The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-08-28
$40 FOR EVERY PERSON
That's the Value of the Unpre-
cedented Corn Crop.
Suppose it Were all in One Pile. That
2,55o,ooo Bushels Would Bury
the Tallest City Skyscrapers.
What Big Corn Crop
Means 10 the Country

Mother NSture has been generous 10
tho raisers Of Indian corn this year, for
she has caused to grow and ripen crop
such as was never seen before. Two
bfliielaS three hundred and fifty millions
CT bushels will have been harvested
when the Last ears are shelled. The
largest previous yield recorded, that Of
ooe,o0e bushels less than ia expected
this yos-.
In 1882 the crop reached only little
niezs than 1880, 600. 900 bushels; in
1899 i fell little lower even than
that. snd III 1894 it WAS almost three
tinles SIS Eluch below 1000, 900, 900
buahels az it will this year be above
tEat czaani quantity.
Ne adequate idea of the real mapni-
tude 81 chs years crop can be obtained
frcr figures, nor is the mind much bet
ter iafssaaed through the calculations of
the ingenious sharp who states that if
tic cEeife crop were placed in half bush
cl measures, piled one above anothereo
rs to AcFin tall, round pillar Of corn.
II would reach moro than twice ms far
into sp;rce as from tho earth to tho
n1con, rroviding that none of the half
bubhci measures was whirled Off
Ii tie corn were placed on half mile
square, tie pile would be about 4l9 feet
high-hiaher than any of our modern
slysc-apihg buildings. The total weight
OF tho Esass would be 1856, 800, 600, 900
ponads, or Us, 100, 600 tons.
L. >, - -
that eNerlnous pile of yellow corn? And
wouldn't it have furnished magnifi
cent text for the story that had to last
forever Ia order toYove the story toller's
head, running, "Then another locust
came ana got another kernel Of corn:"
Lce,1As at the crop as money pro-
auccr tho sgurcs are not less stupcndous.
SuE91sa the corn to be worth 90 cents "A
bTshal i'll New York, the crop of 1895
will be worth Fl, IFS, 900, 900 (enough
to build rs Brooklyn bridges, by the
way, with ~ little surplus of So, 0O0,-
ooo) and will put that amount of mon
ey or IT'S equivalent in circulation in
this country.
A httle reflection will show how bene.
hoial that will be to everybody. The
word everybody" is used advisodlv,
since, although the larger proportion of
tho money, say 30 cents a bushel. or
S7o5, ooa, 600, will go to tho farmers,
shout bwo-thirds as much, or $40, 0OO,-
600, will go to the railroads for trans
perring it. In other words, the farmers
VIII receive the equivalent of $40 for
every &an, woman and child III the
United States, and the railroads will
receive. the equivalent of So SO for ev-
cry inAabitant, making altogether $e3. 8s
for every family of five.
While tho farmers and the railroad
owners will be the greatest beneficial
rieS, Yet the good work of the crop will
be eaiy begun when it has been felt by
those TWO classes 1t is difficult TO say
where it will stop.
40 railroad trainhands, conductors,
engineers, etc, the task of moving tho
corn frem the west to the seabourd
means continuous work for months at
good wages. Track hands, too, will be
Kept busy, for heavy traffic necessitates
constant supervision of permanent way.
Coal miners will feel tho magic infiu-
ehce, since it requires tons Of coal to
~ SN@-iSiS VI CNlH. Every intSnalllC
employed i'll carshops, locomotive shops
and railroad iron rolling mills will be
holped, for more cars, engines and rails
VIII be required than would have been
had the crop been small
But not moro than half the work of
tho corn yield of 1895 has yet been con
sideled. OF the $7O5, 600, 600 that will
go to the farmers only very small pro
portion will remain with them.
Farmers will be able To buv clothing.
hats, shoes, wagons, slexyhs, machinery.
furniture and carpets, books, pianos. bi-
cycles, watches and an! enormous yarie-
ty of the products Of human skill and
labor Mills and shops and factories.
wholesale, jobbing and retail establish
ments that were barely keeping along
last year will be rushing with busi-
ness, and workman and capitalist alike.
north, east, south and west, will all re.
ceiVe banefits
DOES 1t seem unlikely to the reader
that tho cotton belt and sugar cane re-
gicn, whore no corn is raised. Will come
IN for their share of the good things?
a moments reflection will bring 70
mind the fact that when the farmers of
the west have plenty Of money they are
much heavier consumers of cotton and
sugar and other southern products than
fhey are in other years. and so there
cannot fail to be all enh anccd demand