The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-09-18
FIRES, FLOODS AND PEsTILBEoE.
THE GEORGIA PHILosoPHER's
Nh eUAr CHAN az


CHAT.
Bill Arp sympathizcs With Sufferers
from Fire and Flood-Hc Takes n
Hopeful View of the Financial
Prospects.
Atlanta Constitution.
/ oh, the pity of it! 1t makes the
heart bleed to read all the details of
that terrible calamity in Minnesota.
| We have heard of anything so
dreadful. Over five hundred human
souls in health and security suddenly,
without warning, burned to death.
Poor mem Poor women and chill
dren, flying from the flames in mortal
fear and perishing in mortal agony
Charred corpses of mothers found face
downwards as they tried to shield the
and let pity fill our hearts for at least
u little while. The ocean steamers
can go down with all on board, but
drowning is sweet, compared with this
whole families swept away by cruel
flames. None left. Nothing left.
When pestilence comes there is q
chance for some, and those who die
linger awhile and are comforted with
last words and tears of love. Some
are taken and some are left, but here
vas no time for words or tears; no
ministers of love, nc shroud, no coffin,
no flowers, no funeral, no mourners, no
grave. What is life but u peril =? Who
Is safe? Every now and then we read
of some terrible visitation somewhere.
Away down on the Rio Grande u few
days ago there was an awful food that
swept scores into eternity. Fire in one
place and flood in another, and pesti-
lence across the seas. And yet we
hurry on and take no solemn heed.
We do not stop oven foi u moment to
weep with those who weep. L sat in
the veranda of the Bell bouse on
Peachtree street in Atlanta. Bcauti-
full Peachtree that is paved with as
phalt and adorned with shade and
grass and tlowers and palaces. For an
hour L sat alone and watched the cease
loss trains of carriages and street cars
and vehicles of all kinds, thronged
with gay and happy people-fair wo-
men and lovely children, with not a
thought of pain or danger, while in
were hundreds of people hunting for
the dead--gathering up the blackened
corpses OF those who only a day or two
before wore just as happy, and felt just
as secure as these good people on
Peachtree. Friends, let us stop a mo-
ment and ponder upon the insecurity
of life. Let us be thankful hat no
such calamity hath bcfalien us.
Well, it looks like re have seen the
worst OF the financial .risis. We have
been at the bottom and the situation
is obliged to improve. Some say thai
there can be starvation in tho midst
of plenty, but / don't believe it. 1t
took all the two last years crops to
pay the peoples debts and get thcm
pack TO economy, and now, down here
in Dixie is another abundant crop that
Will scatter money broadcast all over
the South. Three hundred millions
for cotton and one hundred millions for
surplus corn is a heap of money, and it
to pay debts, and it will have to go
into cotton mills, oil mills, knitting
mills, canning factories, or some other
industries hat will give employment
to labor. Hero is my county, that is
about out of debt, that will make at
least ten thousand bales of cotton, and
have 100000 bushels of corn to sell.
There is half a million dollars to spare.
Our farmers are raising their own
meat and the crop of POTATOES is SPLEEN
did. Everything they have to buy is
cheap except coffee, and the tariff will
make all wooden goods still cheaper.
"A letter from my son who is in Eng
land, says he bought u first-class cassi-
mere suit of clothes for $40, and they
will be nearly as cheap here this
winter, since the high tariff has been
taken off. Blankets will be almost
half price. Our wool factories are
bowling about this, but it will turn
out all right in the long run Powers
u Wightman howled awfully whom the
duty was taken off of quinine and it
dropped from $3 an ounce to so cents.
But they dldcnt quit tho business, as
they threatened, and are making more
money on quinine than they aver did.
There is nothing like turning an infant
industry loose to shift for itself. a son
can lean upon the old man until he
thinks he cant go it alone, but he can.
The old eagles have to push their
young ones out of the nest or they
never would leave it, but would stay
there just as long as the parents would
feed them.
Low prices stimulate industry and
teach economy and cause new methods
to be invented. When pig iron drop
ped from $24 n ton to SIS iron men
swore they couldcnt make it at that
price, but they did. Then it dropped
again to $l2 and they are making it
still. Farmers said they couldent nor
they wouldent grow cotton for I cents,
puI Iucy Keep on Inc VIII DC glad TO
get ~ cents for this crop. Now, if we
can all have more gratitude and less
politics we will be better citizens and
and better Christians. 1t is very hard
to enjoy religion on an empty stomach
and almost impossible to get it. Hun
ger and misery makes atheists and
anarchists. Old Mrs. Job said Course
Cod and die" and most every man but
JOB would have done it. Bad luck and
trouble will shake the faith of tho
average Christian-the Christian who
has Il kind Of summer religion.
Most every man a enjoy religion if
he has a pocketful of money, or if he
can make u bargain with the Lord like
old Jacob did when he was fleeing
from Esau. "If tho Lord will be with
me and give me bread to cat and raj
mont to put on SO that I come to my
fathers house in peace, thus shall the
Lord be my God" That would be q
very popular religion. I would be
willing to promise the Lord right now