Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-24

From the Atlanta Constitution.
"The war made Us rich," said Boston
tourist the other day, "but the condition of bus
mess In the confederacy must have been unfa-
voraoie from nrst to last, as the currency was
all the time depreciating." From his stand
point the Boston man was right but our un-
stable currency did not prevent many of our
people from making fortunes During the four
years OF the war business was on a boom all over
the south. Our merchants caught the specula-
tive fever very early.
Secession came Just in time to keep the dry
goods men from laying in their spring stocks
but they did the best that could be done. They
sent their agents all through Tennessee and
Kentucky and bought out the entire stocks Of
hundreds or country stores. Many Tennessee
merchants refugeed with their goods during the
first year of the war to the interior southern
cities, so that the blockade found us pretty well
supplied.
A deprecated currency does not hurt trade.
1t is offset by the continual rise in the price of
merchandise. In those days it was out Of the
question To have any selling mark affixed to
goods. Prices rose too rapidly for that. Clerks
were instructed to raise their figures about once
%eek, sometimes h Jumping up 10 per cent ana
Ing in cities and towns took all this matter
of course. They found confederate money easy
TO get and spent 1t literally. Country people,
however, were emphatic in their protests. Money
was scarce with them, and as many Of their
time.
In the cities active young men who had been
clerking on $50 or $40 month set up in business
for themselves as soon as they saw the dawn of
flush times. They made money. 1t was not nee
essary to buy with Judgment All they had TO do
was 10 buy something, In fact anything, and it
soon turned to gold that is, to confederate
money. This sudden prosperity ruined many
a good fellow. 1 recollect one clerk a model
his job in the summer of 1861 and plunged into
speculation. In two years he was bloated
bondholder His carriage and coachman fairly
slittered. One OF his speculative Investments
was a wife, and she exhibited his diamonds to
splendid advantage. He was too sharp TO be
caught mapping, aud when the war ended he
had money enough to satisfy any reasonable
man. Then came bad luck. His wife died.
His diamonds and equipage disappeared. He
lost at every turn, and few years ago, when I
saw him Tor the last time, he was u slOvenly
barkeeper in a third-rate saloon.
More than one man in Atlanta made millions
out OF the government contracts. Spectators
tradesiHen, and manufacturers struck it rich,
What did they do with their money? Some
spent IL in eNtravagant living. Some purchased
slaves, and others bought confederate bonds
Others still, looked ahead and prepared for the
final crash. These turned their money into
greenbacks, gold, town property, tobacco, cot
ton, diamonds, etc. One man owned 100 dwell
ing houses in Atlanta. After Sherman's visit
hess man purchased 30 plantations, besides all
the atlanta property he could get.
OF the men who accumulated wealth so rapid
ly and invested 1t so wisely how many held
their grip on their fortunes? Not one! 1t was a
startling thing to put in cold type, but as look
back over a long list OF men who rose from COM
parative poverty to affluence during the war
cannot think of single one who is In comfort
able circumstances to-day.
My Boston friend was under the impression
that CONSUMPTION broke up our business men.
Nothing OF the kind. Even at the very last the
confederacy had surplus of Spectators and
storekcepers. Some were exempt on account
OF age or physical disability; some conducted q
business and were detailed to
attend to- il, and some, 1t must be said, were SO
wealthy and influential that they were above
the law.
1T will be surmised that the south was almost
stripped of the luXures of life toward the close
OF the struggle. This il a mistake. Adventures
were al! the time running the blockade. There
was nothing that our society ladies could not
BUY II they were willing TO pay the price. We
wanted stylish rig had no difficulty IN getting |
II. No doubt many of the articles smuggled |
through came from Yankeedom instead OF |
from England and France. Some OF the wide !
awake brethren on the other side of the line |
operated a double schedule. They took federal |
contracts, and on the SLY supplied the confed- |
crates for heavy cash consideration. We even |
lad the time and inclination to smuggle books |
through the lines. "Les Miserables," for in |
stance, came through, and Vice President Ste |
phens ana other leading men read the New |
! DIRK or Philadelphia edition long before the /
brown paper covered volumes. Ii literature |
could run the blockade 1t goes without SAYING |
thai ;,n thing could.
bi course, there is another side to the picture
The country districts were drained OF their men, /
horses, mules and produce. The farmers and |
the women were not SPECTATORS. They felt the |
evils o. war long before the con tending armies |
were in their neighborhood. This state of affairs
reacted upon the army in the field. Our soldiers |
ana farmers had TO stand or fall together, and |
both were involved in the general wreck. The |
SPECTATORS had their turn later.