davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-29
Johnstown Hero Killed.

Net decrease in new work .........
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-29

HOODS PILLS cure constipation.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01
HEMP, THE SOURCE OF ~ -
~ ~ PHILIPPINE VEAL TH.
How and Where the Worlds Rope Suppy Is Grown-Danger Of
Hemp Trust-Troub Over Land Titles.

Fp>-taf Ccrresr-nience or Tn. Sunday RepihIic
Daven, May 1.-The Philippine Islands
could furnish gallows enough TO hang the
whole human race. Their chief product is
hemp. ard they sell about eighteen million
silver dollars worth OF it every year you
see hemp spread out TO dry in the streets
of the principal towns. 1t is carried In from
the country on buffalo carts or on the backs
of men, and many petty Chinese merchant
has mad. his fortune by dealing In 1t. We
pay every year several million dollars for
the Manila hemp which we use. Ii is sent
to New York. Boston and other cities, and
there made into all kinds of rope, from
clotheslines to cables. A vast deal of IL
goes to the Northwest to make binding
Irvine for harvesting. Some OF II Is employed
in our gold, silver and iron mines, and the
finer qualities are mixed with silk and used
in weaving. II is made into hammocks. 1t
is used for nets, and IN Paris II goes into
making of hats, tapestry ard carpets From
the WASTE and old ropes Manila wrapping
paper is made, and here in the Philippines
the finest of the fiber mixed with the
threads of the pineapple is woven into an
exquisite stuff known Just cloth, which
the American ladies buy for party dresses
and which Is commonly used by the richer
of our Filipino sisters.
There are thousands of men in these
islands who live off the hemp Industry, and
there are merchants here who have made
fortunes out of shipping the product abroad.
Some OF the best opportunities for fortune
making in the Philippines are in planting
and raising hemp. and In the future there
will be many. Americans engaged IN the
different branches of the industry.
Where the Hemp Genes FROM
find that the hemp plant grows in nearly
every one of the Philippine Islands. There
are provinces in Luzon which are support
ed almost entirely by it. and the Islands OF
Leyte and Sumar raise thousands OF bales
OF It every year. When the ports or the
eastern part of the Philippines were opened
IN. about a hundred thousand bales were
found there ready for shipment, and to-
day there are steamers loaded with them
going out from the Philippines.
The province of Albay, when Is IN the
southeastern part Of Luzon, is one or the
best hemp districts, yielding more than six
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

million pounds of the stuff annually. A
great deal of It is produced in Cebu. and
limited quantity this Island of Min
danao. Some of the finest hemp grown
comes from here. and there are thousands
OF acres. L might also say millions of
acres. which could be turned to hemp rails
ing.
From inquiries which have made from
people interested in the subject, the avail
able territory has hardly been touched,
and the product might be made ten times
large as II is. So far the Philippine
Islands are the only places In the world
where the hemp plant has been success
fully grown. Attempts have been made to
raise II In India and elsewhere. but so far
none has succeeded.
Visit to a Hemp Plantation.
| spent this morning going through one
Of the largest of the hemp plantations of
Mindanao. IL YOU have ever seen a banana
grove You can imagine how the plantation
looks. The hemp plant Of Ahaca. rs II is
here called. is the Musa TeXtilis. a species
Of the same family as the edible banana,
whose botanical name is the Musa Para
dsaica A hemp tree looks Just like a
banana tree. 1t Is more Of a plant than
tree. sprouting up from the ground to
height Of from twenty to twenty-five feet.
composed Of many leaves wrapped round
and round about a central stalk, which,
when tho plant is full grown. towers high
in the air above you. The outer leaves are
each a foot wide, and ten feet more
long. As they grow upward they branch
on: from the stalk, shading the ground.
The hemp comes from the inner leaves.
which are tightly wrapped around the CEN
trail STEM there being so many of them
that the plant at its base is from eight to
ten inches thick
As il stands in the field the plant stalk
is as crisp and juicy as a stalk of celery,
and II can easily be cut down with a carv-
ing knife. The men 1 saw cutting used
boIos, the same knives that they use for
cutting off heads. They are not unlike our
corn-cutters save that they are heavier.
and that as a usual thing they are kept as
sharp a razor.
had to go some distance from Davao to
reach the hemp plantation. After / en-
tered 1t kept close to my guide. for It
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

