The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-05-16

gratifying lntelllgeHce:
Flour had attained price beyond safety Tor
Spectators, and extremely onerous upon con-
sumers Past history, SO far as relates to this
article, has shown that although extreme ne
cessities may have put it up to figure almost
beyond the reach of the great mass Of consum-
ers, vet this could be maintained only for com
paratiyely brief period, and reaction took
place.
In feverish times like those through which
we have passed, and still exist, holders OF pro-
ducers are apt to catch the contagion, and suffer
eventually from the prevailing epidemic of high
prices. They see the force Of arguments con-
sonant with their self-interested wishes, over
looking those of counter effect, being left event
ualy to regret when too late, that they did
not act differently.
When breadstuffs ruled so high, during and
soon after the war of 1879, many farmers and
others sent their produce to market, when ex-
orbitant prices were being paid, but anxious to
get little MORE refused to sell, placing their
goods in store to wait the top Of the market.
Fifteen dollars per barrel for flour was not
enough-they wanted seventeen. The same
with regard to wheat. corn, provisions, &c. A
few weeks passed and the food tide subsidized.
L
portunity was lost and many were obliged to
take less than onehalf what they could have
gotten, had the grasping spirit of yarce not
lured them with false hopes and baseless antcl-
pations. This same characteristic has been
manifested and sensibly experienced at all peri
dds when produce-embracing commodities
absolutely indispensable to subsistence, reached
prices apparently beyond their intrinsic value.
Dealers are too apt to forget past lessons and
regret they did not pluck the golden apple
when it was ripe. We have no special advice
to volunteer: preferrng rather that all who are
personally, pecuniarily interested, should act
upon their own judgment, butt does seem that
when prices equal to those paid for breadstuffs
during the present week can be had, producers
can lose but little in hazarding the risk of sell
ing. The spring crops, from all accounts, look
neutrality-suspicious. Of every description, if
no fortuitous causes intervene, will probably
be abundant. The harvest is not distant af
fairs in Europe seem much inclined towards
peace. and all things considered, viewing the
already downward tendency Of flour and wheat
we are inclined to the belief, that the highest
prices of the season have probably been OBJ
tanned.
Our BREAD AND BUrrER-The newspapers
are filled daily with news from afar off, and
discussions about Cuba the Maine liquor law,
Virginia politics, nothingism, &C., but We
see or hear very little about every day affairs of
most important, just now, to a large
portion of the community of any thing which
concerns us. We are literally paying famine
prices" for every thing we eat, and how poor
who work for dollar day
can buy enough with that dollar to support
themselves and families, passes our comprehen-
sion. Ten years ago we bought shad for one
shilling piece, now we pay four shilings,
which used to be considered high at
eight and nine dollars barrel, are now twenty
dollars, pork, S18, fresh beef, Is to 90 cents a
pound, potatoes, fourteen shillings bushel,
butter, three shillings pound, -four S12 SO a
barrel. corn. ten shilling s a busbel, and oats
rom rs to 80 cents. Who ever heard of such
prices before?
With all this rents are high and business dull.
The merchants are doing nothing like as much
business as usual. Carmen, who pay more
han twice as much for feed for their horses as
hey did SIX years ago, are not employed half
he time. Mllkmen cannot get feed in the country
or their cows, and some go six and eight miles |
o Brooklyn to get still Stops whilst the rail cars
IRE freighted with "brewer's grains going
hirty and forty miles up the river and oft on
he island to be fedto cows and pigs. Notwith-
standing all this, we are on thevery verge of
anime and our markets are liable any day to be
is empty as a church on a week dav-New /
[ DIRK is overrun with lazy loafers and vaga-
'onds who live by theft and robbery, and
hronged with idle and extravaganza men and
women whose useless wardrobes cost time and
abor enough to have produced food for ali the
,oor in the land IN. Y. Dav Book.
A Scotch paper-the John O. Groat journal
las got hold of a curious piece of court gossip,
which the editor says he received not at second
and, but direct from the highest quarters
t is as follows
Her majesty (queen Victoria) is much Of
ended at the Times. She has reasons to be-
eve It's statements regarding her troops are
and even if Tot the tone in which
he description. is given, partaking in about
quail parts Of a Momus- like Righteousness and a
antlng demagoguism, is offensive to her. Au
este, prince Albert says that the whole news
aper press has forgotten its due bounds, and
as fallen into RIGHTEOUSNESS of discussion Of
'hlch disaster can be the only result. So con-
inced is his royal highness of this, that he is i
epresented to have stated to some of those hay {
g the honor of his friendship, that he believes t
ne monarchy will come to an end with the t
eign Of his wife. We are rapidly drifting, he f
links, to republicansm. g
-~~~@>-~~-- G
We were in Minden on Saturday last, at =
hich time the municipal election came off in =
lat place. The issue was strictly between :,
Sam and the une,7jfed, and as such may be =
as fair test of the strength Of the =
now nothings. The result for mayor was: :
w. j. Blackburn, 40
G. L. Trott 81 S
Blackburn's majority, 25. e
he entire know nothing ticket for town coun- v
linen was elected by similar majority. There a
as strong wire pulling on each side, but Sam h
ulled telegraph wires, which worked rather a
20 fast for the irregular $40 trot of the oppo- t
ton, and, of course their man came tro1ing s
at most awfu]ly behind, to the great chagrn t
I'D terror of the unterySed. Sam is rather t.
st individual: the last we heard of him he s
as in Richmond, Va. and of course we had c
ot the most remote idea Of meeting him in a
linden How he pot there is unaccountahla n