Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-10-10
GOOD TIMES COMING.

| COOO uoM&S OO"tNG.
Tho Evidences Of . sure Recovery
| From the General iiusfn ss Depres.
sion.
| From the New York Herald of last Sunday.
In building house the first thing
necessary to do is to lay the founda-
tion. We may own 8 handsome, YER
dant plot of ground, smooth and
pleasant to the eye, but before we can
make it the site of dwelling we
must dig down into the carth suffi-
cient depth, see that it is properly
drained, and lay a solid basis of good
stone, on which building may safely
stand. If we should neglect the nec-
cssary work, the superstructure would
be worthless, no matter how much
architectural skill and taste we might
expend upon it Before we can hope
to build up the business prosperity of
New York in such q manner as will
stand the test of time, we must disre-
gard all super fetal appearances of
Improvement and get down to the
hard pan upon which substantial
progress can be surely and securely
based. For the last six or seven years
wc have been fluctuating between
condition of unwholesome excitement
and state of business paralysis. We
have been living in an unnatural at
mospherc. The solid strength of the
county has, Kept up our credit and
appreciated our currency until the
gold premium has become merely a
visionary obstacle to practical re-
sumption; but until recently war
prices have been maintained and
speculation has been almost dead.
We have now opened our eyes to our
folly. Values are rapidly finding
their specie level. The cost Of labor
and the price of living are decreas-
ing. Weare digging out our lot and
building our foundation, aud when
this work has been thoroughly done
we may well hope to erect upon a
solid and lasting basis business and
commercial prosperity which will
surpass anything yet known in the
history of the metropolis. 49, 49,.
1t is a manifest fact that the mater
ial and political interests of the coun-
try have greatly improved within the
last twelve months. The entire South,
so recently antagonized and exhaust
ing the energies of her people in con-
tinuous political and personal strife.
is now in q condition of cOntentment
and reposc, and as consequence we
are entitled to look for a steady re-
vival of the important business inter-
ests of that section of the Union. New
York is specially profiting by this
happy ISOLATION of the chronic state OF
national arrangement and disturb
ance. Our streets have not in the las,
seven years presented such evidences
of prosperity as at present. The con-
veyance of merchandise foe transpOr-
tation to various sections of the coun.
try, especially the South, blockades
the thoroughfares in the lower par
of the city during the business hours
of the day. But the signs of business
reaction do not come alone from the
South. The West has had an unusu.
ally fruitful season, and with heavy
crops has come fairly active demand
so that on all sides the signs of en-
couragement and hope may be seen
The Autumn trade of our wholesale
houses has been larger this year thar
at any time since 1870. and the faires
evidence of corresponding improve
ment in retail trade of all descrip
tions may be gathered from the
general remark that ''trade is picking
up" The advertising columns of thu
Herald are, indeed, a safe and certain
test of the condition of business II
J the city. To-day, as on last Sunday
the pressure on the advertising col
umns compels the publication of I
|, uuintuple sheet. No better cvidenc,
Of the Increasing activity Of bushes
could be offered than that which i
supplied by the appearance of tn
Herald with its compact columns o
advertisements bespeaking tho enter
. prise and wants Of over 5000 persons
/ And as the metropolis is to the rest o
the Union what the heart is to tn
human system, 80 the activity in New
York bespeaks q healthy revival al
over the country.
While we thus seem happily on tn
point of recovering from tho trouble
we have encountered for the past fe,
Y wears, all Europe is in q condition @
uncertainty and fcverish depression
: arising from the Eastern conilic
I, with its possible eventual involve
4 ments, and the threatened approac
(! of domestic disturbance in certai
Estates. Franco appears to be on tn
Q verge or q collision between the pco
l pie and the Government. Spain Ger
tainly does not seem secure from po
K litical troubles under youthful
!. King who is the mere creature of
Q cabal. Germany, compelled to b.
ready for war, is constantly in stat
s. of great unrest, while Englan'
has no alternative bnt to prepare Of
p land and sea for the eventualities o
:. the Russian invasion of Turkey. Al
l. the business interests of Europe mus
s necessarily suffer from these existing
r and impending disturbances, while 7
n the United States they promise sub
le stantial advantages. Armies canno
be arrayed for war and till the field
= or labor in tho wOrkshops, and W
!! must contribute to feed their soldier
n and replenish their war supply. Bt
70 sides, European capital is alread
seeking investment on this side OF tll
m Atlantic for greater security again
lc tho uncertainties at home, and this
likely to prove Q new element
CO wealth in our principal cities. :,
nc 1t must be remembered that Il
business depression under which v
ID for some time suffered has not bee
~ due to tho want Of capital, for none
NJ has been superabundant in banks All
es places of deposit, and the low rates
q interest have been unprecedente
r: The difficulty has arisen from the III
~ settled condition of q large portion
q. the country, from overtrading az
s. cxtravagancc, and from the want OF
clear and we'll defined financial pc
Id Icy. Through these and other cause
nd there has been an absence of pub
er confidence, which has kept money U
er employed. As confidence is restor'
Nv money will be Forthcoming to ba
in it. Business rovivcs now because o
10. political disturbances are ut an en-
So. because eight States of the Unie
he heretofore In condition distracti
ID. and unsettling to tho whole COUNT
de have wheeled into line, assuini
'ds their share of the burdens and p'
In forming their part IN contributing