the full length If the stalk These leaves
contain the fiber known as hemp The man
strips the leaves OF one by one from the
core. and. throwing them over his Shout
ders. carries them to his partner. who does
what call the stripping.
The fiber IS on th. outside Of the leaf.
the inside being made UP Of a pulp which
must he squeezed ont before the hemp is
ready for US. This l. done by drawing the
leaves one by one under = knife which rests
upon a log in such way tina. the juice
and pulp are scrtped out and only the fiber
is left. The knife Is fastened TO n treadie
upon which the man puts his foot. forcing
Ii down tight upon the leaf and pressing IL
against the log. As he pulls II he wraps
the fiber about a stick in order that there
may he no danger of breaking IL. When II
has been drawn under the knife it looks
Just like a skein Of fine silk and needs only
drying to he ready for the market. The
drying Is done In the sun.
After this the stun is put no In bundles
or twists much like hank Of yarn and
carried TO the stores for sale. The planter
usually buys the hemp gathered from his
own plantation, paying his workmen for
their half OF it, The price at times range
ali the way from 81 to So a picul or 10
pounds Owing to the war, hemp is now
very high selling At So in silver for
10 pounds II sometimes brings much as
$3.50 to $50 a ton in American money and
there is one grade known as Lupiz. which
has brought in London as much 500 Il
ton This however. can be raised in but
small quantities. and il should not be re-
garded as a criterion in considering the
hemp possibilities
The Growth of the Industry.
Hemp has been steadily going up in price
since II WIS first exported. and this not
withstanding the size of the crop has
trebled in the last twenty years. About
fifty years ago the price was between 81
and s. per picul. In the next decade il
rose TO So and in the eighties the average
price was 81. Ten years later II had risen
to sl7. and 1t is now. as I have said. UP to
SIS These high prices are caused by the
war. and there will probably he fall with
in the near future. At present the crop
runs in the neishborhood OF quarter OF a
billion pounds a year. enough to give every
family in the United States enough for a
clothes line and to supply all the children
with jumping ropes. and stili leave much
TO snare 1t would. in fact. give three
pounds of hemp TO every man, woman and
child i'm our country, and not exhaust the
srpply b. 100000 pounds.
OF this amount the United States takes
more than one-third. We use more Manila
hemp than all Europe. excepting England,
Great Britain coming next to US. but she
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

was So large that I might have lost myself
in IL and spent days finding my way out.
There were thousands upon thousands or
these abaca. or hemp plants. making a vert-
table forest. or rather a jungle in which
there were neither roads nor paths. The
plants were about six ur eight feet apart.
and they shaded the ground that We
walked in semdarkness in going through
it, although 1t was almost midday. Now
and then stumbled upon a cocoanut
tree, but as rule there was nothing hut
hemp. hemp. hemp. Here and there
stalk had been cut out, but sprouts were
growing from the bottom. and I am told
that hemp plantation once started will
keep on reproducing itself.
How Hemp Is Grown.
From one of the proprietors I learned
how the orchard was started or In other
words. how hemp is grown. II thrives best
upon a hillside where there is plenty of
stand so as to rot 1t. The land is first
cleared, many Of the larger trees being left
standing In order to shade the young
plants. The ground is burned over and the
sprouts. which are usually the suckers
taken from an older plantation. are set out
about six or eight feet apart They grow
rapidly. but it is three years before they
are ready for use. After this time they
can be cut right along throughout the year.
the only caution observed being to cut the
plants When tney are Just about ready to
blossom and before they bear fruit. Such
plants have fruit do not make good
hemp. the fiber being weakened by the
strength of che plart going into the fruit.
As the plants blossom the year around. the
farmer can be kept busy cutting: there is
no danger Of his losing his crop by the
hurry OF harvest as in sugar and rice. The
only cultivation necessary is to keep down
the weeds. and now and then to set out
fresh suckers.
Harvesting the Crop.
Hemp farming. In fact. seems to me the
softest and easiest kind Of agriculture have
yet met with A plantation once started.
its owner is practically independent. and IL
his farm Is big enough he can lie back in
his easy chair and spend his time counting
his shekeis. The harvesting is chiefly done
on the shares. the harves,ers receiving half
the crop
The hands work In couples. two men 60
ing together into the plantation to cut down
the plants and prepare the stuff for the
market They do this in the crudest and
simplest way. One man cuts down the
stalk. chops on the top and strips of its
outer leaves. He has now a white pole five
or six inches thick and from six to ten feet
long. This Is made of soft central core
and number Of white leaves which run
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

