The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-11-22
REMARKABLE PREDICTION

REMARKABLE PRED1CTl0N'
Referring to prediction Of the panic a few
weeks before its occurrence by wealthy
merchant of New York" COPIED in the FREE
TRADER Oct 11th,) the New York Ecea'"9
! Pest calls attention to another prediction OF
the same event which is in all respects more
remarkable Some of our readers may have
seen copies of publication called The
Modern Thinker" 1t is published in the
shape of a small magazine, there are tour
numbrcs year, but at no fixed dates. In the
number issued in October 1872 occuri seven
predictions, all of them yet to be verified,
except the following, which are at least
partially fulfilled:
80. | predict that within the coming two
years this country will experience the worst
financial panic known to its history. 1t Will
be more widespread and disastrous than
even that of 1887. All the debts created by
our paper.money era will be wiped out or
COMPROMISED. Land will temporarily fall to
one half its present value. :,
a. This panic will be precipitatcd in all
probability, by the failure OF the Northern
| Pacific railroad and perhaps OF the banks VINO
manage it. This will bring to light such an
amazing amount of fraud in connection with
orr railroads as to disCrcdit all stocks, good
and bad The bears will hold high carnival
The men of most rcpute in financial circles
and on the "street" will prove to be common
cheats While the panic will commence,
from all appearance, in railroad circles, anu
will be confined for a time to the new western
enterprises, it will spread finally to the
national banks and will develop an amount of
rottonncss in those institutions which is now
beyond the power of the imagination to con
ceivc."
The accuracy to the letter of this prophecy,
in designating the Northern Pacific railroad
as the one with which the trouble was to be
gin; and the bankers connected with that
road rs the bankers whose failure would be
the signal of the coming financial tempest;
and that tempest to be marked by certain
characteristics which for twomonths past the
commercial community have watched with
so much interest and apprehcnsion-all this
is certainly as credible in the way OF proph.
ccy as anything on record,
The other predictions are still in the future
but look probable enough. The first is that
the democratic party will never contest
another Presidential election under its old
name and organization" and that "the new
antl-administration party will have another
name, and will fight under new leaders"
The second is sort of corolary of the first,
as it declares that civil service reform
minority representation, the control of tele-
graphs and railways, and the extension of the
powers Of the central government, will be the
main issues in future political campaigns"
The fifth returns to the Northern Pacific
railroad, and predicts that ten years hence
that enterprise will be looked upon as zone
of the most astounding instances of human
credulity and tolly;' and the 9th piles the
same agony on tillheayier The eth is, that
before the break down Of our railroad system
corruption will be rampant in Washington;
the railroad rings will run the government
wherever their interests are at stake" And
the last is that few will heed these warnings,
and when all have proved true the seer will
be forgotten, where we think he is slightly
ont