Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-01-23
View Of Affairs in the Western States.

Horace Greeley writes to The Tribune, from
Chicago, Jan. II. that he has been as far West
as Iowa city. He gives his observations at
length. the most important of which VIZ give be.
low -
''The quantity Of grain in the west is greater
Than | had supposed. Illinois and Indiana II
think OHIO also) have far more wheat and corn
NJ this nom. NJ than ever before at this season :;
Wisconsin probably The same: while Minnesota.
though she has no surplus TO export, has at least
double the product ui any former year. And
this crop will 90 further and hold oui much bet
ter than hitherto, because there is an abundanc @
Of Prtirie hay almost everywhere. for want of
which millions Of bushels Of giain were fed cut
last year. | have hardly found a place outside
nf This city where this hay is not for sale AZ SIS
or Sc PER ton, While il is offered IN many places
al So 10 80. was told in Iowa Civ that a
lead which had been yainly offered there at ali
prices down tu 81. WAS final, urncd upon a
TREAD ui the NV neI for nothing, hut he declined
10 have II pitched into his yard. This story
may he apo"r!l.hal. but there can he 10 doubt
Of the general abundance and extreme cheap.
ness OF hay throughout thi. region, where it sold
up in some localities even 10 $40 per ton last
spring, while thousands Of cattle died for want
OF II. including some who had grain in sufficient
cy. The scarcity of stock hogs for lartInp IL
calculated to swell lie surplus of grain. WIS.
consin is buying pork by the cargo from Iii
mus, when She could proftablv make n su~plus.
II she only had the pigs whereby to convert her
excess OF corn into pork. Most of the wheat re-
mains still in The stack, awaiting better priees
the growers having no fl storage Tor it if ,hresb.
ed.
The Spring demand for goods, and especially
lr ury goods throughout this region mus; be
very light. The people are unable To nav for
halt the usual supply, and are 50 haras.,d Inv
debt that they do not choose 10 incur any more
Just now. A friend asked a tailor in Davenport
how his trade bore the general pressure. FIRST
rate he replied; Il have more iourneymen al
work than ever before, hut all mendinH. facing
and renting | hardly make a new coat
Ana tins must be in all departments Of trade un-
III Inc FARMERS can obtain better prizes. Seeing
4 farmer standing III Iowa City beside as rood a
load Of The Ohio or ground seed corn rs | ever
saw anywhere, ! asked him his price, and he an
swered, Eighteen cents a busiel." thounh,
tins cheap enough, but a friend assured me thar
1t was above the market fifteen cents for corn
and forty for wheat being the ruling prices. and
no money TO be had for graf even al these rates.
Consider that the ruling currency AT Iowa civ
consists Of the issues of a Nebraska Rank. far
which reiiher specie, Eastern Exchange. nor
even Illinois bank notes, can be Obtained OK.
cept at a heavy discount-ten To fifteen nrr
cent and not often al any rate, and Won will
see that this price for corn barley pays for har-
vesiing and marketing il. One-fo1rth of the
amount Of dry goods purchased at the East last
spring will be an ample supply for the require
ments of the spring and summer of 1858.
That the collection of debts should be a diff
cult process when produce is so depressed, is a
matter OF course. There is scarcely an Eastern
bank note to be tound west of Cleveland. and
any few dollars that may staegle lhls way are
eagerly snapped up aud sent East AS a remit
lance Gold is hidden, where it still fingers
but very much not only OF this, but of silver
change, has been gathered up and sent East.
Nebraska Bank notes, generally Of dubious sol.
vcncy, and uniformly convertible into specie or
Eastern paper only at a minous discount, cor.
poratlon shinplaslers, and even individual shin
plasIcrs, are the accepted substitutes for money
IN most localities west Of the Mississippi. One
OF the Hutchinson brothers, who are now here
singing their way Eastward from their new ZONE
IN Minnesota, informed me that he has been
singing along four hundred miles through Min
ne 'ota and Iowa taking Grain for Music wher-
ever cash was una'tainable, and has done very
well by it.
The most successful mercantile collector of