The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-01-20
our BOSTON LETTER.

WIN OSSsS"
The gush of the Christmas season is
over; the happy new years have been
said. Miranda Jane, during this cold
weather has wished that her Charles Au-
gustus had hung underwear upon the
Christina. tree instead of the gaudy gold
chain (platcd) and locket. Gold chains
and lockets and portraits of Charles Au-
gustus are Just too sweet for anything
but they will not take the place OF warm
underclothing. And Charles Augustus,
how he would like to swap the worsted
dogs, slipper case and even that pair OF
alleged slippers which Miranda Jane
made him at great cost of time. Tor the
price of pair of old-fashioned striped
wooden mittens and two pairs of country
knit stockings. And yet who would do
away with Christmas and its trumpery-
that season when with little generosity
one may atone for eleven and half
months of something nigh unto mcanness.
Plated gold chains, albums, worsted mic
macs, slippers so wonderfully wrought
and shaped that they need to be labelled
to know what they are, are the poetry,
the romance, the ice-cream of life.
Three weeks into the New Year, the
old scores should be settled OFF and the
balances adjusted and the new page OF
1856 opened We should now turn our
faces to the future. What OF 1t? What
is the prospect? win 1t be better than
the year which has just gomez The indi-
cations are certainly more favorable
First, as a rule, labor IL more fully EN-
ployed For manufactured goods, there
has been better demand and larger
sale. Wool, plg.iron, print cloths and
steel rails have advanced a little. Against
this, it may be said that the price OF
wheat and corn. two of the great staples
Of the West, show no improvement, but
the reverse. and that real restoration
cannot be expected until better prices are
realized. But against all discoura ing
circumstances must be put the feeling OF
confidence which exists In business cir
cles. 1t is argued that stocks of goods
are lighter than they were year ago ana
with labor more fully employed, the vol
ume Of consumption is sure to be such as
to make good demand during the sea
son. The silver coinage question Is the
cause of no little anxiety In financial cir
cles-a thing which may have bad effect
upon business enterprise. On the whole,
however, 1t may be said that the outlook
is more promising than it was year ago.
Why is wheat lower than for years in
spitcsof the short crop of 1852 The
crops of 1884 throughout the world was a
large one. New wheat fields have been
opened and production has been stimulat-
ed. Ten years ago 1t was believed that
our great West was the bread grower OF
Europe. The situation has changed. In
dia, under the direction of British energy
and by the aid of British capital stands
forth as the rival for the European mar
ket. Wheat lands are abundant and there
are tens of thousands of miserable
wretches to till the crop who live on
handful of rice a day, whose only cloth
ing is cotton breech-clOth and who are
well paid If they get from seven to ten
cents day. This scrvile labor enables
India wheat to be sold to-day In London
at a lower price than It Is offered In New
| York. The intelligent American farmer
cannot compete with such labor. And
this Is the leading cause OF cheap wheat
|
If the Maine Democrats cannot get Of
fice at home, they should come to Massa
chusetts. Mr.. +. +. Pillsbury drew the
first prize, Mr.. Mark Harden drew thu
Second and more recently, the son of ex
Governor Garcelon was made POSTMASTER
of Winchester. The local Democratic
magnates were hostile to him and thu
Mugwumps desired to have the Republi
can retained, but through some mysteri
GUS but potent influence, the son OF Gov
Garcelon got the Office. Was 1t II
recognition of the service of his father II
behalf of the Democracy in Manner 1t I
generally believed that Mr.. Pillsbury will
| not he confirmed Tho AIirertiser was
decided failure as Mugwump organ
losing money from the outset. 1t ha
now been taken by Republicans and i
now as truly Republican as If it had neve
fallen from grace.-The best speech be
fore the Merchants Association two o
three weeks ago was that of Senate
Frye.--We have been having as mucl
of sleighing the past week in Boston a
we usually get and more of cold weathc
than was relished. MAINE.