The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-09
THE OLD AND THE NEW YEAR.
What Has Been Done in Agricultural, In
dustrial and Commercial Circles.
An Encouraging Outlook.
From the News and Courier.

The prospect in South Carolina for
the new year Of grace which begins to-
day is encouraging: the retrospect
shows we have overcome many dlffl-
culties and, despite many failures ana
disappointments, we stand to-day on
rising ground and withaour face to the
morning.
The reports which are published
elsewhere practically cover the entire
State and afford good cause for coEgrat-
ulation. In Kershaw, Chester, Ian
caster and Williamsburg, and perhaps
in several other Counties, the farmers
will have to make a new start, bur-
dened with debt and discouraged by
the results which have attended their
honest labors; but there is no evidence
anywhere Of the spirit of despondency
or the lack of faith in the future.
s'Kershaw County would be much
worse off now than it is after the past
wears trouble, if it were not for the
success of the provision crops" The
merchants and bankers are in excellent
condition and the people "look for bet
ter times" In Chester County, as our
correspondent hopefully says: "Taken
altogether, the year has brought far
more of good than i'll to Chester and
the future is rich in promise" In Lam
caster County the farmers have sunk
money and their Indebtedness has been
increased, but "the people are not de-
spondent," and with favorable seasons
this year they twill rise up again and
contend for riches and honor" And
SO it goes all round the circle-wher-
ever the seasons have been bad and the
crops have failed and debt has in
creased, the people have put their
hands to the plough and gone to work
with unconquerable courage to repair
their fortunes and to make good by
honest industry the losses which they
have sustained in the past.
But the bad seasons and the short
crops were confined to widely sepa-
rated parts Of the State. The general
results of the years operations have
been satisfactory. The supply of labor
throughout the State is abundant and
the laborers are under easy control.
The banks have flourished, the facto-
ries have made money, the merchants
have succeeded in making good collec-
tions, and even in the least favored re-
cions there is bread for the eaters and
seed for the sower There is q general
demand for diversifcation Of our in
dustries, and South Carolina gives fair
promise of becoming the most prosper
Gus manufacturing State in the South.
In Aiken County there has been a
steady increase in the value of farming
lands. In Anderson "more deeds Of
conveyance and fewer mortgages ofreal
estate have been recorded in the clerks
Office in the last ninety days than for
the twelve months previous" The
hitherto purely agricultural Counties
have turned their attention to the es-
tablishment of new industries, and the
almost universal statement is that the
mills and factories have made satisfac-
tory returns upon the capital invested
in them. The doctrine of the diversi-
fcation of industries has, however,
found its best development in the di-
versifcation of crops. The farmers no
longer put all of their eggs on the bas-
ket. They are nearly independent of
the grain fields and the slaughter pens
of the West-they raise their own corn,
and the long discarded smoke-house
has become again one of the most i'm
portant buildings on every we'll regu-
lated farm. In Anderson the finest
corn crop in years was made last sum-
mer. In Greenville the farmers owe
--~s and have more. In Pickens al
most every crib is full Of corn" In
Darlington ';money will be scarce and
hard to get, but the farmers will re-
quire less than usual this season, as
they all have good supplies of corn"
The Farmers Alliance has taught
the farmers Of the South the lessons of
independence, Of self-reliance, Of active
cooperation and unyielding resistance
to all forms Of corporate greed and sell
fishness. There is greater economy on
the farm. and therefore greater thrift;
the rates of interest on agricultural ad-
vances have been decreased, and the
people are beginning to get out Of debt.
It is estimated that in York County
the amount of money made over all
debts contracted during the year was
from $4,000 to 800 900; in Anderson
County it is estimated that 20 per cent
was made on the capital invested; in
Greenville County "the people of all
grades and trades are contcnted and
prosperous"
The people throughout the State are
better off than they were one year ago
t. lay, but not so we'll off as they will
be on next New Years DaV. if the wear