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bill will be effective to this end. THE MARINE RECORD. nN SIE SP EIS SST IN FAVOR OF THE SHIPPING BILL.-ENDORSED BY THE NATIONAL BOARD OF TRADE. The National Board of Trade, held its annual session at Washington, and adopted the following resolutions, which, as will be seen, gives a most hearty approval and indorse- ment to the shipping bill now before Congress : On the report of Alden Smith, the Board by a large ma- jority recommended to Congress the establishment of another executive department to be known as the Department of Commerce and Industry. The Board favored the enactment of Senate bill No. 738. In making his report, Mr. Smith said that the industrial and mercantile interests of the coun- try are of such vast importance as to imperatively demand the establishment of such a department. The following res- olutions were also adopted : “Resolved, that the National Board of Trade earnestly favors the adoption of an American system of navigating na- val reserves, afid urges upon Congress the passing of a law providing for the creation of the same. “Resolved, that the National Board of Trade reiterates its action on former occasions, and respectfully urges on Con- gress the grave importance of enacting a national trade reg- istration law at the earliest moment possible.”’ The following resolution respecting our merchant marine was added : “Whereas, United States vessels in 1826 carried 92 per cent. of the nation’s imports and exports, 81 per cent. in 1845, 75 per cent in 1856, and only 8 per cent. in 1899, showing a lamentable decline in our merchant marine in the foreign trade owing to the fact that it is conducted on a free trade basis, and ‘Whereas, the tonnage of vessels in the coasting trade in which foreign competition is absolutely forbidden’ increased from 722,330 in 1826 to 1,223,218 in 1845 and to 2,247,663 in 1856, and to 3,965,313 in 1899, thus demonstrating the ability of this country to meet all of its needs in the matter of ship- ping when properly protected ; and : “Whereas, the United States is now paying to foreign ship owners nearly $200,000,000 annually to do our ocean carriage trade, which sum increases yearly ; and “Whereas, the enormous decliue in our ocean merchant marine is due to lower wages paid abroad and to the subsi- ° dies paid by foreign governments, and, ‘‘Whereas, the foreign principle should be extended to our shipping in the foreign trade ; that it may be built up as has been the case in other industries, including our coastwise shipping ; and, ‘‘Whereas, the profitable employment of the surplus pro- _ ductive powers of the farms, factories, mines, forests and fisheries of the United States imperatively demands the in- crease of its foreign commerce ; and, ‘‘Whereas, the merchant vessel officers, engineers, ma- chinists, electricians and seamen necessary to the increase of the commerce of the United States are also essential as auxil- iary to the forces of the United States in time of war and otherwise} and to the better security of the nation and the protection of its possessions ; and. “Whereas, it is deemed especially expedient to make im- mediate provision to these ends ; therefore, ‘This memorial of the National Board of Trade, assem- bled in Washington, Jan. 23, 1900, respectfully presents to the Honorable House of Representatives and Senate of the United States that the delegates now here representing all sections of our country find it to be a matter of supreme in- terest that our foreign exports have now reached the largest - figures ever known and offer further opportunities for in- crease in still wider fields. “To give force and emphasis to these opportunities, to _ give some permanence to the exceptional advantages of the past year, this country needs a revival of its merchant ma- rine. “Your memorialists, the National Board of Trade, respect- fully represent that the Frye Senate bill or the Payne House The principles embodied in these bills have met the approval of the President of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Com- _ missioner of Navigation, and they have been indorsed by nearly every trade and commercial organization in the coun- try, and by the press, to an extent which shows an over- whelming sentiment in their favor. “The argument for an American merchant marine has had _ the further distinct recommendation of foreign delegates to the recent export convention as essential for the further ce- ; menting of trade relations with the countries they severally “Tn view of these considerations, your