The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-06-17


have now no further occasion for il. |,
could he made very serviceable in country
Office, and We will sell it At bsrgain.
Sen. Franklin on Croaking.
Community in Keokuk, as well as in every
other considerable place, especially If it he
new and ito future character and position be
not established beyond all peradventure, is
divided into two classes, the confident and
the croaking. Here, the great body Of the
people are of the former class, and it is
doubtless owing to this fsct,-to the un-
doubling reliance on steady growth and
ultimate greatness and portnnce Of the
town, that, next to the fortune OF an all
most unrivaled location, We are indebted for
that degree Of public spirit and enterprise
which has made our city what tits in 30 short
space OF time. But the croakers, il their
squad is ordinarily small, are stubborn and
inyeterate. They IRE predicting ruin, dire
and certain, continually. Many Of them,
possessed originally Of small tracts Of land
in the city, worth a few hundred dollars at
the time Of purchase, have seen their proper
~ 60 up, up, up in value, and from reckon
Ing their wealth by hundreds, they began to
reckon BY thousands, then by tens Of thou
sande, then BY hundreds Of thousands, till
they find themselves rich beyond the widest
anticipations Of their youth. But though
they hug their fortunes with miser's grasp,
they have grown up so regularly and rapid
~, and without any cause which to their
minds Was adequate to such astonishing re-
suits, that il seems to them like q delusive
dream OF the night, unreal and unreliable.
They do not appreciate the immense advan-
ages Of fortunate location. They do not
realize the actual increase in the amoant Of
population, OF business, of trade, and of
actual values, and they see nothing but ex-
aggeration and ruin on every hand. But
these people have their uses. We may smile
as their skepticism, but We could not spare
them. They are useful counserpoise to the
credulous, the enthusiastic, and the reckless.
They help to maintain the public feeling in
healthy state. II the dull-eyed and trem
bling croaker is . dead weight and disad
vantage to community, except as mere weight
serves Is ballast for a ship, the wild, grasp
ing and uncalculatins SPECTATOR compromi-
ses the healty growth and true prosperity Of
. community to no less a degree. The true
mean lies between them, and while We dis
coantenance the sneering croaker, we should
discourage the scheming speculator in pros.
pective values. We have no sympathy with
the reckless herd. They enhance the cost Of
transacting business, and so play into the
hands OF our competitors. They increase
the price Of rents, Of products, Of every
means OF living, and so enhance the cost of
every species Of manufacture, and retard
that progress in the mechanic arts which is
the surest basis of permanent success. The
true policy lies in the cultivation of cor
rect understanding Of our present condition,
and Of our future prospects rs they can be
predicted from careful observation OF some
thing like fixed and certain facts. Enter
prise, public and private improvement, and
the Investment Of money upon such basis
Of rational conclusion, is the part Of wisdom
ADD prudence. II is not everywhere safe to
rcvile the croakers. 1t is not every place
that is fortified against their portentous pre-
dictions. Change in the currents Of traiic
and travel hsve doomed too many to dilapi-
dation and decay, to enable US to denv that.
But that our own town holds natural posi-
tiont great extent Of country which, With
reasonable exertons on the part OF her citi-
zens, viii insure her permanent Importance.
We think no considerable and clear -si GIFTED
man can doubt. That our growth, though
rapid, has been healthy, and tina, sure and
steady growth in the future IA certainly
await Us, we have no question. That though
some ispeciss Of property are too high
others are too low, VIC fully believe and tina
Abe average Of values will steadily advance
IL rs sure as our calculation Of the ndyan
tsge Of location aud the consequent fu,ur,
importance OF the ci,y,-just precisely a
sure no more, no less. II that calculatio,
10 not true, then We are ruined alreadv. i
it is, then we are but in the dawn Of GU
Prosperity, and the remarks Of sage oil,
Franklin upon the croakers OF PHILADELPHIA
IN his early days, define the true position 0
the croakers Of keokuk, the value whic
may be put upon their predictions, and ex
hibit The sarcasm which may some day b
turned upon them. When be first engages
IN the printing business in Philadelphia, h
was met BY type Of these human ravens
and below we quote his remarks upon the oc
casion. taken from his autobiography. :
They are pertinent, sardonic, and Frank lin
like:
There are croakers in every country, al
Ways ooding It's ruin. Such . one there live
40 Phiiadelphia; person OF note, an elder
~ man, With wise look ed very gray
manner Of speaking; his name was Ssnue
Miekie, lbs gentleman, = stranger to me
stopped me one day at my door, and aske,
me Was TIE young man who had iatel
opened new printing house, Being an
swsred IN the affirmative, he said be was sor
~ for me, because i, was an expeusiy. nm
dsytAking, and the expense would be ,os,
Tor Philadelphia was 3 sinking place. IN
people already half bankrupts, or near be
ing 90; Al tne appearances OF the coptrar,
sach - new baildings and the rise Of rents
being 70 his certain knowledge fsllaciou.
Tor they were in fact the things tina, wouI
ruin ". Then he gave me such detail 0
misfossunss now existing, or that we're 500
70 exist, that be left me half mela ncholy. -
hsd ] known him before engaged in thi
oaolness, probably never should have don
Il. This pcrson continued 10 live ia this d
cAying place, and TO declaim 10 the sam
strsia, ss5usisg for many years to buy
house tbere, because all "a. going to d.