The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-03
THE YEAR 1888.

THE EAh 1888.
The days of the year 1888 are numbered,
their deeds recorded and the book sealed
forever. The threshold of q new and an
other year is good vantage ground for a
retrospect of the year that is gone; it is a
salient point from which to attack the
year that is to come. Such retrospect
and such resolve are eminently proper to-
day. The year 1883 has been one of gen
eral peace throughout the world. At some
minor points here and there have
been heard the clash of arms, and
blood has been shed in battle.
But such have been rare events, and the
great nations, though watchfully scanning
each the movements of the other, have
lived and prospered In unbroken peace.
And the commerce, the manufacture and
the agriculture of the world have profited
thereby. The world has coined wealth
and prosperity in 1883. But many shin
ing marks have fallen before deaths shafts.
And notably has the German empire been
thus afflicted Twice within the year has
the shadow of nations loss rested
upon that people, twice have
they had cause to mourn.
But the empires power peacefully has
descended from very old to young and
untried hands, and present danger of a
rupture of friendly relations between
European nations has been dissipated. In
our own country we have lost many nota-
BILE and honored men. But, young and
self-reliant as our nation ia, we have
raised up others to take their places, and
our grand ship of state is still! safely
guided. Pestilence, famine and the hor-
rors Of sudden and calamitously rending
natures forces have not afflicted the
world as at times in the past. True, in
some portions of our southern territory,
the yellow scourge has marked his way
with desolation and death, but an early
frost stayed his course and our nation
had not the cause to send up the wall for
the stricken as in the years that have
gone by. The control of our national
government has passed from one great
political party to another-but this has
been accomplished SO quietly and easily
there has been no jar, no turmoil; no
occasion for even the most nervous to
predict we had passed beyond the power
OF self control and our nations hope of
long lived republican government was
destined to early blight aud death.
As people we have this year been
fully blessed with propitious seasons and
with the steady growth of all our resorces
and business ventures. This is markedly
true of us as southern people. Our
states have been filling up with new popu-
lation; money and manufacturing invest
ments are rapidly finding their way
among us, and new spirit
of thrift and enterprise are abroad in
states once held so sluggish. In our home
town we have grown and gained vantage
ground. We have caught hold the wheel
of progress and given it halfway turn
which this coming year will complete in
its revolution. Our merchants and bust
ness men have begun to forsake the old
idea of isolation in business effort, aud
with joined hands i'll 1883 have perfected
plans of which 1889 will see happy
fruition. And the people of our county
are aroused from their seeming lack of
interest in our common advancement, and
are outdoing even our town folks in their
demands for concentrated action for the
whole county's betterment. All in all
1888 has been-for us particularly
grand year; glorious in its results, but
more munifcent in the assurances it lends
to good work to be accomplished in 1889