The independent., 1907-02-21
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------.l@[E9ez4
And she lifted quayering voice and
high.
Wild and strange as a sea-bird's cry,
Till they shuddered and wondered at
her side.
crew,
Yelled each from each and the sky
and shore;
There was not sound but the breath
they drew,
And the lay of water and creak of oar;
And they felt the breath of the downs,
fresh blown
Ger leagues of clover and cold gray
stone,
But not from the lips that had gone
before.
The come no more. But they tell the
That, when fogs are thick on the har-
boris reef,
The mackerel fishers shorten sail;
For the signal they know will bring re-
lief.
For the voices of children, still at
play
In phantom hulk that drifts alway
Through channel whose waters never
fail
1t is but foolish shipmans tale,
A theme for a poets idle page
But still, when the mists of doubt pre-
vail.
And we lie becalmed by the shores Of
Age,
We hear from the misty troubled
The voice of the children gone before,
Drawing the soul to its anchorage.
------
What is the present gold production
in the United States?
The latest figures seem to be for the
year 1905. For that--year report issued
by the United States geological survey
puts the total production of gold at
4,26o,74 fine ounces, valued at sSS, $780,,
700, the total production of silver was
So, ,l01 500 fine ounces, valued at $34, 22l,-
s76. making an entire total value of
$l22 4G2, ,676. The production of gold in
the United States for 1905 represents an
increaseof s7,716,000 in value over the
production of 1904 The rapid advance
in gold production which began in 1892,
but temporarily halted from 1901 to 1903
was resumed in 1904 This increase in
1904 over the output of 1903 was ap
proximately s7,000,000, and in all prob
ability the increase in 1906 over 1905
will be at least the same amount The
chief sources Of the great increase are
as follows:A Alaska added about S.,
000,a00 TO its output OF SO, 160,45 in 1904,
and Colorado Nevada and Utah added
about 81 200 900 each to their prOductof
the previous year. On the other hand,
decreases are noted in Adizona, Idaho
and other states. The states producing
over s1,000,000 in gold rank at present
in the following order: Colorado, Cali
fornia, Alaska. South Dakota, Nevada,
Utah, Montana, Arizona, Oregon and
Idaho.
Is there any law in the state of Ne
braska forbiddin~ local school boards
10 charge for tuition Of high school
scholars of adjoining school districts?
Not that we can find any trace of.
Is 1t true that thenitrate beds Of Chill
are about exhausted?
Conflicting stories are told about the
nitrate beds of Chill. Rumors have
been current in this country and Eu-
rope to the effect that the supply was
limited and likely to give out in twen-
tyfiVe years, ii the present rate of
consumption is maintained This
statement is now contradicted by the
United States Consul at VALPARAISO He
says that Chilean official whose busi-
ness it is to keep track of the matter
is quoted by 'The Chlian Times as
saying that the government still pos
sesses two million hectares of nitrate
grounds. Even if the deposits were
limited to one million hectares they
ought to yield then thousand million
puintals year, but even ii ii were
eighty million the supply ought to last
one hundred and twenty-five years