memorialists, the National Board of Trade, look with confidence for your early and favorable action on this subject.” i —— CHICAGO NAUTICAL SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. Thirty graduates of the Chicago Nautical School gathered at the Sherman House last Thursday night and held the first annual reception and banquet of the alumni association. F. W. L. Humphrey, ’95, the first graduate of the school, acted as toastmaster. Lieutenant G. E. Gelm, U. S.N., of the Hydrographic Office, was the guest of honor, and re- sponded to the toast, “Our Navy.” Other toasts were: “The Chicago Nautical School,” Lieutenant W. J. Wilson, principal of the school; ‘‘The Yachtsmen,’’ C. B. Darling; “The Lake Marine,” Captain Edward Kohnert and Captain Walter Hamilton. Members and alumni of the nautical school were with Dewey, Sampson and Schley during the war with Spain. Lieutenant Commander H. R. Greenlee of the naval militia and on the staff of Commander Shaffner was also a guest at the banquet. The Chicago Nautical School Alumni Association was organized and the follow- ing officers elected: President, Walter Hamilton, ’95; vice president, C. B. Darling, ’98; secretary, Thomas L,. Page, ’98; treasurer, J. E. Scully, ’98; board of directors, James Travis, ’96; A. W, Sterrett, ’98; C. H. Greenlee, ’99; E. R. Mason, 97. eu VISIBLE SUPPLY OF GRAIN. As compiled for THE MARINE RECORD, by George F. Stone, Secretary Chicago Board of Trade. CITIES WHERE WHEAT.| CORN. Oars. RYE BARLEY STORED. Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. Buffalo ei ee 2,217,000 312,000 154,000 $1,000 951,000 ‘“ ~ afloat 538,000 AO SH OOO I an toch on lacs setae ete Is eneay nde Chicago: eines ke: 15,043,900] 4,795,000] 1,357,000 213,000 32,000 (6 Pr aHOetene cawius 85.000] 1,167,000 £58, OOO) bine sie ole d reaele ty Detrott: nk ont 571,000 376,000 95,000 9 000 53,000 Duluth, 3) Accu. 7,277,000 340,c00 183,000 366,000 160,000 SOSA HOAL Wa ee tinie 248,000 Fort William, Ont..| 2,897,000].... Milwaukee.......... 244,000}... Port Arthur, Ont.... 235, OGO) paisa ecm ene creieters Ra Lee es tater st Toledo I, 162,000 662,000 147.000 WOQO| Sa wecittens Toronto (royero lo (Ae nine onaee 4,000 57,000 Grand Total..... 55.597,000| 14,526,000] 5,332,000] 1,163,000) 1,760,000 Corresponding Date, ’ TBO ee Aen isk ose 28,583,000] 27,139,000] 7,025,000} 1,441,000) 3,335,000 Increase. ..........-. Bae eee 382,000 ZAMOOO |S Sa jae Sates Decrease ...........- 939,000]. ...... alee See 50,000 160,000 While the stock of grain at lake ports only is here given, the total shows the figures for the entire country except the Pacific Slope. a eo FIRST GARGO CHICAGO WHEAT. Interesting reminiscences of Mr. Ogilvie’s first visit to Chicago have been made public. Says the Grain Dealers’ Journal. pleted to Galena bought grain up and down the Mississippi. “T will always remember my first trip to Chicago,” Mr. Ogilvie said, ‘‘because it was made under snch peculiar cir- cumstances and roundabout way. It was during the winter of 1855 when I went to that city to buy wheat. I left Mont- real, going to Rouse’s Point, thence to Ogdensburg, from which place I drove to Rochester ina sleigh. From Roches- ter I went by train to Cincinnati, and then to Logansport, Ind., where I took a cut across the country to Michigan City, the principal attractions of which at that time were the tra- ding stations and the famous Hoosier slide, which I under- stand has since been cut down in a number of places. From Michigan City we went to Chicago on a construction train. I knew Mr. Hutchinson, known the world over as ‘Old Hutch,’ in connection with his enormous speculations in wheat and pork. He was a quaint character, and under- stood by few. Another man whom I knew was George Steele, who dredged out the Chicago river and built the first eleva- tor in Chicago. He was for many years the representative in the city by the lake, and was among the first to erect a dwelling on Michigan avenue. When I first went to Chicago the money with which the first cargo of wheat was bought was brought from Montreal in atrunk, The cash was allin ‘Bank of North America bills, which were the only Canadian bank notes the sellers would accept at that time.’’ OO OOO THIS is the way they talk of lake craft in New London, Conn. ‘‘The old Laker George Farwell, is not disappoint- ing me, at least. ° This old steamer, recently brought to this coast, has been one trip south and is so badly knocked out that she is undergoing repairs in New York. Old Lakers -aren’t just the thing for rough Atlantic waters.”’ Mr. Ogilvie followed the railroad, and when com-. THREE MASTED SCHOONERS. 2 “Some history of lake shipping and much information about the enormous trade of the Great Lakes,’’ is the sub ject of an article in Ainslee’s Magazine. Wek ‘At the time of the battle of Sandusky the typical lake able to nose her way up into creeks and shallow harbors, and light enough to be dragged into her dock, when neces- . sary, by a yoke of sturdy oxen. Nowadays the bustling a little harbor tug has taken the place of the primitive ox, and i the little one-master has been superseded by the whaleback Be. and the twin-screw steam barge. Before that time, of course, there had been sailing craft on the lakes. But it is a far cry ie from the day of the aboriginal Indian ‘dug-outs’ and the bat- — teaux of the early French explorers, to the period of such pa- a latial passenger steamers as the North Land and the North West. ‘The first American vessel on Lake Erie was the Wash- ington, built near Erie, Pa., as early as 1797. In the next year the Jemima was put together three miles below Roch-~ . ester by one Eli Granger, and was the first of our vessels to ~ plow the waters of Lake Ontario. It was not until 1817 that a steamboat appeared on the lakes. This was the Ontario which was made after the model of the Sea-Horse, then run- ning on Long Island Sound. During the following year the Walk-on-the-Water appeared and surprised the marine world by steaming from Black Rock, New York, to the prosperous little town of Detroit; It was a clumsy but a wonderful thing, that primitive side-wheeler, with her belching fun- 3 nels and cranky machinery, for on her first trip, we are told, she was greeted with cheers and cannon at every port into which she put. Her journey took her five days, and her passenger list was limited to twenty-nine, but she wasa — slight improvement on that original canal boat, with a great — ‘ upright engine in her hold, which constituted the first lake ‘tug.’ ee “Tt was on the Great Lakes that the three-masted ~ schooner first made its appearance. The unique character a of lake navigation created the necessity for this type of sail- ing craft, because of the fact that with this class of vessels sailors could handle the sheets from the deck at times when it was impossible to go aloft in one of those sudden storms which make the life of the lake skipper an uncertain and e anxious one. ee: ‘‘But in time, the screw propeller madeits appearance and =~ 4 the triple-expansion steamer at last elbowed the sailing vessel out of her time-honored place on the lakes. The de- throned sailing craft, once on the downward path, degener- ated into the barge. She became the weaker vessel to her puffing husband, and dared not venture up the Detroit, or the St. Clair, or the ‘Soo,’ without a friendly line from her portly spouse, swaggering along in the consciousness of -his: 44 big boilers and twin screws. Butin time, forsooth, he took to polygamy, and instead of taking in tow his one helpless schooner, he attached unto himself half a dozen dependent sister craft, and today he may be seen puffing importantly up and down river and lake with his five or six schooners trailing meekly behind him.’’ S } UNTIL the end of 1898 Great Britain was the largest coal producing country in the world. In 1899 the United States surpassed her and is to-day the peer of all. In round figures the output of coal—bituminous and anthracite, last year was 245,000,000 tons, which is a practical gain of 50,000,000 tons over 1898. This is an industrial triumph for which the ~ whole country is to be congratulated, as it means muchin the race for the business supremacy of the world. As many ’ of our readers are aware, the principal reason for the great growth in coal production last year was the immense in- crease in the iron output. In round figures the production of pig iron in 1899 was 13,650,000 tons, an increase of 1,900, - ooo tons over 1898. A further increase in both iron and coal is expected in 1900. Practically speaking, the deposits of iron ore and coalin the United States are limitless. Pro- bably this country will never have a successful rival in the products of either. The possibilities for expansion in these two products in this country are immeasurable. Coal and iron lie at the basis of a country’s industrial strength, and this determines its physical power. The United States is undoubtedly destined to hold its lead in both products. It will maintain its supremacy as a man- ufacturing country. In all the elements of material potency the United States will probably lead the world forever.— The Black Diamond, Chicago.