Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-08-09
HOPE FAST FADING.
Farmers, Spectators and Railroad Men
Alarmed at the Prospect.

Farmers, Spe eculatory and Railroad Men
Alarmed at the Prospect.
The corn crop last year was worth
5000, O00, 600 on the farm-almost three
times as much as the farmers got for
their wheat crop; and last years crop
was comp aratively small one and the
average farm price was low, 81 cents.
In 1881 tho corn crop was worth $780,
600, 900 to the farmers. The corn crop is
always worth to the country as much
as all the other grain crops put to-
gether; sometimes worth good deal
more than all the others put together.
1t is no wonder, consequently, that,
the prospect having within two weeks
suddenly changed from one for a full
corn yield to one for corn failure,
railroad manager. stock speculator and
merchant.
The government report issued July
10 indicated corn yield of more than
1000, 00O, 900 bushels. The acreage was
put at 76,000,00J; the condition. very
high. Only once was the acreage any
larger, in 1889, and that year saw the
record breaking yield, 2,l12,000,000
bushels.
Up to the middle of July there
seemed nothing to mar the promise OF
the most important crop of the coun-
| try. There had teen dry weather,
| but a drought can last long while
without creating any alarm. 1t is only
after one hope Tor rain after another
has been disappointed that the farmer
begins to worry, and only alter the
farmer has told of his fears for week
or more that the speculator, railr oader
or merchant begins to borrow trouble.
SemI-Panic Over the Corn Crop.
But now every interest, from the
| first to the last, is in semi-panic over
the corn crop which began with such
amazing promise and which has now
apparently 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. Half which the great
granger roads haul takes its origin from
the corn crop. There is the grain it
self, about 4UQ,000,000 bushels, being
hauled by the roads; 100, O,OJO, O0O bush,
| els of it to Chicago alone in good years.
There are the hogs and the cattle,
both dependent on the crop. 1t
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
kock Island and the others. The ves-
sci. 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 well aware that 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
| Iowa and Nebraska, the two States
which raise usually about 400, 900, 900
bushels OF corn, about one-fourth the
entire yield. 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. Half this crop Is made in the
| seven States named and quarter in
the two States where the heat and
dro ight have been the fiercest.
Nobody in Chicago" says James
Windsor, the well-known Des Moines
porkpacker, appreciates the condition
of things in Iowa There is no saliva
tion left for the largest part OF the
corn. 1t is dead. The heat and
| drought have been enough even to kill
the hay. On my farm, where ! had
t0J tons of hay last year, | cut forty
| five tons this year.
Rain would, OF cure, relieve the
situation everywhere. Even in Iowa
and Nebraska there would b. q rem
nant saved, possibly 200. 600. 900 BUSH
els, where 4tO,00O,000 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 exi fency. But rain delayed now
every twenty-four hours means millions
moro corn lost. That is why thesignal
service map is the center OF interest
early each morning, and why the
weather predictions are scanned so
eagerly each noon, and why special dis
patches from the corn States are read
first Of ell each morning. ce