The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ESTABLISHED 1878. i +i ¥OL. XXIV, No. 16. 4 - CLEVELAND =- APRIL 18, 1901 -- CHICAGO. WS SSS $2.00 Per Year. 5c. Single Copy AMERICAN-ENTERPRISE. « The British Consul, Mr. Wyndham, in his annual report on the commerce of Chicago and district for the year 1900, brings out in clear relief the enterprise and alertness of the Chicago manufacturer, who, he says, had a prosperous year, and is endeavoring to obtain a larger share of the world’s trade: ‘‘Owing to the high tariff he has a great advantage in his home market, but he is showing that he can compete with his European and American adversary on equal terms in any part of the world. He is not only making great strides in commerce in South Africa and the British colo- nies, but he is also looking for more trade even in Great Britain. He is continually changing his methods and ma- chinery, and will remorselessly cast aside a nearly new ma- chine if a new invention does the work better or more eco- nomically. The product at most factories is continually improving, and will soon be able to compare in quality as well as in price. While the tendency in retail business in Chicago seems to be toward large general stores, where everything is sold, the manufacturer finds it more profitable to specialize both in his product and in the work of the men. In comparing American with British machinery, the rough casting of the former compare unfavorably to the eye with the high finish in all parts of the latter, but where per- fection is necessary in the working parts the American machinery could not be better finished. A great saving is thus made in the manufacturing, no unnecessary time nor expense being laid out on finish simply for show. The Chi- cago merchant leaves nothing undone that can benefit his trade, and sends or goes himself to any country where he thinks there is an opening, and advertises largely. He will also make experiments with any machine or method which is brought to his notice and which he thinks may be an im- provement, and he will investigate, try, and, if it is satisfac- tory, adopt it, while his European and even his Eastern States rival is making preliminary investigations. The retail merchant makes a clearance at least twice a year at what- ever sacrifice is necessary, and in this way does not carry over to another year goods that will be out of fashion and deteriorate, causing bigger loss than the cut in price at the end of the season. In the big retail stores the buyers are very good judges of the probable trade, and buy very close to the demand, and in some cases under rather than over buy. It is impossible to recommend any new imports at this time to the British merchants who are engaged in supplying wholesale merchants or who have a representative here, but it seems most important to point out the growing manufactures with which they will have to compete in the world’s markets, many of which they have for years con- trolled. Merchants, manufacturers, and labor leaders would find themselves repaid by visiting the States, especially this great centre, and studying the conditions and demands, draw their own conclusions as to the steps to be taken to benefit their trade. One of the great faults found is the slow delivery of British goods. OS “THE question of fatigue caused to the eyes by various kinds of artificial lights, has recently been taken up and studied at some length by a Russian government expert,’’ says Electricity. He says that the involuntary closing of the eye (winking) is a sign of weariness. Using surfaces illuminated by various lights he counted the involuntary movements of the eyelid, his results being that when candle light was used the eyes were closed 6.8 times a minnte; with gaslight winking occurred 2.8 times a minute; with sunlight, the eyes closed 2.2 times, and with electric light 1.8 times. From these facts he draws the conclusion, which seems to be corroborated by other observations, that the electric light - is the least injurious to the eyesight of all varieties of artifi- cial illuminants. UNDER ICE TO THE POLE. Ata recent meeting of the Vienna Geographical Society, Herr Kampe outlined his plan to reach the North Pole ina submarine boat, now being built at Wilhelmshaven. The boat will be ellipsoid in form, with a major axis of 70 feet, a breadth of 26 feet and displacement of 800 tons. The boat will hold sufficient air to last five persons 15 hours, the carbonic acid gas being removed by acombination with caustic soda. She will have both horizontal and vertical screw propellers, the latter for raising and depressing the vessel. The fuel will be petroleum, of which 150 tons will be carried. This amount is calculated to be more than five times what is necessary for a trip from Spitzbergen to the Pole and back. In the 15 hours during which the boat will be able to stay under water she can cover 50 miles. She will be submerged at the edge of the land of ice surrounding Spitzbergen and will be steered toward the nearest open water to the north. _ Herr Kampe does not think that the ice pack is of greater depth than 20 feet, and the boat can descend 160 feet. If, after six hours, no opening in the ice can be discovered, the boat will return to the last opening, but if the pack is thin, attempts will be made to blast and open it. Herr Kampe does not think that the ice pack continues unbroken in any direction for more than five miles. oO So RULES OF THE ROAD. Judge Hazel, of Buffalo has handed down an interlocutory decree in the case of the steamer Sir William Siemens and consort Alexander Holley against the