The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-20
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
sam Jones Thtuks they rctnt 20 TIC
ctdca Improvement.

sam scn~s Thinks they rctWt 20 TIC
ctaca Improvement.
Imay no. oe discerncr OF the signs
OF the times. There is something. how
ever, in seeing ard feeling. II seems
that the times are improving. feel
better and more hopeful, and find that
am not alone in this. shall speak of
some of tho signs tina; appear to me.
First, l find expectancy in many
quarters where have found discomfort
and slnios, despair. Thcologians tell
us that in the moral world hope and ex-
pecta1cy arc the two essentials Of faith.
There is hopcfulncss and there is ex-
peciancy in many quarters, Therefore
many believe that The times are better
and tina, they shall I've better and better.
The next sign l notice is more activ-
ity. Humanity scents to be going up
and moving on. l never saw such ac-
tivity in the newspaper work. II seems
that the American newspapers are rum
ming q race with each other. The Sun
lay papers now ire great magazines
filed with pictures. the news, moral
essays, historic, scientific. philosophic
disserta tions, and everything you can
imagine. even down TO the little "Yei-
low Kid" The merchants were never
so active as they are now. They seem
70 be racing with each other. Their
displays in the columns of the newSpa-
pers are something marvellous. The
bargains they offer tempt the world to
go and buy. Men are moving about
with more cheerful step.
In the last few days have taken in
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia.
New York, Washington city. Atlanta.
Ga, and so on. Inever saw more people
on the streets and in the stores than I
witnessed on this round. Broadway,
New York. is a see,hing mass of people.
The hotels are full. Philadelphia is
full. Atlanta. Ga, has buzz and hustle
on it. SO has Pittsburgh. The bank
and clearing house reports show
marked signs Of improvement. The
New York banks are filing up with
money. Three million dollars were
loaned one day when | was in Newt
York at TWO per cent. Time money can
DC had there. and plenty of it. at four
per cent. Factories and machine shops
are starting up whose machinery has
been rus;ing for months or years. Rail-
road traffic seems TO be picking up. The
trains are all running full of passengers
creT-yyy here have been lately. Freight
trains are putting and moving by at al
most every station. The drummers
seem 70 Ike more cheerful and active in
their work. l did not meet on this
round the long-faced drummers | have
been meeting so many months. TIE
drummers make good thermometer
and a good barometer. When the drum
Iners aie cast down business is stag
nant. Their faces and steps tell the
tale whether merchandise and manu-
factories are going on or not. Drum
mers now look and talk more cheer
fully.
Now these are some of the signs
v hich l have seen. And last. but not
least, the atmosphere seems to be
clearing up. And there is n business at
mosphere as well as a natural ntmos-
phere. 1t is not cloudy and foggy like
il has becn-making a fellow get long
breath every few minutes and making
him feel like he had lost the power of
locomotion Wheat Mt a dollar a bushel
is new phase OF things and will make
many "A farmer wish he had all his land
in wheat. Cotton at seven cents
pound is not bankrupting southern
farmers, and / believe the farmers of
the south are in better condition to-day
than they have been since the war. The
lessons of economy they have learned,
together with the diversity of crops
they have made in the last few years,
with a - or so per cent. cotton crop in
many of the southern states this year
have made the south as well off to-day.
if not better, than any of the other parts
OF the union.
AS | have said in previous letters, !
did not expect to see this country move
of in prosperity like a boy moves off on
his bicycle or like n passenger train
moves off from station. But there
is better outlook, better feeling, and
better conditions to-day than three
months ago, than 10 months ago. I'm
provement begets expectancy and hope
fulncss and activity. 1t is like the good
old brother in the experience meeting
who said he thanked God that he was
safe this far on his journey home. and
that he was thankful that il was every
way as well with him as it was. An
other old brother said: II thank God
that l am what am. and thank God
that am no ammer than am"
Tho great trouble with us is we are
in debt. Oh, debt. 1t is the curse of
America to-day. 1t is to a man in BUSH
ness what rent is to the poor widow
who earns her living with the needle.
"Oh, the rent, the rent" she says, must
be paid, even if it takes the bread and
meat from our mouths" Debts must be
paid, creditors must he satisfied, debt
ors must dance to the music; and debt
and the devil both go to worry the
saints and the sinners alike, How l
wish we could liquidate. How l wish
we could all just go into the hands Of
hnx.