MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



CUBA'S MONEY A QUEER MIXTURE. 



"Good-by. old man. Don't take any wooden 

 money down there," was the farewell shouted 

 to a man bound from New York to Cuba 

 when the steamer's gangplank was pulled in. 



The smaller silver coinage in use in Cuba 

 consists of Spanish pesetas, corresponding to 

 the French francs, while for smaller change 

 Spanish pennies and two cent pieces of cop- 

 per, known collectively as calderilla, which 

 might be freely translated as pot metal, are 

 used. This calderilla, owing to its scarcity, 

 always commands a premium of about 5 per 

 cent above silver, in which it is alone redeem- 

 able. 



The lack of small change and the distance 

 from Havana, the only source of supply, has 

 led the Chaparra Sugar Co., of Chaparra, to 

 resort to the expedient of issuing aluminum 

 five and ten cent pieces for use in making 

 change with its thousands of employes, so 

 that Chaparra money is known all over the 

 island, passing current in Santiago de Cuba, 

 .at the extreme east, and having been encoun- 

 tered as far west as Cardenas. 



It is token money, with the name of the 

 American enterprise on one side and on the 

 reverse ''Vale por 5 Centavos" or "Vale por 

 10 Centavos.'' Such is the need in the island 

 for small denominations of coin that the com- 

 pany is constantly under the necessity of mak- 

 ing further issues, more of its money remain- 

 ing in circulation outside the estate than is 

 presented for redemption. In fact, none of it 

 is actually presented for redemption, all that 

 gets back to the company being taken in only 

 through its stores. 



It might have been expected that in the first 

 flush of revulsion from things Spanish when 

 they had gained their independence the Cubans 

 would have adopted a currency of their own 

 or that of the United States, but the influ- 

 ence of the country merchants and large em- 

 ployers of labor was too strorg for such a 

 change to be readily accomplished. The store- 

 keepers had always fixed their prices in silver 

 on articles of current consumption, in conson- 

 ance with the currency received by their pa- 

 trons of the working classes for their serv- 

 ices, Spanish silver being quoted in 1902 at 

 about 70 and common labor being paid about 

 one dollar a "clay in this currency. 



Jt will be readily understood that it was 

 greatly to the advantage of the planter when 

 he hired field laborers at a dollar a day to be 

 able to pay them in dollars which only cost 

 him 70 cents, while he would have found it 

 difficult to hire peons for less wages in Span- 

 ish gold or American money, though its pur- 

 chasing power might be correspondingly 

 greater. 



From 190!.! silver has steadily appreciated in 

 value, remaining around 80 during nearly the 

 whole of 1905, but ranging from 95 to 99 dur- 

 ing 1906, and being today about 97, while day 

 labor receives $1.10. 



The Spanish gold coinage, in which the sil- 

 ver quotations herein given are made, con- 

 sists of some few pieces of the old onzas and 

 their fractions, but principally of centenes. 

 values at $5.30 for the purpose of computation, 

 supplemented by French louis, worth $4.24 

 Spanish. American money of all classes is 

 rated as American gold and passes at an av- 

 erage premium of 10 per cent above Spanish 

 gold. 



It can be easily understood that the posi- 

 tion of cashier of a commercial house is one 

 demanding quick ability in translating one 

 currency to another, while the desirability of 

 a uniform currency for accounting purposes is 

 beyond question. All government dues, tele- 

 grams, postage, etc., are payable in American 

 money, which is the official money there, and 

 many of the largest business houses of Ha- 

 vana make their prices in American gold, 

 while the interior merchant usually reduces all 

 his accounts to terms of Spanish gold, keepin, 

 an exchange account to care for the differen- 

 ces thus created, though some merchants 



have two columns in their ledgers for gold 

 and silver. 



The present high price of silver and the 

 complicated bookkeeping resulting from the 

 current use of three kinds of money has weak- 

 strength to the present concerted movement 

 among the commercial bodies of Cuba for the 

 abolishment of the use of Spanish money and ] 

 the substitution of American currency or one 

 on the same basis, issued by the insular gov- 

 ernment. 



The losses sustained in translating one cur- | 

 rency into terms of another appear never to 

 have been taken into account by the vast ma- 

 jority of the easy going Cubans, but the fa- 

 miliar "Cambios" signs in every large city in 

 the island demonstrate the fact that the money 

 brokers have discovered that they can make a 

 living off the percentages which they retain 

 in exchanging money, .and one does not have 

 to seek far to find the loser of this percentage. 



Upper Peninsula, having been engaged in the 

 industry, directly and indirectly, for more than 

 a quarter of a century, or since 1879. In the 

 interval he has operated continuously, either 

 making charcoal or iron, or both, in Marquette 

 and Alger counties, and he has been highly 

 successful. 



Mr. Schaffer and the late Noah Gray scored 

 two notable successes in the iron business dur- 

 ing their nine years' association. They con- 

 ducted the Carp furnace with fine results, un- 

 til they disposed of the business to the Cleve- 

 land-Cliffs Iron Company. Also their judg- 

 ment was fully borne out by the quick success 

 of the Boyne City plant, which has now been 

 sold to Berry Bros. 



CHARCOAL IRON CENTER. 



