, 1861-10-24

AT no period since the settlement Of this Ter.
ritcry has the cry Of hard times" been so loud
and so often repeated as during the past two or
three months. Instead of exhibiting any signs
Of improvement, things are going from bad to
worse, until many Of our citizens begin to mani.
fest symptoms Of encouragement Money grows
more and more scarce, and cannot now be OBJ.
tained to meet urgent cases Of necessity even at
the most exorbitant rates Of interest. II has
almost ceased to exist here in reality, and lives
only in the imagination Of many. While de-
plortng this state Of things as we all do, we
should inquire the cause, and, applying the rem
edy for the evil, guard against its recurrence in
future.
Three years ago, there was moro money in
circulation on Puget Sound, in proportion to the
population, than we ever knew to be in circula-
ton, in the most prosperous times, in New York
city or San Francisco. Everybody had money
beyond his immediate wants-every ,ody was
rich, comparatively, and gold was as free as
water" in the hands Of men who now sigh at
the recollection Of the then palmy days. At
that time men were receiving thirty dollars per
H., - i..-:... -. - - :,
:. 'Oee"s' W %e,e ~SSureui '0'u@y' '"e
s-e ...s" "oSiI Os sAo 70 receive 'nree oOllars
per day for their labnr, but the money Is not
here to pay them. What has become Of all this
money! is question that It is almost superAu.
Gus to ask, as every observing man in the coun.
~ N"O~S ~neIs A"u 'Or "nat T" mas gone. Up
~, s''c C,.s ssAsOn' on, people nave drawn
sy W Oa''or"'a anu oregon iOr wheat,
uOu'' OAr'ey' 0a's' nay pO.a'oes' apples and
s'su Ou..er' anu 70 pay 'Or tnese articles nearly
.'s'y uO.,Ar '"sy possessed mas Ceen sent out Of
'"e SOu"y Hn o. Tue Ar''cles mere mentioned
O-u ~ P'Ouu0eu N 'ne cOuntes on tne SOUND
s,e-'y N EXCESS o. our wants and win as little
80. = =. required Ior tneir production IN CALI
.S'"', " OrSson' but we are unfortunate IN
.'le c"Arae'er Of our iarming population and
asnOs 'ue present trouble win few exeep-
lOu,' 'Hey are 'ile most worthless and lazy and
sUOu1Or'nO1hng people ever encountered any
"use. AN tnsy seem % nVe ior. many OF Them
~. y s"u "ru'-e themselves
y - ..s~ Sus ,g,., INFERIOR 70 tne indian IN ms
'-.u'-' s'A's' WIN suen . class Of iarmers II
NV 1''-"ss va. we snOulo oe compelled 70
Pu'v'',.e -, O1r O'.uu y IlS'an. markets. Aaough
u'sS.' ''-'no v gus''I uue .nls "Or'n'ess e'ass'
V."e,s' pOS'ssSins more 'n'e'hgence' ana VINO
s.ou'u n.se gwen oe''er accouhtoi themselves
~ nV' Iee IOm censure' we refer to those
-SO .ss'-'s 'H.'' 'A'ner 'nan MAKE out'er 70
'sn u ."en'y-nVe Genus pound, or grow wheat
u sevety-nve or eignty cents bushel, they will
suf.e, eucn people ought to starve, say We;
anu y = Fatliy'ng % know mat some Of them
arc ge'ths Starved out OF tne country, since the
storeksePeFs refuse longer TO credit them with
az the necessaries Of life The time was when
butter sold here at dollar pound, wheat two
dollars . bushel, oats dollar and half pota-
toes three dollafA eggs dollar and . half a
dozen, Vegetables and other articles in proper
ton and because these prices cannot be now
obtained. u Is not worth the trouble Of these in
dnstFious and sensible people to bring them to
marketi OF course not But they will think
better Of itby and by.
In no part Of the world, We think, are farmers
receiving better prices for their produce, Of all
kinds, than is paid on Puget Sound to-day. Il
Is true that prices have ihlIen wonderfully, but
the fall Is only great when we compare the pre-
sent with iormer prices here. Never anywhere
nor at any time, except in California in 1850, 81
and '62, did farmers receive such prices for their
produce IS they did here three years ago. I!
our farmers had nrodt,ced onlv arfic;an& A, ans,
ply the wants Of our own psopie in times past