Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-08-10
HOPE FAST FADING.

O0SlKu6s
HOPE FAST FADING.
Farmer, Speculators and Railroad Mon
Alarmed at the Prospect
The corn crop last year was worth
$50, UO0, 900 on the farm-almost three
times as much as the farmers got for
their wheat crop; and last years crop
was q comparatively small one and the
average farm price was low, 81 cents.
In 1881 the corr crop was worth $780,
O00,0 600 to the farmers. The corn crop Is
always worth to the country as much
as ali the other grain crops put to-
gether; sometimes worth q good deal
more than all the others put together.
1t is no wonder, consequently, that,
the prospect having within two weeks
suddenly changed fiom one for u full
corn yield to for a corn failure,
everyone is excited, grain sp%eculator,
railroad manager. stock SPECTATOR and
mercha- t.
The government report issued July
10 indicated a cor yield Of more than
2,OW,OO. 900 bushels. The acreage was
put at 7t,0OO,OOJ; the condition. very
high. Only once was the acreage any
larger, in l.8y, and that year saw the
record breaking yield, Pip, 600, 600
bushels.
Up to the middle of July there
sesmed nothing to mar tho promise of
the most important crop Of the coun-
try. There had teen dry weather,
but a drought can last a long while
without creating any alarm. It is only
after one hope %. rain after another
has been disappointed that the farmer
begins to worry, and only after the
farmer has told of his fears for y week
or more that the speculator, railroader
or merchant begins to borrow trouble.
sem.-fanic Over the Corn Crop.
But now every interest, from the
first to the last, is in q semi-panic over
the corn crop which began with such
amazing promise and which has now
ap. aren,ly been almost overtaken With
disaster.
I'VE don t dare to say" said General
Manager st. John, of the Rock Island
Railroad, how bad we believe the corn
situation to be. Halt which the great
granger roads haul takes its origin from
the corn crop. There is the grain it.
hauled by the roads; 100. QUO, OGO bush.
els of it to Chicago alone in good wears.
There are the hogs and the cattle,
both dependent on the crop. Il
is not any wonder that the railroad
officials are afraid to tell all
their fears; nor any wonder that
the shrewd ones in Wall street are
getting out OF their holdings of the
great corn roads. the Burlington, the
Rock Island and the others. The YES.
sell men get three-quarters of their
tonnage from Chicago from this crop.
The elevator owner knows it is the
grain which pours into Chicago all
winter to pour out again in the spring
at the opening of navigation. The gen.
eral merchant is we'll aware that q cur.
tailment of the important crop of the
country, which feeds the live stock
and furnishes all the carriers the bulk
OF their tonnage, cannot be cut short
without cutting down the purchasing
power Of that part of the country
which makes good times or bad-the
West"
Iowa Crops Nearly Ruined.
The drought has been severest in
which raise usually about 400, 600, OOU
bushels Of corn, about o%ne-fourth the
entire yicld. There has been dry
weather everywhere in Illinois, Mis-.
souri,, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and
Nebraska; but there has been partial
relief Of late except in the two biggest
States. Halt this crop is made in the
seven States named and q quarter il
the two States where the heat and
droight have been the tiercest.
"Nobody In Chicago" SAYS James
Windsor, the well-known Des Moines
porkpacker, appreciates the condition
Of things in Iowa. There is no salva-
ton left for the largest part of the
corn. It is dead. The heat and
drought have been enough even to kill
the hay. On my farm, where l had
eOO tons OF hay last year. 1 cut forty.
five tons this year."
Rain would, of cour:e, relieve the
situation everywhere. Even in Iowa
and Nebraska there would be q rem.
nant saved, possibly 200, OOO, 600 bush
els, where 4,O,000,OOO was originally
promised. Illinois has had the most
rain and IL in the best condition. The
acreage In Kansas is very large and
showers there have helped to relieve
the extgency. But rain delayed now
every twenty-four hours means millions
more corn lost. That is why the signal
service map 10 thesoenter. al interest,
early each. morning, md why tho.
wesAhsers R~EsdietiqRi 20
cry each noon, and UNDERGRADUATES
roha,
drst Of oil each morning.