Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1898 — IN GENERAL. [ARTICLE]

IN GENERAL.

A board of naval engineers that has been experimenting with oil as fuel has made a highly favorable report. The gold production of Mexico for last year was $6,861,820, a gain of more than SBOO,OOO over 1896 and of more than $2,000,000 over 1890. The Samoan natives, having become accustomed to thinking lightly of the United States because outrages upon American subjects have not been quickly resented by the Government, are to be taught a wholesome respect for the Stars and Stripes. The man-of-war Mohican will be sent to the islands at once. The Mclntyre Block in the heart of Winnipeg, Man., was destroyed by fire. The building was four stories high and contained some of the leading retail stores in the city, a number of wholesale branch sample rooms, doctors’, lawyers’ and contractors’ offices and also the secret society and lecture rooms of the Manitoba University. The total losses will be in the neighborhood of $500,000. Hugh C. Wallace, at Tacoma, Wash., president of the Chilcoot Railroad and Transportation Company, has advices of the completion of the company’s aerial railway over the Chilcoot Pass to Lake Llnderman. This marks a new era for Klondike travel, as the time between tidewater and the headwaters of the Yukon river is shortened from a month to one day, besides removing the peril and hardships. The final estimates of acreage, production and value of the crops in the United States for 1897, made by the statistician of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, are as follows: Corn, 80,095,101 acres, 1,902,967,933 bushels, $501,572,952 value; wheat, 39,465,066 acres, 530,149,168 bushels, $428,547,121; oats, 25,730,375 acres, 698,767,809 bushels, $147,974,719; rye, 1,703,561 acres, 27,363,324 bushels, $12,239,047; barley, 2,719,110 acres, 66,085,127 bushels, $25,142,139; buckwheat, 717,830 acres, 14,997,451 bushels, $6,319,188; potatoes, 2,534,577 acres, 164,015,964 bushels, $89,643,059; hay, 42,420,770 acres, 00,664,876 tons, $401,390,728.

' Bradstreet’s view of the business sitftition is briefly summarized thus: "Favorable conditions in the trade situation continue to far outweigh those of an opposite character. Stormy weather throughout a large section of the country has checked the movement of merchandise in the consumption, but a perceptible increase in the demand for seasonable goods is reported as already resulting. The last week of the month closes with increased activity in many lines, a number of price advances, heavily increased bank clearings, as compared with one year ago, at nearly all cities, another considerable drop in the number of failures reported, large exports of cereals, particularly wheat, corn and flour, and perceptible confidence in nearly all branches of trade as regards the outlook for spring business. Another favorable feature of the week is the slight but distinct improvement in the cotton goods situation, in which speculative activity is awakening. Print cloths are higher, and* some makes of gray and medium weight cottons are more firmly held. Pig iron is reflecting the effect of present unprecedented production, and a further weakening in prices is recorded at Eastern points. At the West, however, consumption of pig and of the finished products of iron and steel Is reported increasing so as to hold prices firm. Lnrge sales of bar steel nud rails are reported at Chicago and St. Louis, with mills refusing to take orders for delivery earlier than late summer. Boots and shoes hold the late advance, and manufacturers of heavy weights will not take orders' for fall delivery at present prices. Wool Is strong on large sales nud firm prices abroad. Prices of most staple products are higher on the week. Noticeable instances are those of whent, which is past the dollar mnrk again nt many Western markets. The active demand for the Klondike trade is reflected in canned goods. Cereal exports are again heavy, total shipments of wheat, including flour, for the week amounting to 5,110,024 bushels, against 3,920.000 bushels last week. Corn exports have also heavily increased from last week, amounting to 4,902,000 bushels, against 3,480,000 bushels last week.”