The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1893-05-19
TIMBER LAND INVESTMENTS.
The Recent FURRY in Banking Circles a
Blessing in Disguise.


The recent furry in banking cir
cles in this city and at other points
bids fair to prove a blessing in dis
guise. We had too many banks
and there are too many yet No
lumber manufacturer would erect
two mills, pay two sets Of hands,
oyerseers, clerks and superintend-
ents in locality where there is
only business for one. Yet this is
just what has been done in the
banking business all over the coun-
try. Two or more sets Of officials,
clerks, etc, were paid for doing
what one set could do easily, to say
nothing Of the cost Of "oAice fxt-
ures and furniture" that always fig
ure largely in every published re-
port Of the condition" Of the bank
and in the assignments, as assets"
People had too much confidence in
the banks and kept too much Of
their money tied up in them, in
stead Of lending it to their neigh
bors and friends who are trying to
make something in honest, product
i've industries.
We once knew a negro rock and
brick mason who always used hick-
DRY wythes in the erection Of his
acaffolds.' When it was explained
to him that he could save a great
deal of time, labor and cost by US
ing nails, he said: "That's all true,
but you see when a nail breaks it
all breaks at once, and down you
come unexpectedly, but you can al
ways tell a week or so before hand
when wythe is gwine to give
way"
Sol is with the man who puts all
his money in one bank that is lia-
BILE to break "all at once,7 whereas,
if he lend it to ten Of his neighbors
who are engaged in legitimate bus
mess, he could have at least twenty
good men bound for it, and the
recognized claw Of probabilities"
is dead against all of them "break-
ing at once" and under the worst
sort OF management, he is certain
to get some Of his money back.
Banks thatpay interest on deposits,
in order to make show of divi-
dends for the stockholders must
charge a rate Of interest that very
) few legitimate businesses can af-
ford to pay Hence they too often
) engage in hazardous speculation,
! or rather, gambling, that leads to
disastrous and wide reaching re-
! suits.
A great deal Of the currency Of
] the country is held by persons who
T wish to put it into long investments
and are satisfied with a low rate Of
interest. Instead of investing it in
the thousand and one kinds OF
? stocks and bonds that are always
y on the market, many Of which are
= utterly worthless, if the holders
g would put it into timber lands IN
the South, judiciously selected, il
: would be absolutely safe and just
as certain to bring future profit as
I it is that people Will continue t.
5, live in houses, ride on cars or.vehi.
d cles, OF be buried in collins. True
It they could not expect quarterly
Il semi-annual or annual cash divi
" dends from the start, but the ulti
'. mate profit is sure to come. Their,
d are no margins toput up, no for
4 FIXTURES in case of failure to do SO
i except taxes. In most Of the South
en States the taxes on the hes
: timbered lands do not exceed i
: mills per acre. For 2 years pas
: the increase in the value Of thes
= lands has averaged fully 25 pc
cent per annum, Every indication
points to more repid enhance