Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-05-29
A Financial AnGgOTY.
An Easy Way to Pay Deots-
Lonely Valley Tries It.


financial situation, but the farmer
'srely reads them. Take tue Ia
est aud best, Horace W hlte's
Money and Banking" aud while
Il covers the whole grOund
thoroughly anG simply TO the stu
dent of france, much 0! II would
be lost upon the reader Who had
not some previous knowledge OF
bal ks and banking, United states
treasury issues, The meaning OF ex'
change, party ratios and interna
ti0ual commerce. What can be
easily understood, and wherein lies
the heart OF the whole matter, is
that 10 earthly power or govern
IDent eau make 9-one'half equal
A " hOle-and then 1t Is easy only
when we can get down to tho
primary pliuclple of credit aud
exchange and leave not the ST con-
diary and obScuiing action ct ar
tifcial MEDIUMS of exchange, or,
in other words. government created
debt paying mon Y.
In the story of Lonely Valley,
of course wheat represents gold;
corr, silvcI; the flrmer, the agrl'
cultural debtor class, and the
merchant, tie m,r,anlile creditor
class; the ,d.e, The L lifted 5 aies'
whose fat is relied upon TO make
6tiy cents worth of silver eqnal to
one bundled cents
Lonely Valley was nh ,blted by
a community OF farmers. 1t lay
remote from railways and cities
Wheat and corn were its staple
products. These were sold at the
only warehouse in the valley, kept
by one Simon SiOrekeeper. He
h ,nled the wheat and corn to the
distant railroad station, sold them
and supplied the farmers With
agricultural implements, seeds aud
general goods. Very little money
circulated, principally small change
All the transactions between the
warehouse and the farmers were
based Oh credit, and every season
the farmers around were more or
less in debt until their crops were
harvested. Tue credit, were made
by notes something as follows;
Lonely Valley, Now, lo'-
Received of Simon Stoi ekeeper
one hundred dollars worth of cred
1t for goods, to be paid one month
after next harvest in wheat or corn
by the bushel, struck measure.
HezekIah HsycrOp.
Witness: Harry Standby.
For mauy years this state OF
aflirs had continued. But early
one spring a sharpfaced squint'
eyed man came into the nsighbor'
hood and was noticed To be very
busy among the farmers, while he
avoided SImOn's store, the general
place OF gathering and gossip. He
complained of the high price OF
wheat to pay debts. one dollars
credit a Dushel aud the difficulty
of raising il, and set forth the low
price of corn, Fifty cents worth Of
credit a bushel, and Its easy cult.
walton. He at last persuaded the
farmers that he could get.a fIiend,a
member of his society, or party, as
lie called it, to run for Judge OF the
County Court, auG once in office, he
would gave DECISION which would
Lawful ly pay off all debts at half
price, while 1t doubled the value
of every farm 10 Lonely Valley
They had ouly to plant corn, ant
plenty of it, and very little wheat
aud vote tor his man for Judge Il
witness "a sudden prosperity be
yOnd their wildest dreams.
The farmers believed his plausibl
arguments. The corn was planted
the judge elected.
The judges first decision was oil
the legal bearing aud effect of ont
of the farmers notes to Sino
StOrCkeeper.
As soon as he heard OF it Hezt
kiah HarcrOp posted of to pa,
his note, chuckliug alt tue way
He hitched his horse in front @
Simon's door aud uuloaded on
hundred bushels of corn. ID
found Simon within, sitting on
-four barrel, smiling aud cOntente
and saw at once that he kne
nothing OF tue recent decision.
How dye, Simon
'HOS's yourself, HezeklaLf
Right peart, thauk'ee. l wal
10 pay that nOte-gpt the true
outside in the wagon
'All fight; unload while | g
the note. Ilezeklah had all
could dOtO keep from laughing
no toted i'm his huadrsd bushels