Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-08
Are Seen in indications from
All Over the Country.
Business in the Cotton Belt Recovery
Slow in the West.
Lessons Of Hard Times Farmers Ase Begla-
Ing TO Buy-Noies.

proving slowly but surely and the people are
recaining u little Of their former cheerful
ness. is the testimony Of most Of the sena.
tors and representatives with whom have
talked on this subject. 1t must be remem'
bercd that our mem hers Of congress come
| from all parts Of tho country, that they
are in close touch with their constituents,
and that it is only natural they should be
able to feel the public pulse quite as
quickly and accurately as amy one. The
representatives from the southern statcf
are pcrhups the most encouraged. Almost
without exception they speak OF better
conditions now prevailing among their
pcople. While the price Of cotton has not
been high, it is little better than 1t was
ut one time few years ago. The most
important thing is that In many parts Of
the south the planters have learned to az
vcrsify their crops "a little, and they have
particularly learned TO exercise, greater
economy in their operations. They Had
they can make as much money with cot
ton at cents ms they used to make at lo
or II. The only difference Is that they
have to cut little closer, watch the small
things, manage IEore judiciously.
Years ago the cotton planter, for In
stance, never thought Of raising corn upon
TO which to feed his mules, or vegetables
his family and help. AS rule he
bought all such things from the north. or
from other Parts Of the country, and con-
fined his attention solely to cotton. Now
he looks to it that his corn and vegetables
are raised ON his own place, and also that
the pirs produce bacon at home and tho
hens eggs and poultry In many such
ways farming has undergone quite revo-
LUTON In tho cotton belt, and the result Is
That the south is returning to prosperous
days.
Hard Time Lessons.
Tho times have been very hard in tho
western states. There the recovery is pref
t. slow, but it is coming A senator who
has Just returned from journey out
through tho Mississippi valley and the
prairie states farther west tells me the
people are beginning to feel q little better.
They have had such hard conditions to
face that my change seems to them ono
for the better. The hard times have taught
several lessons. Chief among these Is that
debts mover make q man well to do.
Another thing the hard times have done
Is to put u stop TO the wild and reckless
speculation in town lots and other real
estate that has been going OH in the wet
fer several years. Almost every man OF
business in the western country was caught
in one or another of tho various promising
town site speculations. Money was to be
made hand over fist Values were to
double in few years. The boom was on,
and merchants and professional men and
thrifty farmers were attracted by the won
derful possibilities. They put in their cap
it;ll or their savings, and the only lucky
ones among them have been those who
got out whilo the Icons were still on.
Men who havo Travelled through the west
say that all tho speculative fever has been
taken out OF the people. Probably it will
DO u good many years before the disease
returns to plague them.
Signs CT Prosperity.
am told that the farmers of the coun-
try who stopped buying things they could
do without as soon as the hard times struck
the country arc now beginning to stock
up. They shut down buying clothing as
much as possible, and boots and shoes, and
harnesses, and wagons, and books, and
wall paper, and paint for their houses and
barns. They wore out their old things,
or pegged along with tho old vehicles,
tools, wall paper, machinery, etc. those
who had money stopped buying because
they were too thrifty to spend more than
their income Those who were without
money stopped because their credit had
run out. Now they have reached the turn
Of tho tide. They are ready to replenish
their stocks. They are feeling a little
more hopeful for the future. The small
Al %<xyx rt.x hos isvV,- ofI
more active trade. Soon it will be felt
among the jobbcrs and wholesalers. Then
it reaches the manufacturers, more people
are put to work, and prosperity shows &C
tual signs of returning.
In some of the states of the west, I am
told. the landlords of hotels in many smart
cities are just beginning to pay rent, Tor
the first time in three years. All through
tho hard times the owners OF the buildings
have given their property rent free rather
than have the hotels closed. A man who
knows whereof he speaks tells me he Is
able to namo a dozen well known hotels In
western cities which have not paid o dol
lar of rent since 1894. Many others have
paid only nominal sums. The proprietors
knew that if the houses were closed their
property might be irretrievably damaged
l6 was CnCaper ny Ear Aor tAeui w w Aor q
year or two without revenue than to have
the cobwcbs in the windows. Now the
trade is picking up little and the land
lords are either beginning to pay rent or
are expecting to do SO in very short time.
Where We Are Behind.
Delegates to the international postal
congress say they find many things in this
country to admire, but in some very Inn
portant particulars they think they are
ahead of us in the old world. For instance,
Herr Fritsch, director of the German
postal system, wonders that the people OF
the United States have given up their
streets to all sortsof monopolies. For IN
stance, he says that in Berlin, where the
telephone is managed by the government
as an adjunct to the postal system, there
are no fewer than $4,000 subscribers to
the exchange. This seems an incredible
number, considering that there are only
some 300, 900 subscribers to telephone ex-
changes in the whole United States But
in Berlin the rates are SO low, about one
eighth the average in this country, that
almost every householder finds the tele-
phone a convenience within his reach.
The foreign delegates have also mar
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