The Washington herald., 1907-09-11
AT THE HOTELS.

Former Senator John G. SpOoner, OF
Wisconsin. made a flying trip to Wash
ington from New York last night. He ar
rived on the Congressional Limited, and
returned 10 New York shortly after mid
night. He firmly refused to be inter
viewed on any subject Whatever. but
fought particularly shy OF things political.
4 am not in politics now" said the
Senator. "and l have nothing to say on
the subject. I'm too busy" was the most
he would fling over his shoulder as he
made hasty exit from the New willard
Hotel with client.
Senator Spooner, it will be remembered,
resigned from the Senate on May /, giving
as his reason that he wished 70 again
take up the practice Of law. Friends who
know say that the former Senator's earn
ing capacity as a lawyer is not less than
ten times greater than the pay Of a Sena-
tor. Mr.. Spooner a number Of times de-
ellned to go into the Cabizst. He Is now
located in New York. and although he
has been extremely busy since he quit the
Senate. he looks stronger physically than
he did last winter.
That the cotton crop Of the South will
be the salvation Of the country this year
is the belief OF ]. P Matthews. a promi-
nent banker Of Columbia, s. c.. who is at
the Raleigh
''The outlook Is much more promising
now than It was sixty or even thirty days
ago" said Mr. Matthews last night. THE
indications now are that We will have
crops Of 12.500.000 bales. Of an approximate
value OF $500, 900 600 in the raw state. As
the South will use something like 2.99.00J
bales OF this product, il may easily Do
seen that the South will be responsible
for the return to the United States OF an
enormous amount OF money. which Will
certainly Offset the recent shipments OF
gold abroad. The manufactured product
OF this cotton will be worth something
Ike four and half billions of dollars,
billion more than all the money in the
United States.
"A small part OF this work will be done
in the South, for you must remember
that we are operating something less
than 100000 spindles in all the South.
We have some trouble with labor. and the
indications are that We viii have more,
but so far as the foundations are con-
cerned, the prosperity Of this country is
safe.
The State Of South Carolina alone viii
have something ike S75,000000 worth Of
cotton, and this seems enormous when
you take into consideration that there are
but 100000 on deposit in the banks Of
the State.
Right now in the United States there
are great fortunes 10 be made, and while
/ they do not come 20 people who sit with
/ hands folded, they viii come 10 the people
who 90 out after them. I know Of one
/ mill in the South that was installed at a
| cost of $4,000 that is making 5000 a
month clear profit. But it is not only in
/ the South this IS true. I have had Occa-
| sion in the past year 10 visit nearly every
| section Of the country. and ths same
/ thing is true everywhere. It's the great
est country on earth, and the development
/ is only just begun. / do think, however,
that IL big business men could devote
/ all their time to business instead Of CIV
/ ing most of 1t to the public and the rest
to the labor situation, business would
progress more rapidly. The country has
not been so badly pillaged as some per-
sons imagine"
If this country could produce its own
potash We would have available every
thing necessary 10 plant life" said James
! Stillson. a chemist Of New York. at the
New Willard last night
/ We have the phosphoric acid In Flor
ida and other places; we can follow the
/ example OF the Germans and manufacture
/ nitrogen from the air, thus eliminating
/ the necessity for the Importation OF salt
1 peter from Chile. but We must still look
TO Germany for our potash
1t is tT-!y a wonderful thing 20 know
that nitric acid and saltpeter are being
manufactured from the air In Germany.
II IS done by means OF water power op-
| Grating electrical dynamos, which. in
turn. operate immense arc lights. with
disks nine feet in diameter. and which
look ike suns. The air is burned in this
manner. and through a chemical process
/ and combination with other elements.
/ commercial nitric acid and good plant
life fertilizer is turned out, literally from
| the air. The system is so perfect that
it is making a great success CONNER
cially. and there is no reason why the
same thing should not be done in this
country. where We have air and water
power unlimited.
Another process is through the use OF
liquid air, and the expansion of the air
as il is warmed is almost sufficient 10
make a complete circle of events, thus
almost creating perpetual motion. The
ultimate result Of this process also Is 10
obtain nitrogen, which is the basis OF all
plant life and Of all fertilizer.
Chemistry is in its infancy in many
respects. and one of these is in regard
TO the much discussed radium. Recent
transition. and not long ago an English
chemist was said 20 have produced native
copper through the use of radium. This,
| however, was officially denied, although
it Is given out that the spectrum rays OF
| copper were discovered where there had
been no copper in connection with an
experiment with radium. This matter
viii be fully discussed at a meeting this
fall OF all the prominent chemists OF
England, to be held IN London.
Some chemists are OF the opinion that
it is an element which, when united
with other elements. viii form stiu an
other but so far as much actual knowl-
edge Of It is concerned, we are but little
further advanced than we were at the
time of its discovery.
so far as Its curative powers are con-
cerned. there Is no doubt but that it does
exert a great influence on living tissues
but I know Of no particular case that
has been treated with it. The Roentgen
ray, which Is at Its highest development
in Germany. is still in the foreground in
matters Of this kind
That Virginia might be thrown into
the Republican column Of States is the
opinion Of Representative Slemp. the
only Republican Congressman from that
State For this 70 be accomplished,
however, would necessitate the renOmi-
nation of President Roosevelt. Repre-
sentative Slemp was in Washington yes