The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-08-18
league, graphically and truthfully
describes the condition in the south.
We give the letter in full:

we give Jne letter In full:
DEAR SIR enclose list of ''coun-
try homes" whose owners have been
ruined by the low price of cotton and
whose homes are now offered for sale
by the Caldwell and Judah Mortgage
company. Here is list of fifty eight
farms offered for sale by a single
mortgage company and the closing
out OF farmers is barely commenced.
Those marked with cross in pencil arc
in the valley here and are IN a section
that is > s fertile as the valley of the
Nile. You will notice that these farms,
part wooded and part under Guilt
walton, including buildings, cotton
gins and all improvements are offered
at an average of $40 per acre, figure
not over one-third OF what they should
bring, as the wild land alone is worth
$40. This list is not all that this COM
pany has taken in. The larger places
in this valley, bid in by them at 20 to
IS cents the dollar, they have re-
tanned for themselves and, l am in
formed that they lost large sum OF
money last year running those places,
raising cotton, and they will lose more
this year.
There is no money in this valley and
land and lumber are absolutely un-
saleable. I can sell my clear lumber
to go north usually, though just now
we cannot sell in the north, but coarse
lumber for building cabins, ETC., here,
cannot be sold and to ship it north
will hardly pay freight. cannot sus-
tain myself in the lumber business and
must stop. About all of the lumber
mills around me have failed or shut
down. l have quit cutting logs in the
woods and as soon as can saw up the
logs already cut and sell the tumb Der,
| will quit and go to buying car lots OF
lumber and shipping north.
There is nothing but serfdom before
the people of the South and West, un-
less there is change that will give
them living price for the products OF
their farms
Every thing is at deadlock banks
refusing accommodations to their Gus
toners, compelling everybody to pay
up and not paying out single nickel
that they can avoid. The govern
ment, banks and people, all are short
of money. IT this, and a heavy fall in
prices until wheat is lower than ever
before known, is not proof that there
is not near money enough, then in
Gods name when can we get proof Of
it? Yours truly.
GEO. PRENTIss.
For years the people have com
planned of scarcity of money. They
have been told by the bankers, by the
politicians and even by the President
and the secretary of the treasury, that
there was "plenty of money!" In
the light of recent Developments,
in the fact that even the strongest
banks are now calling for more
money, it is hardly possible to do jus.
tice to the shameful misrepresenta.
tions which have been made all along
for no other purpose but to deceive
the people, to the end that few un.
principled, inscriptions aud uncon-
sc;enceless shylocks, properly called
money devils, might enrich them
selves. The wonder il that the people
will stand it; that they are not driven
20 open and violent revolt. But the
most serious question of the hour is,
how long will they thus tamely sub
nit? Robbed of their homes, robbed
of their happiness. robbed of their
earnings and robbed, in many in
stances, of even the power to correct
their wrongs through the instrument
tality of the ballot, their desperation
will know no bounds. Surrounded on
every hand by trusts and corporations
that have grown immensely rich
through the arbitrary manipulation of
prices, taxed on what they buy and
tolled on what they sell, living in
novels built under the shadow of
palaces; watching their children
growing up in rags and ig-
norance, harrassed by Their enemies
and deceived by their pretended
friends, what the near future will
bring is hard to foretell.
A well-fcd stomach is easier de-
ceived than a hungry one.
The well-to-do have no fault to find
with the world.
Fortune has dealt kindly with them.