steamer North Star, which was recently tried before him. This libel case grew out of.a collision which occurred in St. Mary’s river in 1899, and the Bessemer Steel Co., owners of the Siemens and Holley, place the amount of damage done at $30,342. The decree places the responsibility for the col- lision upon the North Star, owned by the Northern Steam- ship Co. It took two weeks to try this case before Judge Hazel and there was a good deal of wrangling. There are special rules for the navigation of St. Mary’s river, and the Bessemer people claimed these rules had been violated or the collision would have not occurred. The defence claimed that ina general way the navigation laws of :he Great Lakes had been obeyed by the North Star. Judge Hazel decided that St. Mary’s river rules applied to St. Mary’s river and therefore issued the decree. The Besse- mer Co, will have to prove the amount of damages sustained before they can collect from the Northern Steamship Co. Harvey D. Goulder, of Cleveland and George Clinton, of Buffalo were attorneys for the libelant, and were opposed by John C. Shaw, of Detroit and Brundage & Dudley of Buffalo. “<> oo __———_ TO LEAD US INTO DANGER. In a letter to Capt. George P. MacKay, treasurer and chair- man of the Committeeon Aids to Navigation, of the Lake Carriers’ Association, Commander J. C. Wilson, U.S. N., Inspector of the Eleventh Light-House District, says: “Referring to the characteristic of the fog signal at Detour light-station, I am informed by the keeper of that station that frequently vessels lie for hours in calm weather ina streak of thick fog, when it can be seen from the station that the weather is perfectly clear up the river. The keeper sug- gests using a special signal, such as three long blasts, to in- dicate this fact, so that vessels approaching the river may take advantage of itif they deemit desirable. This sug- gestion strikes me as being a good one, but before adopting it I would be glad to have the opinion of vesselmen on the subject.”’ WORKING FORCE OF THE STEEL CORPORA- TION. The first meeting of the directors of the United States Steel corporation was held at the principal offices in New York, on Tuesday. A formal ratification of the officers made public a week ago took place, and in addition announce- ment is made of subordinate officers as follows: President, Charles M. Schwab, president of the Carnegie Co.; first vice-president, James Gayley, also of the Carnegie Co.; second vice-president, W. R. Walker, metalurgical engineer of the American Steel & Wire Co.; third vice-president, W. R. Palmer, president of the American Steel & Wire Co.; treasurer, Arthur T. Luke, and secretary, Richard Trimble, secretary of the Federal Steel Co. Judge E. H. Gary, of the Federal Steel Co., is chairman of the executive com- mittee, and Robert Bacon, of J. P. Morgan & Co., of the finance committee. The policy of the corporation is announced to leave each constituent company with its own set of officers, but all subject to supervision from the corporation’s office in New York. The first vice-president will have charge of the mines and wharves of all the companies; the second vice- president will superintend economical operations and the third vice-president will have charge of sales. ror ooo MARINE INSURANCE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. A memorial addressed to the Canadian Government by the Montreal shipping interest deals as follows with marine insurance: “The insurance rate on cargo carried by vessels on the: Canadian route is largely in excess of what it should be, and as compared with rates on cargo shipped from ports in the United States is about two to five times as great, according to the season of the year. If the condition of the St. Law- rence navigation is not improved to a very great extent and modernized, and if these improvements are not taken in hand immediately, the result, as far as Canadian trade is concerned, will be the removal from the St. Lawrence route of a great deal of our shipping. Shipping trade to Montreal is very largely owned in Great Britain, and the owners will not continue to send their steamers to Quebec or Montreal if it pays better to send them to ports in the United States, as,.in fact, it does now.”’ oo or oo THE president of the Newport News Ship Building Co., which will build the Charleston, to replace the cruiser of that name wrecked in the Philippines, speaking of the great prosperity of the shipbuilding industry, said: ‘‘The total ships under construction in our yards will represent a cost of nearly $28,000,000, when completed. About one-third of this is merchant work, and the other two-thirds are for the Government. The Korea, building for the Pacific Mail Co., which was recently successfully launched, is the largest merchant vessel ever constructed in this country. Her sister ship, the Siberia, should be ready for launching in about two months, The ships we now have under construction are the battleships Illinois and Missouri, one sheathed battleship, two armored cruisers, one protected cruiser and the monitor, Arkansas. In addition to the two Pacific mail steamers, we are building four steamers for the Morgan line. We are now employing 6,800 men, and before many days we shall have 7,000 on the rolls.’’ ror ior ior A NUMBER of capitalists at Cadiz, Spain, recently held a meeting and decided to re-organize and materially to in- crease the shipbuilding works there. The opinion was ex- pressed that not the least of Spain’s naval misfortunes in the past has been the inadequacy of her home plants for ship- construction. zs i & wee eae: apts he iat Sera