The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-10-03
The Promise OF Material I'm
prOvetssents.

The returning tide of prosperity
which now SO happily brightens ,h'
prospective future of this entire oeun'
try, which however is only dimly per.
ceptible in this immediate section
should, and does, make one feel i'm
mensely better, and inspires new eu'
ergy for the duties of life, The past
FIVE or six years have been full of dis,
aster, business depression, aud gem
eral depreciation 10 values of all kinds;
and to such an extentntha the hearts
of the most energetic, industrious and
Ambitious sank almost hopeless as they
contemplated the future. The manu-
facturer felt that when his toll and
capital were expended in nanufaetar
log goods Of any kind that they would
not bring in return the cost OF their
making, and hence the doors of nearly
all this class OF industry throughout
the United States have been closed
The farmer knew that the products Of
his rich fields would net pay-the cost
of production, and that the land which
cost him $40 an acre would not real
ize him $50 in the market. The mer
chant saw the depreciation in his stock
of goods on the shelves exceeding the
profit he could realize by sales, and
this from season to season, eating up
his substance. This state of facts ne
cessarily parslyzed everything, capital,
industry, ambition, ali, gave away to
gradual hopelessness and espondency.
Passing from this state of facts, we
say, it is cheering to read every day of
the again crowded marts of trade, the
revival of the manufactures and all
kinds Of industries, toge Their with the
gradual rising values in verything
The merchant now feels that with ris.
ing markets he is certain TO realize
some profit off his capital and time ;
the same is true of the manufacturer
and farmer These returning methods
Of prosperity are SLOW to be sure, some
thing like the recuperation of an indi-
yidual who has been sick for a series.of
years, but they are certain, and proba-
bly, the more certain because they are
slow.
In almost every direction the un-
mistakable evidences of returning pros
porous times are to be seen, and par
ticularly in the larger cities In our
own locality it is plainly visible in the
increased trade of our merchants, our
manufacturers, and the abundant crops
of our farmers. Hence, we are all
growing more cheerful aud more hope
full. There are some Who yet have
not realized the return of prosperous
times, but the wave viii touch them il
they reach out with the fingers of in
dustry and energy. There are again
some who never will realize it, for they
arc doing nothing to entitIe themselves
to portion of the harvest. This
latter class-drones-always abounds
regardless of circumstances, condition,
or other causes.
From now on We expect to see the
tide Of prosperity increase--but more
certainly and rapidly after the Presi-
Dental election of 1880. Investment
has already gained confidence, and will
enliven things, as we say, gradually
II man now buys piece of land,
with good judgment, he can feel GER
tain of getting his mony back-in
other words that it will not depreciate
on his hands. So it will be in trade,
commerce, and the manufactures.
In the North, they are again letting
out contracts for building thousands
of miles of rairoad-and to some ez-
tent 10 the South too-something not
heard of in the past six years. This
spirit Of material improvement will
gradually permcate the whole country,
and Southern Kentucky aud West
Tennessee will catch some of it. We
expect in few years to see Fulton
county and Southern Kentucky reach
the benefits Of material improvements
which right now would Brighten some
of our chronic croakers to even hint
Of; but material improvement is going
to be epidemic again in the United
States, aud the chronic croakers OF
Hickman and Fulton county can't
guarantee against it much longer.
We are bound to have our share in
due time, aud we simply predict that if
this class don't get out Of the way of
the approaching car of prosperity, they
will be knocked down and run over.
and their places filed by men who will
act.
Gov. BLAcKDURN has already par
doned about twenty conviets, some of
whom were sick nigh unto death, or
otherwise unable to be of any service
to the State in performing manual
lobor.