St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-14
THE BUSINESS SKIES IRE BRIGHT
ENFNH

THE BUSINESS SKIES IRE BRIGHT
ENING
Signs of healthy business revival are
growing brighter every day. The impulse of
business improvement is being generally felt
and recognized, and in some places is very
decided. 1t is true that the margins on trade
are very small as yet among large dealers
and small tradesmen are compelled to work
on strictly cash basis, but failures are grow
ing less freque&t, and business firms that
have been for the time EN- barrassed are again
looking for money where they lost it.
We have gone through a long season of
depression which has paralyzed trade and
extinguished enterprise. 1t has been sea-
son of shrinkage in values, of financial dis
timid, has been more than usually cautious
and consequently sense of insecurity and
encouragement has pervaded all depart
ments of business. Men who had money
sought investment in safe securities bearing
small interest rather than risk their money
in active employment. An overstocked
market has contributed to the depression by
causing mills and factories to shut down
or run on half time, and reducing
the wages of employees so as to
add to their stock goods made at
lower prices than could be made
in buster times. But the most potent fac
tor in the clamor about hard times has been
the shrinkage in values of stocks. Every
Spectator who has failed, and every moneyed
man who has seen his wealth shrink in vol
ume and felt its decrease in dividends, has
been a missionary for hard times. They
have gone about complaining and growing
about the pinching times, their faces have
beer long and wore a sad, gloomy appear
ance, their spirits at low ebb, and the de-
spondency of these professional croakers has
become contagious.
However, the worst is over The skies are
frightening The voice of the croaker is
not heard in the land so distinctly as it was
few weeks ago. The opening spring sees a
pretty lively business growing in volume
with each day. and the next few months will
witness the opening of closed mills and shops
and factories, and an increase Of the work Of
those which have been kept going. While
business may not assume the proportions of
boom, still there will be solid progress to-
ward general and permanent prosperity.
Travelling statesmen are increasing their
orders, capital is seeking investment and is
venturng into business channels. The iron
and coal interests of Pennsylvania are
among the first to recognize the
change for the better, and the demand for
coka shows thot tha furnaoa FROG arc heinz
lighted. The prom ptness with which the
SHAW Brothers, who failed for heavy sums
little over year ago, have gone to operating
their large tanneries in Maine, is one of the
healthy signs of business revival. And so
from all over the country come evidences that
the period Of uncertainty and wildcat specu-
lation is now over, and we can expect a
more settled state of affairs, out of which will
grow trust and better employment for the
| laboring classes. The gorge has been re-
lieved, for it does not take long for go, 900, 900
of the most nervous, pushing, liberal and en-
terprising people on the face of the earth to
get away with any overplus, and to consume
the accumulated surplus production of the
last few years, even though we be shut out
from foreign uuaThetS. Oue Vi Lne uesL efl-
dences of quickened business instinct is in
the very hopefulness and confidence becom-
ing more and more apparent. Everybody is
sauguine, and there is great deal in that.
The spirit of cheerfuluess is contagious, and
the excitement and emotion which
make cheerful prospect for one man will
enlven dozen others. There is nothing
like excepting stiff upper lip in business
as in other matters of life. The dumps will
never help community to make better
times. We must put on cheerful counte-
nances and strike out for ourselves with
courage and confidence If we desire to stimu-
late activity in business circles and give an
impetus to trade that will develop it into a
tide coextensive with the country.