The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-12-25
Two Million Dollars IN Presents
for Christmas Day.
SENT HONE BY FOREIGN BORN
New Works. Commerce Reaches the
Billion and .a-haf Mark--Galaxies
Of Musical stars--Manhattan
Fears Dcpopuiation.

NEW YORK. Dec. sa.--one factor
In the present stringency OF the money
market which seems 10 have been ov-
erleoked by the wise ones who don't
know how II happened, ~ the Christ
mas flow OF good American cash to
Europe. This year Its volume IL
greater than ever before. and the
clerks IN the money order department
OF the postotilce have been working
overtime for q month to keep up with
the rush. So far more than $s,00o,o 900
has been added to the Christmas fund
Of the old countries by relatives and
friends here. The Celtic. which sailed
on December 10. carried the largest
mail ever sent from New York 1t
consisted Of to3s sacks, containing
s0,5s4 registered articles and t.tS7
articles In the parcels post. 1t includ
ed money orders which reached q to-
tai OF sso5.04S6s in 5s.s5s orders. an
average Of $3.50 each. The largest
amount, s2Ts,sss, went TO Great Bri-
tain, Luxemburg got stss. the small
est sum, while other small amounts
went to Egypt and Portgual. To Italy
went the second largest sum, sitss7s.
Sweden came third With sss,o00. AUS
tria got $4,000. Hungary $4,000. Ger
many $4,000, Norway $4,000. Den
mark $4,000, Switzerland $4,000.
France $4,000, Belgium $4,000, while
the thrifty Dutchmen sent back TO the
land OF the dykes only $4,000.
The local custom house and apprais-
er's stores have never had buster
year than that just closing. and the
officials predict that the governments
revenue for this year win be higher
than ever before. Last year the COM
merce OF the city reached the enor-s
nous total OF sl,42o.s2s. 1856. including
the exports and imports OF both mer-
chandise and bullion. For the first
eleven months OF the present year the
transactions aggregate si,271, 407, 1886,
and it is expected that the trade
,nnvos,.a,to ne IN. xna.sft8 ~ FNa.s.... /. -.
will increase the total to s1,50f, ,S45. .967,
or $S1.021.S more than last year. At
the custom house II Is estimated that
on December 3i the duties collected
during the year will amount to at
least s200,00O,00O Last year the rev
enue from this source was s1S3,752,-
3t5, against siT0,2TO,T76 In 1904, These
figures show to what an extent New
York serves as the clearing house OF
the foreign trade Of the country. In
the first eleven months of 1895 the to-
tai exports and imports through this
port had value OF only $731 1,32s,S5
against more than a billion and al
quarter 80 far this year, in a total
Of little more than $4,000, 900 900 for
the entire country.
Among other things for the amuse-
ment of out Of town visitors the en-
tertainment menu this year Includes
two grand operas, In which the rival
ries Of the stars are not always con
fined to the stage. Slgnors Caruso
and Benci have just concluded d ner-
ry war in which they recklessly hurled
at each other the figures representing
their respective salaries. Considering
the number and size Of the figures, 1t
Is remarkable that no more harm was
done. Just now the group which Ii
occasioning the most comment from
habitutes Of Broadway Is a galaxy Of
some eight or ten operatic stars, rep
resenting at least five different nation
aIities, who are all stopping at the
Hotel Astor, on Longacre Square. IN
cluded In the number are Pol Plan
con, Alessandro Benci, Nine. Emma
Eames, Miss Bessie Abbot, Nine. de
Cisneros, Renaud, the new baritone;
Moritz RosenthaP and Yyette Gull
bert So far no blood has been shed
In fact, In seeming defiance Of all tra-
ditlons to the contrary these celebri-
ties are dwelling together in the ut
most peace and harmony under the
same roof, while, as If to ning the
gauntlet in the very face Of fate, Os-
car Hammerstein and Herr Heinrich
Conreid, rival managers Of this musi-
cal constellation may frequently be /
seen lunching or dining In the same
room.
A new problem Is interesting the
statisticiars who take pleasure In fig
uring on the growth Of New York in
population That Is the question Of
how the city will be affected by the
transportation and terminal improves
ments resulting from the expenditures