugar or without, but by all
means mate"
In addition to the heavy shipments
of provisions which local merchants
are at present getting ready to send to
south Africa there is said to be some
movement in manufactured products.
The business arriving from the British
possessions in south Africa calls for
wide range of articles; only in ma
chinery has the trade entirely ceased.
The war, naturally, has almost stopped
Transvaal business, and, while there
is little movement through Portu-
guese possessions in Africa for the
republic, it will become less marked as
hostilities progress. The showing
which the shipments to British pos
sessions in south Africa during the
last six days make would lead one to
believe there is hardly any difference
Between the business of today and that
of a month or six weeks ago Nearly
100000 is the value of the total ship
ments of general merchandise to those
possessions.
| European merchants are energetical-
| ly endeavoring to secure trade in Cuba.
| Commercial travellers representing
English and German interests are al
ways to be found at the principal
| Havana hotels. Extended credit plays
an important part in such transactions
in Cuba, and now that the majority of
the planters are short of ready cash it
is not unlikely that the European COM
petitors may secure a considerable
trade in machinery, as it will be re-
quired for the crop of 1900-1901. Strong
competition will be noticeable this
winter throughout the island in all I'M
dertakings. Considerable American
capital is being invested in pasture
land in the Province of Puerto Prin-
cipe, and several large sugar estates
under American ownership are talked
Of in that district and on the south
side
The general director of the Strade
Ferrate del Mediterranean, Milan, Italy,
invites bids for the supply of GAL rail-
road cars of different kinds. By max
ing application particulars as to the
requirements can be obtained. The
Societa Electro Chinica Valta has re-
ceived official permission to build a
plant to utilize the water power Of the
River Tisino. AS American manu-
facturerS of water wheels and other
apparatus for such plants have secured
orders from southern Europe for SINH
lar undertakings it would seem that
with proper efforts some contracts
should be secured in Italy for this ma
chinery.
A company with a capital of $50 ,O0O,-
GO, composed of German, French and
Russian capitalists, has been organized
at Berlin for the purpose of raising,
packing and exporting hogs from Rus
scale upon the great plateaus of ST.
IBERIA. They are to be shipped alive to
packing houses, which will be erected
somewhere on the Russian frontier,
convenient to a shipping port The
product is to be sent principally to
and Great Britain and by
rail to Germany
The high prices ruling in the French
market for finished iron and steel ma
terial will restrict the manufacturers
to the home trade. This Is an oppor-
tune time for American manufacturers
to introduce large variety Of iron
and steel material, as well as electrical
pNn1c into
work ana heavy hard
ware in Paris is active, and in both
lines large orders will be sent to this
country this month.
All the important contracts for the
Glasgow tramways have now been
placed, and with the late award OF
is, 900 contract to the Ritar-Conley
company Of Pittsburg in England
Another important electrical IN
lertaking is about to be con-
idered in England. The highway
committee of the Surrey County coun-
ii will meet next week to hear the ap-
,Iication to be made to the light rail
way commissioners to obtain the
Iecessary power of construction. The
cheme includes twenty-nine miles OF
oal.
A recent report to the State Depart
1ent from Consul General Lay at
barcelona describes the development
electrical railways in northern
pain in recent months Several
Dads will shortly extend their lines
nd improve their equipment. French
nd English engineers and capitalists
ave taken the lead in this develop