The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-09-02
PROSPERITY AGAIN
ALL SECTIONS REPORT lNcREAs-
ING BUSINESS ACTIVITY.

Letters Are Being Received Dy FeOPIo IN
Washington Showing Satisfactory
| Condition, and that the Country is
Getting Back to It's Normal Condition.
Washington. D. C.-Letters received
by members of congress. officials of the
various departments of the government
and newspaper men here indicate the
very general return of prosperity to
nearly all sections of the country.
| While all are good reading, it is posi-
BILE to call attention to but few, and
perm ission has been given to present
extracts from some of the most interest
ing, especially relating to the advance
in farm products and the general i'm
proving condition of the farmer.
They are as follows:
w. T. Voc, of independence, Kan,
says: ''There is general increase in
business here. Our wheat crop is l.
600, 900 bushels in this county, and the
price is 80 per cent above year ago.
Kansas will share in the returning
prosperity"
II. Z
Farmers have harvested excellent crops
of wheat and hay, with fair prospects
on other cereals. The greater part of
the depression here was due to poor
prices on agricultural poducts, and as
fair returns in-both quantity and quail
ity and in price are now assured, we
have reason to hope that better times
are on the verge of the wall surround
ing u.s."
w. H. Goetzinger, Elbow Lake,
Mimi, says: "There is a marked and
substantial evidence of return to better
times. Farmers have done more build
ing this spring than for number of
years past, and have bought more bug
gies and windmills than ever before.
Merchants carry larger stocks, tramps
are fewer in number, and in general
a better feeling prevails.
F. E. Adams, Mansfield, Mo-, says:
''The most noticeable improvement here
is in price and demand for sheep. For
this stock the price has almost doubled
and the demand at the higher price
trebled, which means prosperity for
many farmers. The demand for horses
and mules has been good and the
price higher than for several years.
Price of wheat here has almost doubled,
benefting many of our farmers. From
the statements of our county banks, the
deposits OF many of them have doubled,
showing that there is more money in
the country than ever before. Cattle
are high and farmers have sold more
cattle, sheep, horses and mules than
ever before in the history of the country
1t looks to me as though a renewal of
activity has certainly come or is about
to come to our country
j. A. Doty, Southwest City, Mo-,
says: "Two industries here, -four mill
ing and distilling after two years of
idleness opened for bu ,iness July /, and
other business enterprises that have
been under strain to keep going have
taken on new life and are employing
additional help. There is a marked
improvement not only in this place but
in surrounding towns and country"
Allen C. Bragg, editor and general
manager of the Gazette Publishing
Co., Reno, New, says: 1.-THE outlook
is encouraging here and better feeling
is undoubtedly about in the state.
The livestock interest, beef and mutton,
are looking up, wool is 8 and cents a
pound higher, gold mining has taken
on new life and much prospecting is
being done with a degree of success
that is encouraging Take it all in all
the indications are excellent for re-
vival of business. Nevada is not a
manufacturing state, but 1 regard the
outlook for livestock and mining as
brighter than it has been in the past
ten years.
j. Dawson, Eutaw, Ala, says:
"Our town has just completed electric
lights, and water works and the great
talk now is the building of a cotton
factory. Business is improving daily"
J. w. Baker, Columbia City, Ind,
says: Farmers have gathered fairly
good wheat crop, a. bountiful hay crop
and good oat crop, which indicated
renewed prosperity for them. A new
factory has just been erected here with
capacity of 800 employees and large
new lumber company has just started.
Our idle men are now generally en-
ployed, some at increased wages, some
at prices formerly paid.''
w. A. Smith, of the Decatur County
Abstract Company, Oberlin, Kan,
says: II have lived in Northwest
Kansas for over Is years and we are
now in more prosperous condition
than we have been at any time during
that period. We have had boom times
wherein business was greater and more
people were engaged, but like most
booms the bottom dropped out. We
are now on a solid basis. There are
more farmers working on their own cap
ital in this county than ever before to
my knowledge Our wheat crop has
been very fine and the corn will un-
doubtedly be as heavy a yield as we
have ever had. Alfalfa culture is be-
ing introduced; also the Campbell
method of cultivation with good effect.
The machinery for full creamery has
been ordered and will be in full opera
ton by September. Since January,
Oberlin has shipped ~ carloads of cat
tie and 1872 of hogs. Many mortgages
will be paid"
1t is a great thing for this country,
now that there is an existing standard
of value, that while we have an abund-
ance Of silver, $521, 900, 900, in the
treasury, we have SO limited it that it
we have the use of both money metals