Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-08-01
A Brighter Outlook.

There are signs OF real Improvement in
many departments Of trade and finance, and
il Is well to take notice OF these eucourag-
ing symptoms, because prosperity IN b.. -
ness depends greatly upon public c"',L-
dence. The greatest OF all industrlc>-,hc
agricultural-has bright promise OF gener-
Gus crops. Both at the West and ut the
South the prospect Is remarkably good. 1t
i thought that the acreage sown should
yield the largest wheat crop ever produced.
aud the latest advices indicate that 1t will
be saved IN excellent condition. The ter
rble hea., so fatal 10 men, has pushed for
ward very rapidly toward maturity au enor-
nous corn crop, and, II no unfavorable
change in the weather occurs, the appre-
hegsious OF Jeiicient corn, which seem to
have prevailed in some parts OF the West
a lew weeks ago, will be happily disap-
pointed As to the cotton crop, the prom
ise is excellent thus far, and the condition
OF labor at the South Is such as to favor a
very large yield. In short, agriculture will
probably contribute to the Nations wealth
this year more than IL has contributed in
any previous year in our history.
1t would be idle 10 anticipate speedy re-
turn of iull prosperity for manufactures.
Yet there are many indications that manu-
featuring establishments. ia spite OF low
prices OF products, are doing large busi-
ness with gradual Improvement. We must
remember, first, that many OF the most im
portant branches OF manufacture have been
going forward with undiminlshed volume
daring all these years OF disaster. The
milling interest Is one OF the first impor-
tance. but there has been no decrease in
the quantity of -four made, and improve
ments In machinery have enabled the coun-
m, nrnHnpa haft,r lrss
than ever before. The lumber interest, and
the many branches of manufacture which
depend upon IL, have been steadily grow
ing. In the manufactures OF leather, though
the exports OF boots and shoes formerly
made have not yet been recovered, there
has been a great Improvement In quality
and In price. and a consequent expansion
of the domestic demand. American spin
uers are making but slender profits, and
yet they are consuming great quantities ol
cotton, aud have begun to recover the for
eign markets lost during the war. The
well-known TACT that American cotton
goods ut last find regular and consider
able sale In Engl land will finally yield i'm
portant results as to the supply of othel
markets. Probably there has never beer
| a time when the people OF this country
| were so largely supplied with woollen good.
| by American mills, or so cheaply supplied
\ and their independence of foreign industr,
! in this regard, when once established, will
| bring in better times the handsome profit
which few woollen mills have recently beel
able to realize.
The country Is In healthier condition
financially than it has been tor many years
Debts are being steadily reduced; for
wonder, there is no perceptbic iDcreas
even in the aggregate of municipal indebt
edness. Prices have declined TO or beloy
the specie level. The notion that labor |
peculiarly suffering from lack of employ
ment is effectively met by the Massachu
setts Labor Bureau, which shows that tn
number Of men now unemployed in ths
State is very small. Beyond dispute, it
gradually decreasing if for no other res