Is used IN gathering the crop the profits
might be still larger.
At present great deal Of the hemp goes
to waste on account OF the rude machinery
used in its extraction. but far all at
tempts to improve upon the present meth
obs have been failures. There have been
numerous machines invented. but all have
either torn the fiber. stained 1t. and
there is still 4 good chance for Yankee In
genuitY.
II is said that the English who have
attempted hemp raising have failed be-
cause they have not been able to handle
the workmen. and that only the natives or
the Spariards can use the Filipino labor
with profit. IL might he the same with
American planters. As to our people work.
ing the crop themselves I doubt whether
they can do so successfully in this ell
mate AS for me- grow tired very quick
Is. and find that most Americans must
keep in out of the sun during a great part
of the day.
The Question of Titles.
As to the princes of hemp lands. this de-
ponds largely upon the location. the owners
and the title. In Mindanao the mos. of tbs
lands still belong 10 the Government, only
a strip here and there about the coast being
under cultivation. In the Province Of Da-
vac, which is bigger than New Jersey. thers
is not. l venture, as much cultivated land
eight counties. The rest all belongs tn the
United States Government. There are Gov
eminent lands on others OF the Islands. AMI
among them wild lands. which could be
cleared for hemp.
The most serious question as to all lands.
however. is that OF titles. / had a chat sr
ZamhOanga with Major Morrison, the judge
Advocate. who has been looking into sucn
matters He tells that in the fight
which the insurrectos of Mindarao had with
the Spaniards all the records were de-
stroyed before the Americans came. and
that the evidences of title In most cases
have been lost. He says. however. that all
Notaries We're required to report the deeds
they executed to Manila and that from the
Manila records many of the disputed titles
can be established. I ind that the records
have been destroyed In the island of Panay
and in other places. and the Vice Presidents
here tells me that but little Of the land i'm
this part of Mindanao is legally owned
Even in the town of Davao the most Of the
people are hut sGuatters. The Spanfarris
did not question their rights as long as thew
paid the taxes. and it has been the same
with lands taken UP In the country II in :
a question who really owns the big hemn
plantation which visited.
- FRANK g. CARPENTER
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01
acts rather IA middleman for Europe
than as an actual user herself.
In the WarehOuses.

acts rather a. a middleman for Europe
than as an actual user herself.
In the Warehouses.
During my stay in Manila I spent some
time in the great hemp warehouses There
are perhaps dozen of them where the
most of the product is sent to he sorted
and classified before II is shipped to the
markets Of the world. II is taken 10 Ma
nj from the Islands In sailing vessels and
small steamers. and II Is brought in from
the interior of Luzon in cascoes. or great
barg"s. which pushed along through
the river with poles.
Some of the warehouses are enormous.
The one visited had more than a million
dollars worth Of produce of one kind or
another stored away In II. 1t great
white two-story building. covering almost
an acre. situated on the banks of the PaSig
River. not far from the bay, and at the
lower end of that section of Manila cal-l
BinonGo. Cascoes and ships loaded with
tobacco and hemp lay before it, ard bales
Of hemp were being carried out Of and into
1t by half-naked Chinese coolies. The
coolies were laboring in pairs. each pair
carrying bale in a rattan sling upon a
pole which rested upon their shoulders. In
front of the warehouse a quantity of hemp
spread out under the sun To dry and
inside of IL were stacks and bales of this
stun. half filing the great room from floor
To ceiling.
Strange Methods for This Century.
I went inside and watched the baling and
sorting of the hemp for shipment IL was
indeed a strange sight for the end of this
century Of invention and progress Every
thing was done by hand About fifty FS;;-
pinos were at work tearing the bales apart
and sorting the stuff. which looked like
strands and twists of silvery white hair
bu. which was really great hanks Of
hemp. From time to time the men would
carry a great bundle of these hanks AMI
pile 1t up on platform until they had as
much as an ordinary mule cart would hold
They would weigh this upon Immense
steelyards which hung from the roof adj
ing or subtracting in order to get the 81
pounds. the amount comprised in ba.e
ready for shipment.
Next would come the pressing. The
hemp Is first packed in a framework of
boxes which rest one upon the other. so
that a press operated just like a letter
press can be forced down upon them. The
uueerest thing was the working of the
screw. This was done by Chinese. Upon
a platform high above the press thirty-two
half naked. yellow-skinned mortals trotted
about. pushing the spokes of wheel
Four srasped each of the eight great
spokes and all ran round and round as fast
"a they could 90. turning the screw which
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

