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Mary’s river, 37 lights, $30,000; range at Windmill point, (to re- place Westcott’s range), $3,000; range at Fort Gratiot (to replace 6 MARINE REVIEW. OO EEE C. J. Mann and the Elevator Monopoly. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. BUFFALO, N. Y. June 4.—The floating elevator Cyclone,about which so much has been said of late,has a strange history. It has been unfortunate from its inception by Lyman B. Smith, of Cleveland, a few years ago, as a pneumatic apparatus for transferring grain and other bulk articles. Mr. Smith introduced a useful principle, and one that yet will be heard from. He put into the barge and its machinery all the money he could raise, and brought it here to show us how to handle grain. A few trials convinced old elevator men that the pneumatic or suction principle was possible and valuable for the purpose intended by Mr. Smith, but it had not been properly utilized to make ita success. Our elevator men had too much money invested in the old way of transferring and storing grain, to feel inclined to take hold of the new idea, and Mr. Smith had not the means to perfect his system. He tried hard to interest men of means, but failed, and the Cyclone, for which great things were promised, was sold for the benefit of creditors. The wonderful pneumatic apparatus was turned into old iron, and C. J. Mann bought the barge and rigged thereon one of the old-fashioned floating elevator towers. If things keep going on as they have been doing, the Cyclone may embarrass him as it did Mr. Smith. It’s been an unlucky institution. Probably no one but Mr. Mann knows just why he built this floater when there already were more eleva- tors, floating and storage, here than were needed. All the other elevators are in a combination called the Western Elevating Associatiou, which has a monopoly of the lake-grain handling business. That there are object- ionable features in this monopoly, no one will deny. It charges seven- eighths of one cent per bushel for transferring grain from vessel to boat, and thesame rate for the transfer with ten days storage in addition. This does not look right. The state law allows acharge of only five-eighths of one cent for transferring, but so loosely is it constructed that the asso- ciation can charge one-fourth cent additional for storage whether the grain passes directly through the house or not. Members of this monopoly assert that Mr. Mann constructed his floater for the purpose of compelling the association to take him in and pay him dividends as they do to the other elevators which are notin use. It is learned that an offer was made him by the association, but it was too smallto suit him. So they let him go his way. Then he announced that he would transfer grain for three- eighths of one cent, or one-half cent lower than the association rate. Re- ceivers do not like to patronize him for fear of falling out with the asso- _ ciation, whose facilities they must have at hand. Still Mr. Mann managed to get three cargoes to transfer, but had bad luck in connection with each. His conveyer needs considerable repairing. This conveyer, by the way, as put up so that he could load a boat ahead of the floater, and thus a- having three vessels abreast at dock. Mr. Mann now intends to his floater in the Erie Basin, where he can load directly into the at, and do away with aconveyer. Only light draft vessels, however, can ‘o into this basin. In the meantime the conveyer will be rebuilt. Mr. Mann says that he will stick to his Cyclone and make ita success. hether he will hurt the monopoly remains to be seen. Already quite a number of big steamers and consorts have come here light from Lake Michigan for 60-cent coal cargoes. An interesting ques- tion is, does it pay owners to engage in this one-sided traffic? ‘The coal rate, of course, is free from all handling expense, that being borne by the shipper. Sixty cents on coal per net ton, consequently is as good as 80 cents on iron ore per gross ton from Escanaba. Owners would willingly take ore at that price just now, because the run from Escanaba is shorter than the coal run to Milwaukee or Chicago, Careful and liberal figuring makes the cost per day for wages, provisions and fuel of a 2,000}%to 2,500 ton steamer not over $70. Thirty dollars per day is a generous allowance for insurance, towing, oils and other necessary supplies. In round num- bers, therefore, $100 dollars per day may be taken as an ample estimate of the complete running expenses of such craft. Coming down light, the round trip to Chicago or Milwaukee with coal ought to be made in twelve days. This leaves four days for loading and unloading the coal. The freight on 2,000 tons