Berry Bros., of Detroit, who are primarily a 

 big varnish house, will shortly be the largest 

 manufacturers of charcoal pig iron in the coun- 

 try, in addition to turning out a large quantity ' 

 of charcoal by-products. They have closed a 

 deal for the Boyne City furnace, having pur- 

 chased it from Charles Schaffer and the estate 

 of the late Noah Gray, and will come into pos- 

 session of the plant May 1. When they have 

 taken over this plant and when the Chocolay 

 furnace is in operation Berry Bros, will have a 

 string of five furnaces, located at Marquette, 

 Xewberry, Boyne City, Manistique and Ash- 

 land, and their production of pig iron will run 

 close to 500 tons a day. After Berry Bros., the 

 Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, with three 

 furnaces, two at Marquette and the third at 

 Gladstone, will be the largest producer of char- 

 coal pig iron, but its production will run con- 

 siderably under that of the Berry Bros.' fur- 

 naces. 



The Boyne City plant is in excellent condi- 

 tion, and is understood to have been a big 

 money-maker for Mr. Schaffer and his business 

 associate, the late Noah Gray. Some months 

 ago' Berry Bros, asked for an option on the 

 plant. Neither of the owners were particularly 

 desirous to sell, so they placed a high figure on 

 it, with little idea that it would be purchased. : 

 However, Berry Bros, asked for an option on , 

 the plant, even at the high price proposed, and ' 

 exercised the option. 



The Boyne City furnace has been in opera- 1 

 tion for about three years past. It was origi i 

 nally located at St. Ignace, being known as the 

 Martel. It was purchased by Messrs. Schaffer ' 

 and Gray and moved to Boyne City. As re- 

 erected the plant was modern and efficient, and 

 it has been continuously in operation, with a 

 fine record of production. The product of iron 

 has been about eighty tons a day. At Boyne 

 City the charcoal was furnished by an indepen- 

 dent company, on a fifteen years' contract, 

 which contract was covered in the option given 

 Berry Bros. The company furnishing the char- 

 coal runs a by-product plant in connection with 

 the kilns. Mr. Schaffer says that in purchasing 

 the Boyne City plant Berry Bros, get a small 

 furnace without a petr. It is reported that the 

 new owners intend to materially enlarge the 

 plant. 



The Chocolay furnace will soon be in opera- 

 tion. A force of men are getting things into 

 shape to put it into blast. The plans of Berry 

 Bros, are understood to contemplate the erec- 

 tion of a big battery of kilns, and inasmuch as 

 it is Berry Bros.' policy to install chemical 

 plants at all of their furnaces, it is expected 

 that such a plant will in time go in at Choco- 

 lay. When the Chocolay furnace goes into 

 blast Marquette will, with its three furnaces, 

 be the greatest charcoal iron center in the 

 country, with a production running about 300 

 tons a day. 



Charles Schaffer, who, through the sale of 

 the Boyne City plant, is temporarily out of the j 

 iron business, is an old-time iron man in the i 



GOOD ROADS NOTES. 



Highway Commissioner William Brown has 

 given it out that he will build two miles of 

 state reward road west of Birmingham, Oak- 

 land county, on the Franklin road. Crushed 

 stone will be used if the material can be se- 

 cured reasonably. 



There is talk of extending the road to Rice 

 Lake, about eight miles from bake Linden, 

 Houghton county. A few years ago this work 

 was commenced and a few miles were con- 

 structed. Funds gave out, compelling a sus- 

 pension of the work. 



Representative Dewey's bill amending the 

 county and township road law has been passed 

 by the Legislature. The bill provided that 

 the tax shall be at least $1 for every $1,000 

 valuation, but Representative Colby secured 

 the adoption of an amendment providing that 

 in Wayne the tax shall not exceed 25 cents on 

 each $1,000 valuation. On this basis it is esti- 

 mated that Wayne will raise about $40,000. 

 Kent and Houghton got in on the same pro- 

 vision. 



The roads in Independence township, Oak- 

 land county, will be improved early this sea- 

 son under the system in vogue. Heretofore 

 road warrants could not be made out until 

 after the last meeting of the board of review, 

 which made it too late for good work on the 

 part of the farmers.. It has been decided to 

 use last year's road assessment as a basis for 

 this year and start work at once, the farmers 

 to settle later on. 



South Avon township, Charlevoix county, 

 has appropriated $2,500 for highway purposes. 

 The improvement of the roads is to be let by 

 contract. Of the amount voted, $1,000 is to 

 be expended in making a gravel road, such as 

 is required by the State Highway Department, 

 to entitle the township to a share in the boun- 

 ties offered by the state for building good 

 roads. 



People who use the highways in Eaton 

 county say that the township of Delta is the 

 banner township in the way of having good 

 roads this spring. The township owns twelve 

 >c:-apcrs and had them out early preparing the 

 roads for the rain that fell a few days later. 

 The result was, that the water found its way 

 to the ditches, packing the dirt and leaving the 

 highways in splendid condition. 



The taxpayers of Verona township, Huron 

 county, have voted to build two miles of stone 

 state reward roads this year. Next year they 

 will meet Colfax township half way with an 

 appropriation for road improvement north of 

 Bad A;:e. 



Sewell township, Kent county, has appropri- 

 ated $2,200 for highway improvements. 



Oxford township, Oakland county, has ap- 

 piopiiated $500 to be expended on the public 

 highways in that township this year. There 

 is in addition $300 left over from last year 

 uhich is also available. 