formed the axle Of the wheel. thereby
pressing the hemp tight In the bale. A
bell rung below was the signal for their
starting and stopping. and when they
moved 1t was on the dead run. pushing
straining ard sweating they did
The bales put up in the most eco
nomical way. They are wrapped in basket
work mats Of palm leaves and are tied
with strips of rattan. 50 that the cost of
ties and sacking is practically nothing. /
asked the proprietor of the warehouse why
he did not put in machinery and save the
employment Of so many men. He replied
that IL would he cheaper for him to do so.
but that his insurance would be thereby
increased. and he preferred to work by the
old method. which has been in vogue here
since the beginning.
A Hemp Trust.
There IL danger that there will be a hemp
trust organized. which may control the
production and marketing of all the hemp
produced In the islands. and the conditions
would seem to be favorable for such an or
ganization. I met before | left Manila an
American who was just starting for New
York for this purpose. The facts in favor
Of the success OF such trust are that hemp
can he raised nowhere outside the Philip
pines. and also that the business is already
IN such few hands that it might easily be
consolidated or so manipulated that the
exporters could be forced into the combina-
ton. This man told me that many Of the
hemp planters are in debt. and he seemed
TO have little doubt Of his success in the or
ganization OF a possible syndicate. AS to
the facts. however. l am not sure. and the
large amount of undeveioped territory
would lead TO the supposition that stlch a
trust might be a failure In the develop
ment which will probably come through
tn. American occupation At present no
systematic combination OF hemp planters
has been organized. The business is almost
entirely In the hands of the natives and
the Spaniar1s, very few of the estates be
ing owned by the friars.
Profits In Hemp Raising.
II seems to me that hemp raising will
after matters are settled, form one of the
best openings for American capital Ii is
estimated that about go plants can be set
out to the acre. 1 am told the plants can
be bought for about 1 cent apiece Each
plant should produce about ten ounces Of
fiber, and IL scientifically treated ID might
be made to produce more. Two men can
it Is said. harvest about 800 pounds in a
week, and this. at present rates, would be
worth about $50 (silver). / cam OF give the
details. but have been told b. a number
OF planters that from Is to 30 per cent
Is not an uncommon profit. and that Il care
Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-24
LUCAS DUMPED THE TALENT.
4 DESPISED OUTSIDER WON THE
THIRTEENTH AMERICAN
DERBY.
(By telegraph to Nirglnlan- PilotD

Chicago, June 23.-Sidney Lucas, a
despised outsider i'll the betting. won
the thirteenth American Derby at
Washington Park this afternoon by
five lengths. The Eastern colt James
was second. while the even-money ia
vorite, Lieutenant Gibson, was Il poor
third. AS the field entered back to the
grand stand, there was tumultuous APP
plause to greet Sidney Lucas, the 20 to
l shot. whose fore-ieSs were encased
in flannel bandages. Instead there
was the almost sullen hush of disap-
roina llcnt. Summary:
Tne American Derby, one and one
half miles, value to winner s9775: sec
ond, $1,000 third $1,000. Sidney Lucas
GO 10 ~ won easily by five lengths;
James &C to - second by six lengths;
Lieutenant Gibson (even) third. Time.
2:4G;l.
Barrack, fourth: Advance Guard,
fifth; Sam Phillips, sixth.
Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-24
THE eosRS LOSE HOPE.
THEY ARE REALIZING FuTILITY
OF RESISTANCE AGAINST
OVER WHELMING ODDS.

