The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-08-10
HOPE FAST FADING.
Farmers, Spectators ana Railroad Men
Alarmed mt the Prospect.


Farmers, Spectator. ana Railroad Men
Alarmed ut the Prospect.
The corn crop last year was worth
S6O0,000, 600 on the farm-almOst three
times as much as the farmers got for
their wheat crop and Last years crop
was com aratively small one and the
average farm price was low, 81 cents.
In 1881 the corn crop was worth $780,
000,0 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 a 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 full
corn yield to one for corn failure,
everyone is excited, grain speculator,
railroad manager, stock Speculation and
merchant.
The government report issued July
10 indicated corn yield OF more than
1000, 900, 900 bushels. The acreage was
put at 10000, 900; the condition. very
high. Only once was the acreage any
larger, in 1889, and that year saw the
record breaking yield, ,, ll2,OO0,OOO
bushels.
Up TO the middle OF July there
the most important crop of the coun-
try. There had leen dry weather,
but drought can last a long whilf
without creating any alarm. 1t is only
after one hope to- rain after another
has been disappointed that the farmer
begins TO worry, and only alter the
farmer has told of his fears for a week
or more that the Spectator, railroader
or merchant begins 10 borrow trouble.
Semi-Panic Over the Co n 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
APP arently been almost overtaken With
disaster.
I'VE don't dare to say" said General
Manager IT. John, of the Rock Island
Railroad, how bad we believe the corn
situation to be. Half which tie great
granger roads haul takes its origin from
tho corn crop. There is the grain it.
SELF about 4U0,00J,000 boshels, being
hauled by the roads; 100000 900 BUSH
els of it to Chicago alone IN good years.
There are the hogs and the cattle,
| both dependent on the crop II
| officials are afraid to tell all
their fears; nor any wonder that
the shrewd ones in Wall street are
getting out o. their holdings of the
great corn roads, the Burlington, the
Rock 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 a 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 10000, or
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 Guarter in
the two States where the heat and
dco ght 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
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 / had
co tons of hay last year, l cut forty
five tons this year.
Rain would, OF cure, relieve the
situation everywhere. Even in Iowa
and Nebraska there would BE- a rem
matt saved, possibly 200, 000,00 BUSH
els, whore a 10000 was originally
promis ed. Illinois has had the most
rain and l. in the best condition. The
&C cage in Kansas is very large and
showers there have helped to relieve
the ext yency. But rain delayed now
every twenty-four hours means millions
more corn lost. That is why the signal
serv CO 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
tirst OF all each morning.