The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-15
Chat Of the Capital.
Washington Gossip, Political ana
Otherwise, for the Readers
of the Qlobs.

cial. 1.-THE life saving board on equipment
will have up for consideration at its next
meeting new hfe-saving apparatus
which, it is said, will be valuable ad-
dition to the life savers equipment. The
new apparatus is called "breeches
buoy" because of its peculiar arrange
ment.
The buoy is very little different from
the one now used by the life savers In
fact it is but an improvement on the
buoy which yearly saves many persons
from death. But to fully understand the
arrangement an explanation is neces-
sary. The buoy now In use is belt made
of cork When a ship signals for help
or a wreck is sighted near land where 1t
Is impossible for the life saving crew to
go, a line is thrown across the boat and
made secure to some available support.
Along this line the buoy is run The
passenger clasps the belt around his
waist, and is pulled to shore. There is
no protection from the water and he is
frequently drenohed before the land is
reached.
This kind of an arrangement is suf-
fcent, so far as the male passengers
are concerned. The female passengers,
however, have to be considered. Time
and time again the life savers have had to
force the women to be saved. They are
afraid to make the venture. The thought
with their feet dangling and with no sup
port but cork belt terrlfies them. Then
again, they can not endure the hardShipS
to which they are subjected, contract
severe colds from the drenching received,
and many have been seriously i'll from
the effects of their experiences.
The new buoy is q contrivance which
completely envelopes the passenger. 1t is
bag-shaped arrangement, attached to
the buoy. The passenger places himself
in position and Is brought safely to shore
The covering protects him from the water
The new apparatus meets with the ap-
proval Of the life saving department, and
will undoubtedly be recommended to the
board of equipment
When the secretary of war, few days
ago, transmitted to congress a recommen-
dation that all unused rifles and guns
belonging to the government be turned
over TO the interior department, there
was some adverse comment as to the
propriety of such movement. The OBJ
jectors argued that 1t was poor policy
to train the Indian in the use of fire.
arms, but these objectors apparently for
got that the Indian, with very few excep-
lions, Is more familiar with the rifle and
gun than a great many who would be his
teachers
The recommendation of the secretary of
war is received with favor by the Of
fcials Of the interior department. The
Indian commissioner and the assistant
commissioner say they want all the old
rifles and guns that they can secure. 1t
may appear strange to persons not ia
miliar with the Indian office business
that the department should desire the use
OF fire arms but 1t is by the use of these
same guns that the Indian department
hopes TO strengthen its hold on the In
dian. The Indian officials say that when
the Indian knows that he enjoys the
confidence of the Indian officials there is
no length to which he will not go to as
sist the department. He is ready to take
UP arms in case of war, to assist the de-
partment in suppressing a rebellion or to
arrest a member Of his tribe who has
transgressed the laws of the country or
the rules of the Indian office.
1t is the desire of the department that
the Indian pupil be taught the use of
firearms SO that when occasion demands
he will be ready to assist the depart
ment. This Is not ALL The officials say
tina the Indian is entitled to all the priv
tleges, amusements and delights with
which the white children are favored,
and that it is the intention of the de-
partment to give him such privileges.
The Indian, in the argument made by the
Indian department officials, is the only
that the country owes a debt that can
never be paid, and the least this gov
ernment can do is to let them have
few of the joys of life. To do this is not
a hard task. But in addition to all this
there is another thing which makes the
Indian worthy of consideration. When
we'll treated he is more true to the de-
partment than many white persons.
These are the exact words of the officials
nf tlo IND 1ar1t.
indian. Give him your confidence, and
you will find that he is true to you to
the death" That the officials believe this
Is true is demonstrated by the fact that
In many cases they have called upon the
Indian police and Indian soldiers to as
gist in the administration Of the laws Of
the land
But outside Of all this is the fact that
the Indian schools are to be supplied with
firearms. There are great many Indian
schools scattered throughout the country.
1t is the purpose of the Indian depart
ment to equip all these schools with fire
arms, to teach the Indian pupils how to
drill, and how to use the weapons. They
will be given as much instruction as Is
necessary to make them proficient in the
use of the rifle or gun. The Indian de-
partment meanwhile, desires that all dis
carded guns and rifles belonging to the
government shall be turned over to the
department for use In the Indian schools
throughout the country.
The report of the director of the mint
upon the production Of the precious
metals in the United States during the
calendar year 1898 gives such 1nforma-
tiop as to the coinage and consumption
of gold and silver as the director has
been able to gather. The returns from
this country have been carefully obtained
through officials and agents of the mint
bureau, and the aggregate of precious
metals has been actually traced from pro-
duction to market. The figures are there
fore conservative, but are believed ap-
proximateIy full. The statistics for for
eign countries are obtained from Of
ficlal sources wherever governmental cal
culations are made, and where such re-
turns can not be had the best obtain
able estimates are given and the au-
thority stated.
In reporting upon the production OF
gold in the United Estates, calendar year
iSeS Director of the Mint Roberts says:
The production of gold in the United
States in the calendar year 1898 was 1888
kilograms fine, or 3,11S,3 1893 ounces, fine. O
the value Of $64, 900. The South At
rican republic produced 1880 Kilograms
or 3,S31,975 ounces, fine, of the value o.
S79, ,213. .953. Australasia produced 1854 kllo
grams, or 3,l37644 ounces, fine, Of thG
value of $64, o6U, SOt. IneSe three COUNTRIES
are the great gold producers of the world
their output aggregating Sl3,779 Kilograms
or 1O08S, OH ounces, fine, of the value oi
2OS537 753 or 70 per cent of the product OF
the world.
Next comes Russia with 1854 kilograms
valued at $25, ,46S, 400; Canada, with q. ~
kilograms, valued at $13, us, 400; India, will
Il.709 kilograms. valued at $7,7S1, 500; Mex
ico with 12 790 kilograms. valued at IS, 500,
600, and China, with 9,146 Kilograms
valued at $61, 500 900, or over q per cent o.
the whole, leaving per cent to the re-
mainder of the world
Before 1897 the United States for years