Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1898 — IN GENERAL. [ARTICLE]

IN GENERAL.

News of the tragic death of Dr. William Beard, the noted mining expert of Philadelphia, near the Valdes glacier, Alaska, last May, has been received at Seattle. It came in a letter from H. C. Watkins, formerly of New York, who was with Dr. Beard. The British warship Columbine arrived at St. John’s, N. F., from a fishery protection cruise along the French shore. She struck a sandbank off St. Julien’s, damaged her bottom and broke one blade of her propeller. The Columbine reports that there is no friction just now between the French and the English fishermen on that coast. William Walmsley of Waupoos. Prince Edward County, Ont., has been advised of the murder of his son William in Madagascar in June or July, 1896, with three fellow prospectors, by natives of Imerina, the central province of Madagascar. They were attacked in their camp by order of the governor and were killed by gunshots and spears. They defended themselves bravely, wounding three of their assailants.

R. G. Dun & Co.’s weekly review of trade says: "Industries and business are at the naturally lowest point for the year. The decrease in output of pig iron is mostly due to usual stoppages for repairs a little before July 1. It is still between seasons for wool, but the demand for woolen goods is better, though prices for some have been reduced. Cotton has been steady in spite of good crop prospects. Failures for the week ended July 7 were $1,854,394 in amount. Failures for the week have been 215 in the United States, against 263 last year, and in Canada 23, against 7 last year.” Just as the authorities were getting ready to muster recruits at Buffalo, N. Y,, for the cruiser Buffalo so that the name could be borne out by a force derived from the fountainhead, it is discoverd that’there is a great scarcity of good seamen on the lakes. Not only is this the fact with regard to the recruits, but suddenly there comes up a wail from the lake captains who are in need of able seamen. The war has taken them apparently. Less than half the number expected have come forward to join the crew to be sent to the Buffalo, and lake captains say that they are surprised to find that the supply is so short. Only a little while ago there were sailors enlisting in the infantry because there was no way of sending them to the navy. A lake captain says that lately he shipped several men who represented themselves to be able seamen, but before he had got outside he learned that most of them knew nothing of sailing and had to be taught the simplest details of the work before them. The inference is that actual seamen have drifted to salt water of late and that other men in need of work have taken advantage of the situation and offered themselves for lake service.