Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1888 — THE AGE OF TRUSTS. [ARTICLE]

THE AGE OF TRUSTS.

A Gigantic Watch Trust Which Controls a Capital of $30,000,000. A Monster Grocers’ Combine—And There Is a Coffin Trust, Too. A recent telegram from Minneapolis contains the following: Within the last few days every wholesale grocer of Minneapolis has received a circular lttter looking to the formation of what on its face appears to be an iniquitous trust. “Union" is wbat it is proposed to call the new pool, but under any name tbe idea is the same, and is an organization of the wholesale grocers of the United States for the purpose of manipulating prices. A prominent Minneapolis grocer pronounced it a new “combine” that would surpass in power and extent any monopoly ever yet formed. It proposes, in short, to so increase the profits on sugar that tue amount of the deposit required will be small in comparison. “Bow much will the deposit be?” “At least $20,ti00,00j.” A wholesale grocer said that the wholesalo trade of the United States in that line is at least $2,000,030,603, figuring on a population of 60,000,000 and an annual expenditure of $35 each. One per cent, of this, or $20,000,000, is to be deposited.

A Coffin Trust. A telegram from New York fells how undertakers are made to pay tribute to the manufacturers: A “trust” among the coffin manufacturers of the country! What? Ves ; a syndicate exists that is more dictatorial and oppressive upon the poorer classes than any that have vet engaged the attention of legislators. All the large manufacturers of coffins and coffin furniture in the country are members of the trust, which almost absolutely controls tue sale and manufacture of these very necessary articles. A New York undertaker explains how the pool operates. “It peremptorily refuses,” said he, "to se.lto an undertaker unless he be a member of the city association, and no matter if he offered quadruple the list prices he would be unable to purchase a stock of goods. To ascertain the power ot the trust, a friend of mine in the business wrote to a number of firms in different States, and in each case received a curt reply that his order could not be filled. Of course there is no use to kick against this. You must calmly submit or go out of the trade. Prices are actually forced up over 100 per cent.' Caskets that cost the manufacturers certainly not more than $25 or S3O are sold to the trade for from $75 to $125. Black coffins, so generally bought, for which the retailers are compelled to charge something like $175, the ‘trust’ men can produce for SSO to S6O. The cheapest hardwood broadcloth casket is sold to the undertakers for $75, and costs the buyer $125. The manufacturer’s price of the most expensive hardwood coffin—and it is only cedar glued together at that—is S3OO and more'. The cheapest metallic casket is sold for $125, and the retail price is fixed in the neighborhood of S2OO. The dearest metallic caßkets are sold for $325, for which $l5O would be a more reasonable figure. In most cities the liverymen are in league with the Undertakers’ Association."

A Watch Combine. There is a “trust” in watches—a gigantio trust—and it was formed somewhat as follows: About three years ago the watch-case manufacturers of the United States formed an association for mutual protection, and a out the same time the watch-movement manufacturers did likewise. Then the jobbers in American watches combined, th6ir association being known as the National Association of Jobbers in American Watches. The capital controlled by these three associations is about *30,0 ;l),0J, , divided as follows: National Watch-Case Manufacturers’ Association] $5,000,000; National Watch-Movement Manufacturers' Association, and National Association of Jobbers in American Watches, $21,000,000.

Tile Great Copper Tiusf. The Chicago Morning News of a recent date remarks editorially: European journals, received by last mail, give reviews of the status and proportions of the great French copper trust, it is called the Metal Company. A Parle trade journal says that the following companies. are in the coalition. Cape Copper Company, Namaqua, Belt's Cove, vigonaes, iiio Tinto, Thttrsis, Mason & Barry, Calumet and Hecla, Boston and Montana, Anaconda, Tamarack, Quebrada, Arizona, Panulcillo. Their united product is 127,5 0 tons, of which the American mines in the combine produce 78.500 tons.

Forte Crayon. The death of Gen. D. H. Strother (“Porte Crayon”) removes a popular and familiar figure from the field of per.odic literature. His facile pen and pleasing pencil have not been as active of late, since he became a pensioned veteran, as they were years ago. Born at Martinsburg, Va., in 1816, he passed his youth in that picturesque locality; in 1845 he moved to New York and began to ally his canning in drawing on wood with literary work. His first important venture in this line was in 1853, when he began tho publication of “A Narration of an Expedition into the Land of Canaan.” This was followed by a most successful series, “Virginia Illustrated.” His “Becollections of the War” served to increase his popularity, and among his last articles were “Virginia Bevisited.” “Porte Crayon” found a field of unfailing interest in the picturesque woodlands of Virginia, its pretty maidens and stalwart mountaineers. He op«££i up the Southern field that has since been developed by Charles Egbert Craddock, Amelia Bives, and other new lights of current literature.