The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-04
From the Ne,o York Times.
Country Changes.

Five years ago, in towns, if q man had pig to
sell, the buyer uniformly said, MS he took posses
and his request was granted a condition of the
sale. A farmer, in comfortable circumstanc es,
would raise half-ac of potatoes, with which, at
eighteen pence per bushel, he could keep his ac-
counts square with the mechanics around him.
At tho merchants he got every thing on credit;
and, it he was prompt man, about the middle OF
winter he carted down bushels of wheat enough to
pay his bill. The merchant-if he did business on
a large scale-had a long granary, which would
hold thousand or two bushels, and into this came,
sooner or later, the produce that paid half his &C
counts This could not be turned into money with
profit for several months, of course. The econom-
ical housewife liked to keep her accounts "off the
books, and so, when she made her purchases, she
generally paid in hens eggs, a bundle of rags or
stocking yarn. rich man would have charge
against almost every man for miles around, and a
poor one found his wealthy neighbor little less
punctual in paying up than his penniess co. labor
or at days work for five shiilings day-in plea.
SAINT weather. The minister raised no poultry, no
potatoes, no corn, no garden stuff, that he might
get his salary out OF those who did raise such-for
money was almost out Of the question. The doc
tor, if he was Yankee, took his pay in the little
nccessaries OF the kitchen, in wood land, when
the bill was long. He bought piece of wild land,
for the express purpose Of working out the debts Of
his poor patients, and the lawyer secured his fee
by mortgage on the property In dispute before
undertaking the case. The only son who inherited
a farm wac rich. II be found the paternaI acrcy
in good condition, he could send to New York
wheat or corn enough to make it better or extend
its borders But such thing as buying small
farm on credit, and paying for it by its crops was
out OF the question Shopping was system Of
in the hands OF the villa &c nabobs. . @
But now has there come marked change. Step
into the store and you will whoever bu goods
pulls out his pocket book and pays it's price, Chill
dren bring pass book to avoid mistakes, and that
ia about all the credit that is given or asked. The
dominic has to buy his butter just like another man
and even editors get, take, and give cash. Me-
chancs ask moro for their labor, and they get the
money when the job is done. The farmers look
comfortable, and Bit shrewder withal You sell
dom find one who has not change enough to pay
oil his family bills ms they contracted. Or IF
you find hun with an empty wallet, he takes you
to the store, and the merchant with whom he de.
posted from twenty to hundred dollars when he
any great accession of capital, without the moving
in Of half dozen families, the place is completely
changed. And, If you inquire how il happens,
any Intelligent man in the place confesses that the
same railroad which burnt up their woods, killed
their cattle, refused to fence their road when the
Legislature ordered it, and to this day has never
learned how to accommodate the public intention
ally by bringing them within few hours Of the
best market in America, bad done it all. ...... .
As it is with these towns so 10 it along all the
roads that radate from our great commercial en-
poriums. correspondent Of the Times speaks of
the Long Island Railroad running ''through san.
dy plains ninety miles. to terminus where there
is nothing, and beyond which there is nothing"
But the agitation produced by the frequent com.
ing and going OF the cars has begotten sonetting,
and greatly improved the value OF what there was;
made the sandy plains fruitful, and converted their
fruits into money. lo.E
The city grows by what it drinks in from the
country, and the country's richest deposits drift
back BY the returning train. Let citizens and
countrymen unite then and bid God speed to the
rail. car. W. '.