Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-12-20

The Republican State Executive Committee
of Virginia held meeting on Thursday and
adopted resolution urging Congress to grant
general amnesty. There was only one vote
against the resolution, that of Humphreys,
Collector Of the Port OF Richmond.
aos 1aat @ For the Spectator
81 A Word Of Counsel to our Farmers.
Farmers of augusta Like yourselves am
farmer, and, like yourselves, I feel the evils
that are brought upon US by the low prices of
the productions of our farms. The present
prices OF flour, corn, oats and rye will hardly
pay the cost of production. Beef and pork
are rather better, but, still. they are too low.
Our granaries are filed with wheat, and our
cribs with corn; but ninety cents or q dollar
for the former, and fifty cents for the latter will
not pay. fos
The question then presents itself, what shall
we do with the large surplus on hand? Shall
we sell it at the present ruinous prices, or shall
we hold on in the hope of doing better?
My advice to you is to hold on for while,
and [ will now tell you why eedi
We have every reason to believe that before
the lst of April next, the Valley Railroad will
be under contract, and remunerative market
opens to us for everything we have to sell. se.a
ID [ have talked with Mr.. Garrett, the Presi-
dent of the Railroad Company, and he informs
me that it is his purpose and wish to commence
operations on large scale, on the road, within
the next three months. learn from him that
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company are
just about finishing railroad which they have
been building from Connellsvie to Pittsburg,
and as soon as that work is completed (which
will be in February the company propose to
transfer corps of three thousand workmen,
with all their outfit Of carts, wagons, horses,
mules, oxen, and tools of every kind to the
Valley r. r. The whole force will come In a
body. with their families and stock. They will
| come like an army with banners, organized and
equipped for action, without delay.
Assuming that there are 8, 1000 working men,
they will, in all probability, bring with them
not less than 1000 women and children and
camp-followers. They will also bring not less
than thousand head of horses, mules, oxen
and mich cows. This will make an aggregate
these will have to be fed and supported from
our granaries, corn-cribs, meat houses, and hay
and fodder stacks
You can form as good an idea as [ can of
the immense quantity of flour, corn, rye, oats,
hay, fodder beef, bacon, potatoes, cabbage, on
ions, apples, poultry, whiskey, brandy, milk,
butter, eggs and fuel which would be required
to feed and render comfortable such an army
of people and live stock [ doubt if the en-
tire surplus remaining in the county would
meet the demand This new aae e::i;e.a :. .a
largely enhance the prices of every production
Of our farms. e% Nei A4iNs
But these people must not only be supplied
with bread, and meats, and vegetables, bat
they must also be clothed and buy their dry
goods, tea, coffee, sugar, rice, salt pepper,
spices, &C., from our merchants. The IF.
OF these things will ba IL. r. o.loo.
y. ..uuvy into circulation, and largely to relieve
the dlstresses of our people. X4
The annual surplus flour OF Augusta county
is estimated at $4,000 barrels, and of corn at
from 2oO,O to 100000 bushels. I have no
accurate data on which to estimate the surplus
of beef, pork, potatoes, cabbage, apples, hay
rye, oats or straw. But we know that there is
large excess of all these articles over the
home demand.
Now let us see how this matter will work in
practice. think no one would think it ex-
travagant to estimate that the new and extra
ordinary demand, arising out of the support of
4, 900 people and ] ZOO head of stock would
add one dollar barrel to the price of -four,
and 25 cents to the value of every bushel of
corn. In my opinion, the addition would be
much larger. But, to be on the safe side, [
will make my calculation on the basis of an in-
crease of dollar on each barrel of -four, and
Is cents on each bushel of corn. The account
would stand thus: r
Increase of ST on each barrel of s
surplus flour, 5000 0,..............$S0,0 600
| Increase of 25cts. on each bushel of
surplus corn, zoe, 600, 600.
Increase on meats, rye, oats, hay,
potatoes, vegetables, say."...".....S3O, O0O
Making an aggregate of..............$l60. Gee.
| This profit will be realized. =, u great meas
| ure, as soon as it il known that the work will
certainly ha commenced in March or April. 1t
! viii begin long before blow is struck on the
road. As soon as it is certainly known that 4, )
900 people and 1000 work animals are to be
| fed from our supplies, produce of every kind
will begin to rise, In anticipation Of the increased
demand Spectators will be on the lookout; but
my advice to our farmers is to hold on to their
crops, and realize the profits themselves. L
am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet,
but it would not surprise me provided this
large force is put to work by the 1st Of April
if -four rose two dollars per barrel, and corn
from 40 to so cents per by shel, before the close
of 1871.
At army rations this number of people would
consume over 20 barrels Of -four per day, and
1900 lbs of meat and the 1000 animals would
consume 500 bushels of grain and seven tons
of hay, daily.
When we add to these.artices, rye, oats, fod-
der, vegetables, fruits whiskey, brandy, &c,
it will be seen that the aggregate consumption
is enormous
In view of this prospective market, [ think
all who can should hold on to their crops and
CATTLE and salt their pork instead of selling it.
But some may inquire what assurance have we
Of this coming market? Ny answer is, that it
depends on yourselves IF you will vote the
subscription Of 100000 TO the Valley Rail
road, it is absolutely certain to come. All the
residue of the subscriptions ($3 00O,000) have
been made, conditionally, and you have it in
your power to make them absolute, by voting
the 100000 Mr. Garrett, the President Of
the road, and his gentlemen of unques-
tionabe character-give the most positive as
surance that if Augusta votes the 100000,
the work will be actively commenced within
three months. rs
Should we hesitate to do so? l think not
| verify believe, for the reasons above stated,
that the profits that the county will make on
the sale of her products noao on hand, will not
only pay the interest, but large part, if not
the whole, of the amount she is asked to sub
scribe.
70 A FARMER.