Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1898 — IN GENERAL. [ARTICLE]

IN GENERAL.

,The National Tehuantepec Isthmus Rpilroad has been leased to Sir Weetman Pearson & Son for a period of fifty years, possession to be given April 1. Canada has decided to admit free of restrictions all supplies “taken into the Klondike region by the United States Government relief expedition. The recent gale, accompanied as it was by high winds, heavy fall of snow and causing floods in many localities, did great damage throughout the West and South. Trains were blockaded, telegraph and telephone wires leveled and large loss of property resulted. Miss Emma Kelley, the Kansas girl who recently went to the Klondike to represent a syndicate of Chicago capitalists, is now the wife of James W. Dougherty (“Nigger Jim”), the millionaire miner, and in company with her husband is en route to the United Slates. Eight hours will constitute a day’s work in all the bituminous coal fields of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia on and after June 1, 1898. This important provision was made at the joint convention of coal miners and mine owners. The action affects the welfare of 400,000 organized coal miners, the reduced hours of labor giving opportunity for work to S.OOOfinore men, estimated on the reduced output of 1896 and 1897, and to a much greater number, with the anticipated output in 1898. A resolution favoring an advance in pay of ten cents a ton to miners in the competitive districts of the five States after June 16, 1898, failed to carry. Silk manufacurers in this country and abroad will be greatly interested in a move about to be made by Duplan & Co. of Lyons, Prance, to recover their American trade. The Frenchmen intend to establish a branch plant in South Bethlehem, Pa., and to turn out there the same goods now made only in Lyons. Members of the firm say there will be no wholesale cut in prices, and that a war in the trade is unlikely. Home manufacturers, however, will undoubtedly be affected to some extent by the operation of the Bethlehem plant, where the looms will be started ou April 1. Duplan & Co. are among the largest manufacturers of silk in Lyons. They formerly had a profitable trade in this country, but of late their trade has been going to their Yankee rivals. Bradstreet’s commercial report says: “A large measure of activity in business and industrial lines, with, in some instances, previous records surpassed and very general steadiness in prices of staples, is perhaps the most notable feature of the trade situation this week. Quotations of cereals show the most aggressive strength, while those of some makes of pig iron betray rather more decided weakness than they did a week ago. Mild weather is frequently mentioned as an influence tending to check retail distribution of seasonable goods, chiefly because of the effect on country roads. Spring trade opens slowly, as usual at this time of the year, but confidence is still unimpaired. As already intimated, the immense current production of pig iron, amounting to fully 1,000,000 tons a month, has begun to exercise an influence upon the price of that staple, but decreases reported are still only fractional. The outlook in the steel rail trade is reported as a flattering one. Quite a shrinkage *.n cereal exports is indicated by reports this week. Total shipments of wheat, flour included, from the United States and Canada amounted to only 3,926,000 bushels, against 5,229,000 bushels ljst week. Indian corn exports also ■how a heavy falling off, amounting to only 3,486,000 bushels this week, against 4,461,000 bushels last week.”