The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-06-27
A Plan To Relieve Financial Stringency
The Millennium Now On Capt.
Octave Heard From.


B.-"Hellol Mr.. Editor"
R.-"Hello! Major Bilkins. I thought
perhaps the wires had melted as you
are so late for your weekly chat"
B.-"Let 'em melt. Who cares what
becomes of them9 We have plenty of
money. I wuz cleanin' up my old
turkey rifle the other day an told
Betsy 1 wanted ter try it by shootin'
at the cows. She looked at me like
she thought 1 was crazy an wanted ter
know if l thought she could buy COWS
fer me ter try my old gun shootin' at
'em9 I tole her blast the COWS. Hain't
we got too much money in the country9
Might as we'll shoot all the COWS an
horses an buy nor We a use the
greenbacks fer gun waddin', an melt
the gold an silver money into bullets.
Anything ter get clear ov a little
money"
RI can't understand. Some time
ago you said there wasn't any money
in the country. Now you say there is
too much"
B.-"Well, that is what Mr.. Cleve-
land an them other smart ones low.
I reckin it is so if they say it is whether
it is or not Betsy wants ter know
whut is the matter with the mails.
| We can't get our mail reglar half the
time. MI. Bizzle or Buzzle OF what
orror bo :, mill hovo RI Oo% Mr. Wan
namaker ter show him how to I'll the
postoffice business"
R-"You are slow to catch on
Since the fourth of March the mil
lenium has been On and mail is a small
matter. They are breaking up all the
banks and dividing up the money.
The railroads have squeezed all the
water out of their stock and money is
being loaned at from 2 to 4 per cent.
Farm products are bringing fabulous
prices. So far as mail is concerned a
man in New York who may wish to
write you can now hop on the train
and ride down to see you and get back
home before a letter could get started
out of the postof1ce. This is a pro-
gressive age anyhow. You can starve
to death in the midst of everything
imaginable in the way of eatables. If
you have half enough money to pay
the interest on your mortgage you are
too rich to live and the bosses turn the
screws on a little harder just to save
your life"
B.-"Iu bet Capt. Octave Coke is ter
blame fer a guide deal ov that trubble.
He talked around last year till he has
made the folks believe there is too
much money. Has he got them State
banks runnin' yit3"
R.-"Not yet, but he is getting ready.
1 met him the other day and he said
Tell Zeke Bilkins that Capt. Octave is
standing right where he was when the
campaign was in progress. He still
believes State banks is the only way
out of this financial difficulty"
BIT am nifty glad ter hear that. 1
alters respect a man who has opinions
and sticks ter them until he finds there
is a better way. Tell Capt. Octave
that he orter start a few banks an let
us see how they wurk. We havn't any
other use fer our money now only ter
experiment with. I move that we
organize a State bank experiment sta
ton like the agricultural experiment
station an build all sorts ov banks an
play bankin'' a while just fer fun an
ter see which is the best system. 1
nominate Capt. Octave fer director ov
the station an suggest that an extra
session ov the legislator be called ter
appropriate 50, 600, 900 to conduct the
station. Good bye"