Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-14

today, Al . fair valuation, three millions
Of dollars. but that Will only be q drop in
the bucket If the London and Globe failure
takes with it, II is almost sure TO do
all Of its associated compan MES. Americans
can felicftate themselves on the fact that
nearly all of the companies connected with
| the London Globe corporation are owned
almost exclusively IN England or by En-
Slishmen. Mr.. Whitaker Wright was SO
we'll thought Of in London that anything
he appeared as the moving spirit in was
Immediately considered paying invest
ment and as such was gobbled up by the
Londoners who had ready cash awaiting
! investment"
1.-THE demand for automobiles is so i'm
| mense that the factories are all away be-
hind with their ORDERS" said B. F. O'Loug
| head Of Philadelphia, at the Raleigh last
evening. "In consequence of the demand
the dealers are able to hold up good stiff
rates, and the larger plants are coming
| money. Indeed. they have been talking
about raising the prices of machines. since
the public Is so interested in the carriages
that all that can be turned out are finding
ready sale. Incidentally, l may add that
already an incipent trust is being formed,
for one of the largest concerns has been alb
sOrbing it's smaller rivals at amazing
rate. Despite all these conditions the price
of automobiles Is certain to be cut very
i considerably In the next few years. 1t will
be practically impossible for any company
to secure patents giving 1t a monopoly OF
the field. for the vehicles are fitted merely
with gasoline engines with electric mo-
tors, as the case may be, and any manufac-
turer can make modified types of them.
At present the lowest price for which
| standard automobile can be bought is $50,
and even at that figure you will get only
I n n
| four years 1t will be possible to get for
! $50 an automobile that will far surpass
, the present cheaper models Here are the
items: Rubber-tired runabout. $75; four
| horsepower engine, s25 boilers and vapor-
| izers $40; tanks, steering gear and con-
| trolling apparatus. $50. Total. $3.50. And
| the machine selling for that price Will be
better than the outfits selling now for f1ve
| times the money. You remember that 1t
| was only little more than half dozen
years ago when clumsy old bicycle sold
| for $3.50 Now you can get better ma
| chine for $40 One of the problems now
| puZzling the makers Of the automobiles"
| concluded Mr..Loughead. relates to wheels.
| The tendency seems to be toward wooden
| wheels rather than the wire-spoked con-
| trivances. The latter are all right for city
| use but they will not stand the hard wear
| and tear Of travel In the country.
| Ranking was curious business in Mon
| tana during the early days. when placer
/ miners and trappers formed the population
| of the territory" said Col. Hugh McCree-
| don Of Butte, at the Raleigh. last evening.
| THE first bankers were the merchants in
/ the new mining camps who bought gold
| from their customers and. shipped 1t over
| land down to Salt Lake to be disposed Of.
| The business was a mighty risky one, and
| in consequence the financiers used to
| charge some enormous discounts on the
| actual value Of the dust turned over to
! them You see, road agents were thicker
than sagebrush along the overland route
( from the Montana camps down to Salt
| Lake and the banker who undertook
to forward a consignment Of bullion always
| knew that there was a mighty big chance
that 1t would never get farther than Poca-
| tello. Many were the expedients that were
| resorted to for guarding the treasure. 1t
was common thing to pack bullion safe
away in the center Of axle-grease boxes,
| where 1t might escape detection. But the
| road agents soon got acquainted with that
subterfuge, and they adopted a simple
method of finding out whether doubtful
axle grease was loaded. They would mere
ly start refinery at the scene of the hold
up. by setting fire to all the suspected mer-
chandise. The combustible matter went
up In smoke. The dust, If any were con-
cealed, could easily be raked out from the