at 60 cents is $1,200, which would bring our big fel- low around just about even. If she takes 500 tons more there would be a margin of $300 on the right side. This computation, of course, provides for no unusual delays nor mishaps. It simply shows that there isn’t much loss in carrying hard coal at present rates. Lights and Fog-Signals Under Way. The last congress made appropriations as follows for aids to navigation on the lakes: Light station at Carlton’s island, Lake Ontario,$8,600; range light and steam fog signal, Ashtabula harbor, Lake Erie, $4.700; light and fog signal, Squaw island, Lake Michigan, $25,000; light at Old Mackinaw point, $20,000; patrol steamer for use on St. Mary’s river, $4,000; lighting St. Lynn’s range), $500; steam fog signal, Point Betsey, Lake Mich- igan, $5,500; steam fog signal, Devil’s island, Apostle group, $5,500; range light, Fairport harbor, Lake Erie, $400; range light, Lorain harbor, Lake Erie, $400. Allof these lights and fog signals are in the districts for which Col. William Ludlow, of Detroit, and Major L. Cooper Overman, of Cleveland, are light-house engineers. Col. Ludlow has already placed the Windmill point and Fort Gratiot ranges in operation, and the patrol steamer for St. Mary’s river has been in service for some time past. Both of the government officers give assurance that the other aids will be in operation before the close of navigation. Workmen are now engaged on the light station at Devil’s is- land, Lake Superior, and the stations for the St. Mary’s river lights have been under way for some time past. The Lake Freight Situation. The great bulk of the season’s product in ore, probably close to 4,000,000 tons, has been sold, and all the Cleveland ves- sel owners with a few at other ports, have taken enough of it to secure some work for their boats. In two or three instances Cleveland vessel owners have about all they can carry. The features of the week’s transactions are a reduction to go cents in the full season rate from Ashland while the Hscanaba rate for the season has been established at 65 cents. The increase in ore sales has been brought about by reduced prices. Bessemer ores are selling as low as $1.50 a ton below last year’s price, while the cut on non-Bessemers is in some cases $1.40. The cut on non- Bessemers is, of course, most discouraging to the trade, the per- centage of reduction being very much greater in the case of the cheap ore. It is understood that the Penokee and Gogebic De- velopment Company, controlling the Colby and other big Go- gebic mines, has made some sales and arranged with the Ameri- can Steel Barge Company for transportation. This was about the only big concern that had not placed any portion of its pro- duct up to the opening of the present week. The block of 25,000 tons of ore taken in Buffalo a few weeks ago, and about ~ which so much was said, has been located. It was Escanaba ore taken at 70 cents by Frank Perew, whose boats have never be- fore been engaged in the ore trade. The contract, considering later developments and the fact that Mr. Perew’s boats may be made to carry an occasional load of grain, will probably prove more remunerative than some that have since been made. While it is more than probable that more tonnage might be found to tie up at 90 cents from the head of Lake Superior for the season, if the ore was to be had, there is less inclination to accept the 65-cent rate for the season from Escanaba. ‘There is certainly very little ifany money in this rate for even the big steel car- riers in a season when delays in port are certain. Wild rates on charters made from day to day are unchanged at go cents from Ashland and two Harbors, 80 cents from Mar- quette and 55 cents from Escanaba. Considerable ore has been offering at 80 cents for single trips from Marquette during the week, and a few boats were put in for grain from the head of the lakes at 144 cents. There was only 2,557,545 bushels of grain in store at Duluth on Saturday last, however, as against 3,248,- 651 bushels at the corresponding time a year ago. Lumber freights from the head of Lake Superior show no improvement, the rates remaining at $2 to Chicago and $2.12% to Buffalo. Saginaw and Bay City rates hold to the opening figures, but the lumber trade on Lake Michigan is decidedly depressed, many boats in Chicago being unable to get loads at any of the peer points. The coal movement continues very active and eangpes of soft coal are readily found for nearly all of the upper lake ports at 50 cents to the head of Lake Superior, Marquette and Esca- naba, 60 cents to Milwaukee , Chicago, Green Bay, Racine. a ad Sheboygan, 45 cents to Lake Huron ports, 35: cents to. = river ports and 2714 and 30 cents to’ Detroi