The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-09-22
Mu.ine.s ofKeohuk.

adjacent parts are filled with rumors Of tn,
great embarrassment Of Keokuk and its bus
mess men. According to these ridiculou.
reports, Sc, ahoat BY citizens Of rival towns
on the Mississippi, we are all busted up, our
improvements and building brought to a
stand still, our business men bankrupt, and
keokuk dead rs door nail. The old saw
says il you want the latest news from
town, 20 to the country" The above re-
ports convey news which is ahead of the tel
egraph, news which we have not heard in
town, and which, it so happens, is not true.
It's true. though, that the countryis largely
indebted to our city, has been so indebted
for = long time, and our merchants have
thereby been very much Inconvenience, -
That Indebtedness is 30 large that, it is safe
to say, il it were paid up in full to-day, not
only would the ssringency of our money
market be greatly relieved, but our city
would absolutely be better of than any city
in the Union. 1t is true that one house, and
only one house among our Dry Goods, Gro
~cery, and Hardware merchants, has assigned,
and that was induced by the failure of their
customers to pay up, and Immediately by the
failure OF q house in st. Louis, and even
this was an assignment with assets exceed
ing the liabilities. Not u single failure
or suspension, and only one assignment
among oil our wholesale Grocers, Hardware,
Iron, and Dry Goods Merchants! Can any
city in the Union show so clean record?
The increase Of the business OF keokuk
for the past, over former seasons, came fully
up TO its usual large ratio, and the sales of
our old and leading establishments we're
larger than during any previous season, not
withstanding the numerous new houses which
shared in the trade. And although it 10 true,
that nearly all our business men have been
somewhat cramped by the failure Of their
customers to pay up, yet they foresaw the
siringency and prepared themselves to meet
it. They have acted with great prudence
and caution, and thus have put themselves
in a condition TO weather the storm. The
credit OF our merchants is good, and their
reputation deseryedly high in the Eastern
cities, and they have purchased their full
stocks to meet the anticipated wants and de-
mands Of the interior on the usual terms
Consequently, We are pleased to be able to
state that keokuk now furnishes a better
market, in point of variety, quality, and
cheapness, for all articles needed in the
country, than ever heretofore. The unr-
vailed location of Keokuk has continued, in
spite OF the hard times, to attract and draw
hither men Of enterprise and capital, and il
will continue to do so. New stores and new
branches Of trade are constantly being open
Cd out. And our old merchants have laid in
supplies for the Fall and Winter trade which
have never been surpassed in variety and
quality. They know full we'll that the back
country is destitute Of goods, ana must and
will have them, and moreover that il
abounds in the most exuberant crops ever
seen, and consequently that il will be able
10 pay for the goods il needs before Spring.
And they are ready TO supply good custom
ers. Of course they will sell with discrim-
nation. They viii not sell merely TO ges rid
OF their goods, though there is not mer-
chant in town who could not speedily clean
out his entire stock, II he would give the
credit which is asked. Good customers can
get all they want here, without any trouble.
Such customers will be warmly welcomed,
and they will find, in spite of the reports
against US, that keokuk is still alive and
going ahead with giant strides, that her i'm.
provemen,s, public and private, are progress.
sing on magnificent scale, her stores and
warehouses are filled with goods, aud that
every sign justihes the splendid destiny pre-
dicied for our city.