Natchitoches spectator., 1868-02-20
.gaa Luck in Odd Numbers

: The following extract is from a letter
written l.y an old New 1o-k merchant
to distant friend il
The year 1867 has been n most event
rul and disastrous one all over the coun-
try. and especiaI.y to all hhsineSs enter
prise. The losses sustained by importers
and business men in almost every
have been fearful. Many
of mv old friends have been heavy
losers. and look rather sour and unaini;l'
blp but the new wear opens With IL more
cheerful and psomi ising prospect, and
hone flat losses will soon be made up.
am, like many o.her business men OF
my acquaintance, ~ believer IN iuckH
and ilnlucky numbers III the caicnaar'
and Whimsical and riaicnions as IL lll..A
appear. it is remarkable that every year
ii, tins ccii,ury ending with Seven has
been remarkable for panics and dlsas-
trrs in the business and monetary woriu. |
They have formed memnrlhle erts
parti. ..t,larly recall those of 1917, '2l, ~,
~ anil 81. The first remr'nber his
torc.,lly and by tradition, (as proving
ruinouS to some OF my re!atiunS,) Wss
the revulSion III Engiand, following the
premature attempt by the Baak OF EnE
| land TO resume sl,ecie payment, whlcn
reacted upon this country and was fol-
lowed by tiretuI consequences. Ihen
! the revulsion in 1927, conliectel with
! The commencemens OF the war upon the
! high protective tariff and other causes
! that brought down the price ot tobacco,
cotton, etc, to almost their lowest point,
and extensive failures followed -.
In 1887 the country was rednfrd TO
1 almost universal hankruptcy-s,iSpeh
sion of specie payments froine ohe eno
4 of the country to the other. Then III
'l1SI7 we had the disaster of the irish Ia.
mine, Mexican war, etc., which dering"u
business and brought hard times NeNt
comes the ever -memorablc year 1oot
when millions upon millions We're LOST
lbv the revulSion III the commerciai !
L world, which was merely the result Oh y
s,.t,seieSS panic, commencing by me eN-
: plosion cl the "Ohio Life ana trust
2 Company" which was at BEST Nel!
small affair, and would have aoo"t ,'e
< mn,h effect OH Wall stieet tolay as the
G,iIlre of II respectable grocer or di
: goods merchant III our midst; anu, "i
Il though, in 1867 we have no general pau
n ic. :,na the failures have not been s" u"
merous as in other wears referred 10, !e
: tl,c amounts involved IN faiinres aI az
l. tlie great centres of trade IN TINS cohh
try and Great Britain have been Stupen
e dous, and, embrace men OF the hignes
mercantile standing, who nave s'"o'. ~
like rocks in the ocean IN former p'Fi"'i
q OF revnlsiop, AMI there has neeh con
II slant siriukage in values and a uniNel
"A sal distrust and want of confidence
which has been as disastrous as panic
. in other times. It's also quite renarG
10 able tha6 the first year or two toliow'm
ld nanics and ruin have been general
H. very prosperous, and so lehope 1t WI
e' be i'm this case. DO,
1t is not probable that the minnie
=, seven has anything to d" with thlS per
III odical reyuIsion. 1t would seem til;
~ prosperity and ruin succeed each otl'
80 in some cycle of ten years Just as II
" enthusiasm of youth, the sagacity OF el
- ~ ergetic manhood, the failure OF senllll
~ follow each other in life. Anyway, Il
recurrence, with such IA regular lnterNi
si- is curious. and may he better eXplaint
IN bv the mor,liSt than the astroioger.