The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-17

guests was a speech by a Chinaman, who
was chief clerk in a large hotel The tour
included the Yosemite Valley. which was
new to most of the Chicagoans. because
until then the only means Of going West
was by stage.
Prosperity in the Northwest has caused
a famine in draft horses. oregon. Wash
ington, and Idaho are almost unable to
get draft animals even at the prevailing
prices. which are 50 per cent in advance
Of those Of last year New settlements
in the Northwest, and San Francisco
building operations are said TO be the
cause which have created drain upon
the supply. No less than fifteen horses
have been killed or injured daily since
the earthquake and fire. The ruins are
fun of nails, glass. sharp pieces Of steel,
iron, and other things dangerous 10
horses. and as the work progresses. the
lives of many horses are forfeited. Alaska
is also using a great number OF draft
animals In Portland many livery sta
bles are unable TO keep enough teams on
hand TO run their business. and many
sprinkling carts are unused for want OF
horses
It is indeed an III wind that blows no
body good. The effect of the earthquake
and recent strikes in San Francisco has
been to stimulate the vehicle trade to
marked degree Boycotted street-car lines
create a need for more wheeled convey
ances for passengers, and everything from
buckboards to victorias Is in lively de-
mand The great disaster at the Golden
Gate has created a demand for vehicles
unknown before. The work of rebuild
ing the city has caused every available
vehicle TO be put 10 use, and shortage
has. resulted. Because OF lack of cars,
railroads have been slow In delivering
freight to the Pacific Coast, and some
firms have had their stocks of vehicles
sent by express. The Panama route and
the line across the Isthmus Of Tehuante-
pee has also been used.
Not long ago an American firm decided
to introduce its lire of talking machines
into China 4 shrewd travelling repre-
sentative shipped for the Flowery King
dom with a number Of samples and lot
of advertising matter one Of his signs
pictured a little dog looking into the horn
of a photograph, with qulzzical express
sion upon his face The legend below was
His Masters Voice But all attempts
TO sell the monographs 20 Chinese mer-
chants failed. One wealthy old China
man. who refused TO handle the machines,
finally told the salesman that the Chinese
were not animals and would not listen 10
noises made by machines evidently de-
signed 10 amuse dogs in America. The
agent went back 70 his Office to think II
over. AS a result of his thinking he wrote
his firm to send forward Immediately an
advertising card representing very wise
looking old gentleman listening at the
horn Of a talking machine. the inscription
to be Gaining Wisdom from the Living
and the Dead" He then sat down 10
wait. In due time he received the new
advertisements, and upon the next tour OF
the shops he laid the foundation Tor a
good business In Photographs.
The modern craze for antique furniture
has long since made a good business for
manufacturers who initiate old styles and
candidlv acknowledge them as limitations
Since the collector Of antiques has offered
good prices for mahogany dating back
10 the time of Louis XIV a thriving trade
of another kind has sprung up. "A bright
American woman has gone regularly into
the business of ''ransacking the continent
for old-fashiOned furniture that viii at
tract persons who decline TO buy imita-
tons. Her method is to 90 to Paris,
where she has a regular arrangement
with a manufacturer to make all sorts
OF exquisite pieces of furniture. She puts
these out in an open court where the rain
and snow fall upon them, and when the
weather has made the finish sufficiently
antique" they are shipped to America.
The vender then goes TO fashionable sea
side resorts where she meets persons TO
whom money is no object, and quietly dis
poses of her made-to-Order curiOs at
enormous prices. The swindle is made
more complete by furnishing bogus data
with each bed or table.
The business of selling insurance in
this country is one of the most highly
developed industries. New features are
constantly being added and there is al
ways a novelty to offer the purchaser.
Insurance against loss of property and
personal injuries from the explosion Of
fly wheels has been in existence for some
time, but recently a company has come
into the market with a policy covering
not only losses from this cause, but also
losses resultant from inability TO produce
the usual factory output by reason Of
a fly wheel accident. In this manner time
ana opportunity may be insured as well
Us actual property.
A lively business in silk hats may soon
be done in Abyssinia as a result of the
recent visit of party Of Americans to
the court Of King Menelik. Whenever the
conventionally dressed white man invades
the realms Of the savage or the barbarian.
the silk hat of the stranger Is regarded
as his most precious possession Much
admiration for the beautiful tiles worn
by this particular party was evoked in
Abyssinia, and not even presents of pink
pajamas SO pleased the fancy OF the
natives as gifts Of old silk hats. One
muleteer kissed the feet of one of the
party 10 express his gratitude, and an
other took his newly acquired pot hat to
the court jeweler 10 have a row of en-
eralds mounted around the brim A Kan
kee silk hat drummer would doubtless
open up thriving trade in Menelik's do
main In response to the local demand thus
created
little knowledge is a dangerous
thing. but a good supply of information
about ones business pays dividends. A
little while ago New York firm desired
to popularize what is known as Shantlng
silk. II has been sold over the counter
under that name Cor many years II is
particularly popular for women's clothes
and Is not infrequently used for men :
suits. An advertising man got I'D an ad-
vertisement in which 1t was stated that
the firm had landed another good one "
He declared the novelty &c be silk home