(By Telegraph to Virglnian- Pilot)
London, June 24.-There was almost
n total absence OF war news from
South Africa last night and the tele-
grams received lack interest and fail
to add to the facts already known. Ac-
cordinS To n special dispatch from Cape
Town II seems that in the recent fight
at Zand River the Beers captured 1000
mail bags containing n three weeks
accumulation OF letters for Lord
Roberts army and $4,000 worth of
stamps intended for the use of the
troops.
DIR. JAMESON BREAKS SILENCE.
At Kimberley Friday evening. DIR.
jameson addressed the electors. lie
skctched the position of the Rand at
the time Of the raid. emphasizing the
discomfort of the working classes, who
were grooming under grievances and
We're ripe for revolt. He denied that
the raid caused racial troubles. in
duccd the Beers to arm or hamper
the imperial government. Race feel
ing. he continued, always existed and
armament already had been COM
menced by the TranSvaal government,
while the imperial government did not
intend TO take effective steps to redress
the Outlanders grievances.
This is the first time that DR.. Jane
son has broken the silence on the sub
jcct OF the raid.
The Transvaal annexation proclama-
tion is soon expected. Almost all re-
ports indicate that the Beers are rap
idly realizing the futiiity of Il further
struggle when opposed TO such an
overwhelming force.
"BOBS" ADOPTS NEW POLICY.
One of the most noticeable features
of the work in South Africa was Lord
Roberts abandonment of humane mea-
sures toward the Boers. which he has
so long persisted in despite the criti-
cism of the British colonists and many
oiticers-fi,--r.t=ir
Will be visited. not only on these who
gave the Beers passive assistance but
on those. who, after surrender fail 10
assist the British arms. savors more of
General 1Nitchner than of "Bobs."
KRUGER SAID TO BE OBDURATII.
London. June 23.-According to n
Pretoria dispatch General Botha. pos
sesses full powers to conclude peace,
and it. is reiterated that lie is willing
to surrender; but. it seems. President
Kruger remains obdurate.
The fact that n deputation from Pie
tersburg. in the northern TTasnVaal.
has approached Lord Roberts with an
invitation to send a force to receive the
submission from the town is regarded
MS important, for Petersburg is far re-
moved from the scene OF warfare.
Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-24

American forces engaged. and this was
taken to indicate that the loss was lit
tic or nothing in the face of such an
ili-equipped foe.
BRAVE MAJOR WALLER.
Major Waller. in command OF the
American marines. who participated in
the fight, is known here as a brave and
efficient officer. whose GOODNESS and
daring were displayed during the bat
tie of Santiago, when he commanded
the marines on board the battleship
Indiana. The marines referred to in
the cable are the 1870 men taken by the
Solace from Manila at the first call for
achievements. .
Admiral Kempfrs specific statement
that the engagement was with the
Chinese army" at first caused some So
licitude among the officials. for this
was the first positive official statement
that the Imperial forces in China, and
not the Boxers, were fighting the for
eign troops. Later. however, the view
obtained that the Admiral had used the
words "Chinese army" as a handy
means of expressing the Chinese oppo-
sition encountered, without intending
to officially declare that the Imperial
troops were fighting.
THE SOLACE AT NAGASAKI.
The Navy Department received a
dispatch this morning announcing the
arrival of the Solace at Nagasaki, ia
pan. ANV S%PihHdNiNii SiNNii 81 Viz
department as to why she went over
to Nagasaki. instead of remaining with
the American fleet at Taku, but it is
believed that she made the trip to the
japanese port for the purpose of being
in more direct Geographic communica-
ton with the\dcpartment 1t may be
that the department will find it neces-
sary to send duplicate messages TO
kempff via Nagasaki, and the Solace
could carry dispatches back and forth
and establish direct connection with
the department in this way.
Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-24

cording to a dispatch from Che Foo
hordes of Chinese with weil-posted ar
tiliery block the way of the American
and Russian forces. The guns of the
allies could make no impression. and it
was found impossible to shift the
enemy's position. Nothing could be
done except to fall back. and this was
accomplished in good order. 1t was
ascertained that the foreigners in Tien
Tsin were making gallant defense
The French concession buildings had
been vigorously attacked with fire. and
III all probability have been reduced
to ashes. After the force retired an
armored train attempted to recon
ro:trc. but was dcrailed. More troops
are arriving at Tallu, and another at
tempt at relief with Il force of much
greater strength was to have been
made last Saturday night.
The Chinese legation at Berlin re-
ceived another telegram last (Satur-
day. night. stating that all the lega-
tons in Pckin We're safe. and that the
foreign ministers at that place were all
we'll.