The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-01-03
weeks afterward the water had settled to
about 10 feet below the top Of the ground
and gas came up through IT,
BUSINESS SITUATION

terra OF what good business years should
he. And yet who shall say that the condi-
ton Of things to day il not nearer the nor
NAL level Of trade in the United States than
il was in 1897 II the financial status Of
the majority of employees in this country
today is compared with that Of any year
ever known before the war, business will
be pronounced extremely good That
years of great activity and sharp initiation
of values like 1868 and 1880 will come
again in the future, is a. certain as the ten.
dency Of human nature 10 extremes in any
direction, But every little wave of ANNA
ton does No! mean a general business revi.
val. During the era Of depression from
1873 10 1878. many little ripples of i'm.
proyement came and went like last week
squirt in stocks and cotton.-B0stOn Com
meretdi Bulletin.
While il is true that the cotton mills of
the south have advanced the price of their
manufactures cent or fraction over a
cent per yard, and while here and there an
iron furnace is put in blast, II is also true
that throughout the country there is not as
yet any decided indication Of returning
prosperity But the settling down the re
adjustment Of things-is ABOUT over and
soon the reaction must come; for II is as
certain 70 come again rs that the earth re-
wolves on its axis.
The question arises, when that time
comes, will Ottawa alsr enjoy the boom ?"
What has she got to boom" when the
good time comes that is not running to day
as strong as II run in the BOGUS that fol
lowed the war? One bottle factory Is
there anything else? The finder will re-
ceive chrome on reporting it.
Is there any reason for Ottawa to expect
better times should the boom in the rest of
the world begin tomorrow With her
grain men paying less than those of La
Sale, Peru, Seneca, &c, is there any rea
son 10 expect grain TO come 10 Ottawa? At
the same prices will men haul to Ottawa
when market is reached few miles nea
rerf lent the grain trade gone from US
forever? Is there any reason to expect il
il will ever return?
Is il not true that our only hope of es
cape from perpetual dull times in Ottawa
is in stops' As there are none here now
that are not running full handed, or nearly
50, so il is not true that new ones must be
built by money brough, in from abroad.
Is not the town as favorably situated as
Aurora? Yet Aurora spent over million
of dollars in new building the past year in
spite of the duh times" If she can spend
a million in 1884, wha, will she do when
the boom" comesY
Ottawa has got 70 wake up! She must
look the matter squarely in the face. II her
business men are to bave return Of trade
they must do something that will make
them measurably Independent of a corn
crop selling at 30 cents abushel and only
small fraction Of that maketed here; so
that every time corn takes u tumble or the
crop is short they will not need to wait for
a new crop or for the board of trade gam
hlers TO work up a corner.
The Citizens Association has still an or
gaDizatioD, but no meetings have been held
for over a year--nearly two. The last one
was so big and enthusiastic, il seems to
have busted" the concern with enthusiasm,
being the only time when there was re.
spectacle attendance Ottawa men are too
proud TO let their Deighbors do all the
work, and the men who should attend the
meetings of such an Association stay at
home and laugh at the "cranks" who have
in times past tried to do something to build
up the town Whether another meeting
this is certain, that If nothing is done to
build up the towns manufacturing inter
est business men will keep on complain
ing of dull times, hard collections, &c,
during the next boom, just as they did
through the boom from 20 TO 'S2
The way Aurora works may be seen by
this little clipping;
Those manufacturers who were here q
couple Of weeks ago making investigations
with view TO securing a new location,
have been heard from. Since here they
have visited number of other places but
found none which offers so many advant,
ages or suits them as well as Aurora. The
season has so far advanced, however, that
they will make no change until next
spring; but they have informed gentlemen
with whom they came in contact here that
Aurora is by all odds their first preference,
and they will visit us again before giving
consideration
yet made them. There are at least three
(and probably two or three more) manu-
featuring establishments already of large
proportions that desire to locate together,
and il is believed their requirements will
be so reasonable that we cannot afford to
lose them. Those of our citizens who
have interested themselves in this matter
seem very sangulne that We shall secure
the prize, and that next spring will witness
a greater boom than ever before in'Aurora.
FALIX
The Proper Way