The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-16

By HON. HENRY w. GRADY.
New York Ledger j

" hen my business partner came
home from tie war, in which be had
gallantly commanded battery, he
had neither breeches home nor
money. His wife cut up woollen
dress she had worn for years, and
made him a pair OF breeches. Gather
ing odds and ends from the ruins of
Atlanta, be built shanty, Of which
love made q home. His father gave
him a five dollar gold-plece, of which
ingenuity made capital. In three
ears be had built a $1,000 home
in eight years a $4,000 home. He
now has a 100000 suburban home
and is worth well over a quarter of
a million dollars. His life is an
eEitome of tue South in 1865-lts
swift energy-its cheerful heroism-
its shrewd knack of turning some>
thing from nothing-its stages of
growth-and its present prosperity.
The people of Atlanta in eighteen
hundred and sixty-four crept out of
the diagonal holes cut, like swallows
nests, in the hillsides, In which they
mad abided the siege, to find their
city in ruins. Old citizens could
scarcely thread the course of familiar
streets through ashes and debris.
AS the refugees struggled back and
the soldiers, afoot from Virginia,
found orce more their dIsmantled
hom, S, the ruined city trembled with
the energy ofa camp. Strenuous as
life had been in the South for four
years, It's most desperate struggl lie
had hut begun. The fortitude OF
the march, the courage of the charge,
The herOism of the retreat, the touch
ing sacrifices of the lll~paid and i'll
equipped soldler-Hte--these were to
re emphasized and prolonged. when
the tattered flag no longer flew, the
quick roll of the drum had ceased,
and the c0mradeship of the camp
and march was dissolved. From de-
feat and utter poverty was TO be
wrought victory and plenty. There
was no faltering-no repining-but
Atlanta worked as she had fought,
for all that was in her. Five hundred
shanues were made of the iron roof
iug Of destroyed buildings. -Four
posts were driven up-iron sheeting
tackled about them, cover laid, a
door cut and in these, with pititul
huckstering, was established the
c0mmercial system that now boasts
its palatial stores, its merchant
princes and IS known and honored
the republic over. In 1866 there
were but four men in Atlanta worth
$4,000: In 1882 there are six mil
lionaires whose wealth aggregates
$40 100000 nine others assessed at
more than S75O,000 each; fourteen
others worth over $500,0O0 ach,and
twenty one worth from $250.OO0 to
| $500, 900 each. These fifty citizens
now worth over $3O,OOO,OOO were not
worth $250,0O0 in 1865 Back of
them is a prosperous city filed with
WelI-to-do people and capital of a
prosperous State. How was this
pr0Iress wrought?
HIGH PRICES AND DESTITUTION.
In 1864 Cavalryman was saluted
by q citizen with: Il will give you
$50. 900 for that horse" The devil
you will | jus, paid niger 81.
900 for currying him T. About that
time I paid $1,000 for two wool hats
such as now retail fer fifteen cents
the dealer having knocked eff $500
in consideration Of my taking the
two. Enormous quantities of de
, prcclated currency were afoat un'
settling values and provoking reck
less and desperate trading. SO vas
was the issue that Gen. 1oomb.
charged that the treasury depart>
ment ran tie money presses oil day
and let the niggers run 'em all nigh
to work their wages off, The de-
probation Of the currency, however
did not hinder or warn the peopl,
who ha4 staked all on the success 0
the C0nfederacy. No matter what
man bought, it would bring NOR,
money than he p id for it. 1ha stor,
is tod Of speculator who bough
see eral hogsheads of sugar at i
GEMS 8 pound, and sold it at 2
cents. Shortly after he Invested hi
fortune lii sugar at Is cents, an,
sod at 40 and so on to the cad
; Each time he made more money, bu
it woald bay less sugar. He kept g
it, adding to his Increasing prot