The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-02-15
Reasonable Profit.

VI
from the region of unreasonable
speculation about the profits of
farming to sober calculation of
the extent to which, on an aver.
age, farming win pay, the tone Of
society will improve. Expecting
nothing extravagant, they vii!
work more cheerfnlly for the GER
tain rewards that the most lust.
earth { .iststassinso terra as Virgil
80 beautifully calls it, will bring
forth to their labor. In the long.
settled parts of Kentucky, we are
informed that farmers consider
three per cent. profit upon the
capital invested in farming rs a
good business. In New England
and the Middle States, FIVE per
cent. profit upon the capital ipves.
ted is considered quite enough.
In England, four per Sent. profit
is considered remarkably good.
In Sonth Carolina, however, man
plants farm worth $4,000 at far.
thest, with stock and implements
worth $1,000, and expects q clear
gain OF 81, 900, that is, 25 per cent.
profit. 1t he gets but halt of that,
$500. or 12i per cent, he is plung-
ed into the depths of dependency.
And well may he be, for ten
chances to one, he has contracted
the very small item OF a debt of
81, 800 upon the glorious prospect
Of an extraordinary crop at two
prices, which it is the custom of
planters to believe in, each spring
OF each successive year. Now
they have got to give up this fool
ishncss. After paying themselves
reasonable overseer's wages, they
8 ould be content if beyond thar,
they make clear FIVE or six per
cent. upon their capital invested.
10 this they must come. 1t has
been the inflated price of cotton
that has concealed the reality from
them hitherto. 1t is not our coun-
try, our wornout sell, our climate,
our labor, that disappoints their
foolish expectations, as those that
are emigratins will find to their
cost. 1t is their own deficiency in
common information and in cons
mon sense, and the fact that their
capital in slaves engaged in the
monopoly of cotton production
has been lost. The monopoly still
exists, and farming South will,
therefore, pay better than else~
where; but the labor now
owns itself and Southern planters
are no longer capitalists employ
ing overseers, but overseers them.
selves, fortunate, however, in the
ownership Of the land, and of the
stock and implements necessary to
cultivate it, Rinms6oro Veaos.
We ask our farmers to ponder
the above. 1t contains truth not
generally admitted, but neverthe-
less true, as every man knows, who
has been engaged in planting to
any great extent. When we com.
prehend the fact, we shall have
made great stride forward.
ONLY SHADow.--A story is
tod of we'll known gentleman,
who sometimes imbibes too freely
of the ardent, going home at night
recently, and m;staking his shad-
ow, outlined on the front door, for
a man. Ile paused @ little in sur
prise, and then, lilting his hat very
gracefully, bade him good evening.
"a very pleasant evening"" said
the gentleman.
No reply.
"This is my house, believe"
he said, waving his hand.
The hand of the eladow went
through the same graceful curve.
"I should like to get in, sir, if
you'll stand aside" But the shad-
ow made no movement to let him
pass.
The gentleman was evidently
surprised. He repeated his desire
to pass in, but the shadow remain
ed still.
His wife, hearing her husbands
voice, looked through the window
blind, and seeing no one but him
self, asked why he didn't come in.
$50 l would, my dear, but this
gentleman" (poipting to the shad.
S:":i "insists on blocking up the
door"
His wife quietly opened the
door, remarking, "That was your
shadow"
Indeed" said the puzzled citi-
zen; swell, now, / thought he
was a mighty fine-looking fellow to
be 40 impolite," and went in.
Whenever he shows a DISPOSE
tion to remain. out late at night,
his wife has only to remind him
Of the shadow on the doorstep to
insure q speedy return.