The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-07


able amount of cash still in the community. can
not affirm that there is more perhaps as much
money afoat here now as during the two preceding
years but this know, and every for
himself that it is plainly true. there is very much
less distress and absolute poverty among the working
classes including the negroes Numbers Of the latter
were the verge Of starvation two years ago. All
are now employed and have what they most desire.
"plenty to eat
GEORGIA, ALABAMA, FLORIDA.
PROGRESS IN ALL THREE srATRs-BUsrNEss ON
CASH BAsIs-INcREAsED DEA1.NGs-DI-
vERs1F1ED FARaINa-THE NEGEoEs WORKING
HARD.
ATLANTA, Dec. @ 1878.
'sThe people Of the South. and especially of
Georgia." said leading merchant of Atlanta to your
correspondent better OF to-dss than they have
been since the war" The merchant looked beneath
the surface of things get this cheerful view. About
the cities, among the masses, there is more grum-
bling and discomfort than there has been for years.
This is due to the Misrepresentation of politicians
more than to anything else. The greenback de1na-
gogues have succeeded in convincing the work
ing people that they are really in bad
way. They call the laborer's attention to the
decline in his wages, but lead him away from the
compromising fact that days labor will buy more
of the necessaries of life than it did before The
farmer is made to grow indignant over the fall OF
cotton to eight cents, and to forget that pound
OF cotton will to-day buy more meat calico than it
ever would since cotton has been grown. The
truth is the merchants of the South without
ception buoyant and hopeful beyond what have
known since the crazy days of inflated values. Their
trade has been larger than in several years the
surplus being more than large enough to account
for the early movement Of the cotton crop. The
business Of the railroad and steamship lines has been
Th.. via
vannah to New York, reported . surplus Of ss5,Do
net profits over the same month OF 1877,
and the stock of the road has advanced
in three months from 4s to "A. 1t is
indicative of the increased briskness and confidence
that the and the earnings of every road in the
state Of Georgia have advanced heavily and steadily
within the past year. The Central has gone within
that time from % to fB present figures. Within that
time four steamers. costing together over
s1.Oo0,000. have been purchased by Georgia COM
pany from Roachs shipysrd, and are plying between
Savannah and New York. new line of steamers has
been put on from Savannah to Cuba. The Northeast
ern Railroad and the Eberton Railroad both devel-
oping new sections OF country have been finished,
and the Minetta and North Georgia Railroad is rap
idly approaching completion. Within about one
10000 has been invested in cotton facto
ries in the State There has been failingof in the
total values OF the tax books but the percentage Of de-
cline has been only about onehird Of the general de-
cline in values.
CHANGE or SYSTEM.
The secret Of this general revival of business and
enterprise received satisfactory explanation call
at the office OF the Commissioner Of Agriculture Of
Georgia. This industrious gentleman DR.. James, has
the best system Of statistics that ingenuity could de-
wise experience suggest collected with the energy
peculiar 70 comparatively new enterprises. lie says
that the farmers OF Georgia are in much better
dtion than they have been since his department was
organized several years ago. The chief cause Of their
i'm provement is the general adoption OF the diyersi
cd system OF farming opposed to exclusive cotton
culture 1t has been the habit OF the Georgia plant
70 go into debt for everything the plantation
buying even corn and bacon from their factors at
high prices and runous interest. They would give
such liens on their cotton, which the only
the lavish habits Of the old slave days,
and tempted by the credit afforded by the
greedy factors they would buy loosely and heavily
ia the spring. and work through the year only TO
their cotton crop into the hands of the factor
soon as IL was gathered The amount Of money lost
under this system was enormous Senator Hill lost
100000 In two three years, and other heavy
planting princes did even worse These losses vcre
certain and heavy that the valuable plantations
fell into disrepute and sold for one-tnth Of their
value. place assessed at 10000 would hardly
bring. taxes, and never over $1,000 to si2,ooo Tho
thinking OF the South perceived that the
old system of planting must be reformed.
With slave labor It was easy to make money.
With free labor aud disorgnnzed system it diff.
fcrent. The Legislature Of Georgia and the Agrcul
tnral Department determined TO effect this cnangc.
The Legislature repealed the Lien law tby which
farmer could mortgage his CROP and thus destroyed
his basis OF credit. The department advocated tho
raising of corn. meat, mules DC. at homo, and lent
its energies toward exciting interest in orchards.
vineyards crops. sheep husbandry and such
branches If farm industry had been formerly
looked by our careless planters II demonstrated
that the wastage OF a Georgia farm would support
Vermont farm.
SPLENDID RESULT
This fall for the first time the admirable and posi-
tive edsrts Of these reforms have been felt. The
farmers commenced this year without any debt to
speak Of and they have kept out Of debt They have
TO marvellous extent adopted the diversified sys
tenn, and while, OF course cotton IL still the main
money crop, enough corn has been raised to carry
the state through without importing bushel of it,
Some counties have not raised enough. but others
have raised much more than enough The state Is
almost entirely independent OF the West, and this
means Independence of factors, OF high prices. Of
heavy interest ruinous discounts and loose expcnd
lures. The lack OF credit has made the farmer
more careful in his purchases. Having little
cash 10 spare he has bought closely, and
has managed to get through the summer with
very little expense: The shipments of dried fruit
from Atlanta alone during the last week 900
pounds. few years ago u would not amount to a
half million OF pounds Tor the whole season.. Two or
three Of the railroads have agreed 10 put fruit
TO their fast trains this summer, and Mir. Cunning
ham, the leading fruit grower of the State guarail-
tees that several cars will be needed daily on every
train that leaves Atlanta during the season. Tie
farmers no longer keep their snokehouses aud corn
cribs in the city Of Chicago, but have built them on
their farms They are happier, more hopeful, better
off than before for years.
SMALLER FARMS.
notable tendency OF the past Two years IL thccut-
ting OF the old plantations of two Thousand or so
acres into handy little farms of one hundred so
acres each. a popular plan is for large landed
owner TO cut his place into of farms, and,
putting house each Of them, rent them ON
shares 10 his old slaves TO white tenants.
NEGROES GATHERING PROPERTY.
The negroes IN most cases prove 10 be good ten
ants, and generally make their wives aud children
hoe and plough. IN this way they manage 10 make
Tho negroes have shown wonderful capacity for
saving and for acquiring land Up TO tire accession
OF the democrsts 10 power they had nothing. They
znowoxR.o+er ,o90 MortasG pronprtys ~ shown