St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-05-28
THE STATISTICS OF STONE.
Three Conspicuous Features Of tho
Industry During the Last
Few Years.

The statistics of stone for 1902, pre-
sented in the annual volume of Min
erai Resources published by the United
States geological survey, are of special
value or account of the completeness
| OF the canvass by which they were col
| lected. Most of the quarrymen were
visited personally, as the statistics of
labor, wages and expenses required by
the census Office for the mining census
were collected at the same time
The last mining census, in 1889-90,
showed that the value of the stone
produced in the United States was $751;
035,620. The census of 1902 places the
value OF the country's stone production
at $64,559 ,099, an increase of 1888
479. In the interval the yearly value of
the output f1uctuated. In 1896 it de-
creased to $31,346,171. Since then the
output has steadily increased to its
present status.
Though showing large increase in
value of production, the stone indus
try for 1902 exhibited less activity than
IN 1901. This is attested by the fact
that the increase of 1902 was not so
large as the increase of 1901 over 1900,
or Of 1909 over 1899.
The check given to the building trade
by various builders strikes all over the
country is in part accountable for this
The contractors were unable to use the
material they had contracted for and
1t was in consequence not taken out
OF the Quarries. In some places, also,
there were strikes among the quarry
men, although this was not general,
since the quarrymen themselves are not
as rule union men. The cutters, pol
ishers and skilled laborers, however,
who are employed to work the stone
after it leaves the quarry, are usually
union men.
The coal strike of 1902 also had an
influence on the stone production, for
some of the large producers were un-
able to get coal for their engines. Lime
burners who depend upon coal as fuel
for their kilns were especially affected.
Three features have been conspicuous
In the stone industry during the last
few years-the growth In the demand
for crushed stone, the increase in the
export trade in stone, and the tendency
toward combination on the part of
quarry owners. The crushed-stone in
dustry is the result of a general de-
mand all over the country for good roads
and of the increased use of crushed
stone for concrete in masonry. The
tendency toward combination is espe
cially felt in New York, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut,
Vermont and other states. where large
interests have lately combined to con-
troll the output of various quarries.
No other country can equal the Unit
ed States in its astounding record of
large producers. Whether or not this
is distinction to be coveted is ques-
ton for the student of social condi-
lions rather than the statistician. The
latter's figures show hat 10. 272,7S0 tons
of iron ore came from eight mines, and
16,24S, 2SO tons from IS mines, the ship
ping operations Of all of which, with
two exceptions, are limited by climatic
conditions to about 200 days annually.
Only 126 operators produced SO per
cent of the product for the country.
OF those, u operators produced over
100000 tons each.
This concentration Of the iron ore
resources of the country in the hands
of few persons is the most significant
thing in the report. Its full significance
can be realized only when one remem-
bers how absolutely our present unpar-
alleled prosperity is the result of the
development of our iron ore resources. |
Without the immense iron deposits
about Lake Superior our country never
would have attained to the degree OF
civilization that characteriZes it to-
day. Our great transcontinental rail-
ways would be impossible. as would
also our ironclad warships, our steel
framed bridges and buildings, our va
riety of engineering, manufacturing
and mining machinery. We live in the
iron age and it is the master ironmon-
gers of the day who lead US.
Fatalism Of Japanese.
'tShikata go mai" ('There is no
help!') is heard in Japan as often as |
'.Manana" in Latin America. 1t ex-
presses at once the fatalism and the |
Spartan resolution of the Japanese char
acter. When mother hears that her
son has been killed in battle she does
rot weep or show any visible sign of
emotion. She bows her head and calm
iy says, "Shikata go nail" When a man
is sent by his officer to certain death he
does not sit down and write his last let
tiers home or go around shaking hands
with his comrades for the last time, as
white men would do in the same case
He simply mutters "Shikata go nail"
and walks out of the officers tent
straight to his mission.