Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-06-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Ftm Cri Rtgulsi Corrsrcr dent.

The Department of Justice an
nounces that it is about to insti-
tute proceedings against t h e
Powder Trust under the Sherman
antitrust act. The only wonder
is that the prosecution has been
delayed so long. But the expla-
nation probably lies in the fact
that Senator Dupont, the n ew
Senator from Delaware, is t h e
head Of the trust and is powerful
n politics as his election to the
Senate proves. The recent investi
cation OF the trust by the bureau
of corporations and the Depart
ment OF Justice indicate that it is
one of the most complete mono
poles ever devised in the country.
1t has followed the methods of
the Standard Oil Company in
beating down and breaking up
competition. 1t has run it's rivals
one after another out OF business
had ceased to he profitable. The
result is that although there are
a lot OF nominally Independent
companies still operating, they
are all or nearly all under the d.
rect management of the trust
which controls about 95 per cent.
of the powder output, a larger
propotion of the finished product
than was ever controlled by the
Standard Oil Co.
Probably the thing that has
moved the government to pro-
ceed against the trust is the in
creasing cost of powder for the
army and navy. There are bids
formally open powdersupplies
as formerly, but the officers OF
both army and navy know that
it is a farce. The same company
presents all OF the bids under diff
ferent names and if there is any
difference in the price it is because
the trust wants some particular
mill to do work instead OF some
other. Efforts to establish govern
ment powder factories have been
successfully fought in the past,
and if the country were to be
plunged into war next week, il
kwould either have to confscate
the mills Of the powder trust OF
else pay whatever price the trust
chose to namefor firing every CUR
in the army and navy.
One of the most important
pieces of archaeological work evel
done in the United States h a
just been reported in Washington
1t is the partial completion of The
work of excavation at the Cease
Grande. Most people know thai
!. the Casa Grande has always beer
ranked as the most important
and impressive of American ruins
The translation of Its Spanish
name is "The Big House." and il
, is located in southern Arizons
: where it has been known to th'
scientific world since theconques
tador Alvarado first en- tered tha'
section in his search for the fablet
Seven Cities of Cibola. 1t is
great building something les'
than 100x50 feet in area witt
walls in some places thirty fee
high. 1t is built up of adobe con
crete with wooden door and win
dow frames. and is different from
amy otheI Indipn construction o
the southwest. 1t is such q re
, markable structure that the goN
eminent some years ago mad
!, an.appIopriation to help preserv
!. it from the effects OF the weather
I and last year DR.. Walter Fewke
of the Bureau Of Ethnology wa
sent down there to do q littl
more protective work. But in
stead of confining himself to tn
2 work he was sent to do, he CON
menced excavating, and the II
!, suit is that he has unearthe
\ what was the ground floor OF tn
i house watch was 400 feet by 23s
!, and 80 feet high. making the
: riginal house small by compar