The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-08-04
NUMBER 31s
FARMING AT TuE "FRoNr. ."-Nevcf

interest in the agricultural situation and
prost Gets. Business men, bankers, capita
lists, stock brokers, merchants, mechanics,
manufacturers, operatives, and day laborcrs
even are satchin, the daily bulletins aud
reports Of the weather, with especial r,fsr.
ence t. how it is affecting the growing
wheat, corn and oats, and the further plant
ing of corn. Never before have they seen
so clearly that farming is the real basis of
all other business aud that upon it rests the
prosperity Of the country. They now COM
preheud tho fact tha, i, was the good crops
of 1879, 1880 aud 1881, from the export Of
which we received 50 many hundreds Of mill
ions Of dollars from other lands, which chan>
gcd the financial depression of 1873, and The
year following, into prosperous activity,
extending through all branches Of trade and
manufacture. Every extra bushrl of wheat
or corn, or pound of meat, cheese and butter
that went to market helped turl the scale.
The hundreds of millions of bushels Of grain
that came frCm the interior to the scabcard
gave profitable employment to the railroads.
These bought and used more cars, more
iron, more steel, and the makers Of these,
from head director to the lowest lsborcr,
received more wages and more constant
employment, and they purchased more
freely those articles that 60 to supply the
necessities and comforts every day life
THIS stimulated aui increased the mcrcau-
tile trade, and made heavier demands up
on all kinds of manufactured commodities.
The farmers who received the proceeds were
able to reduce debts upon their farms to
buy more and better implements to pay
up their store debts, and buy more freely
from the merchants The merchants and
shop keepers were in turn able to pay up
their debts to wholesale houses brokers in
manufactures, and importers, and to buy
larger stocks Of goods for cash or on short
credits. The carrying Of these goods in:
creased the transportation business, and
stimulated the building of five to ten thou
sand miles Of new railroad every year.
This brief glance at some leading points
SHOWS thc great ahu lat-ICaCHtHS ilhuCHcc
of prosperity to farmers. On the other
hand, the uniavora! |, winter and spri2g
anl the summer drought Of 1881 cut down
the surplus wheat and corn and meat aud
dairy products and cotton, many score mill.
ions in value. This Of course diminished
exports and has started gold abroad it has
decreased the ability of farmers, and all
c!asse, of workers, to buy goods and mans
ufacturcs. The decline in the demand for
iron and steel, and the fall in prices, pre-
vent the payment of wages asked for
and there is now prevailing one of the grca-
test "strikcs' ever known in this country, of
laborers who demand higher pay to meet
the increased cost of living, due in part to
the advance in brcadstuffS, consequent upon
the lcssened crops of last year. Is it
any wonder that this stage Of things has
opened the eyes and enlightened the un-
Outstanding Of that half of the people who
are engaged in agriculture and who have
hitherto been inclined to look upon farming
as of inferior importance, and suited for
ciod hoppcrs ? Farming has come to the
front, and it is going to stay there. Amer.
icom .1yr"~huri,t