The record-union., 1897-09-01


order and diversity must prevail
The causes Of extra good prices for
wheat to-day are too well known to ad-
nit of farmers building high hopes of
continued success in any great measure
in grain growing The misfortunes Of
others are fortunes to them Prosperity
, born of adversely, bathed in human
blood and fostered by war, famine and
drought is not pleasing to contemplte:
neither can it be relied upon. Its lease
of life is uncertain, temporary Prices
may remain good one year more, by
which time the grain centers of the
world Will have recovered from their
present shortage and enter the field of
keen competition and completely re-
verse prices, which anyhow will adjust
/ themselves. But the strike made this
year is thrice welcome, and the fact
that farmers and others are paying off
mortgages. thereby erecting solid foun-
dations for future prosperity. is good
news to all and along the right line.
AN EXAMPLE.
San Diego Union: The dispatch from
Great Bend, Kan, telling what the
farmers are doing to clear off their
mortgages, is one of the many indica-
tions of the turn of the tide from ad-
Verslty to prosperity. Barton County
OF which Great Bend is the county
seat, is situated almost in the center
of Kansas, and is in the very heart
OF the agricultural district of that
State. BY the census of 1890, the
county had a population of a little
over $4,000, about two-thirds of the
number being on farms. These people
in little over three weeks of the pres
ent month have lifted $50 600 of their
mortgage debts, and their crops are
only half threshed And what is taxi
ing place in Barton County is occur
ring all over Kansas and in all the
great agricultural States of the Middle
West.
TOO BUSY.
Healdsburg Tribune: The professional
fault-finders are not finding the well
come ears that they did last fall Peo-
pie are too busy now to listen to the
complaints that they know are not
founded on fact and they are suspi
cious of men who offered them the
ory which would not hold good even
for one year.
A STRAW.
Salinas Index: Prosperity is coming
right along in Monterey County, and
not very far behind it's advance agent
either. Since August 1st this year
according to the books in the Recorders
office there have been a total of thirty
three mortgages cancelled in this coun-
ty. AS a rule great effort is always
made to cancel mortgages before the
assessments are given in. but this year
since that time the cancellations have
been more marked and more numerous
than during corresponding period of
other years within the recollection of
officials in the Recorders office.
LIFE INSURANCE.
Oakland Enquirer: The failure of the
Massachusetts Mutual Benefit Associa-
tion takes out of existence the largest
mutual life association in that State,
and it is attended by the usual de-
plorable results. 1t emphasizes the
fact that. although our State Govern
ments have undertaken to regulate the
life insurance business, they have as
yet accomplished very little in the di
rection in which they are trying to
work. The trouble at the root of it all
is that the science of life insurance
although in this age it has come to
interest nearly every person, is little
understood outside of a special class.
1t does seem that something should
be done to bring knowledge of correct
/ life insurance principles home to all
the people. AS practiced in this coun-
try, life insurance is very largely a
heartless swindle. Millions are extort
ed annually from the people by asso-
Citations or societies, which, being
founded on incorrect principles. can re-
turn no equivalent And the worst of
! it is that the life insurance companies
or associations which are actually doing
business on a sound basis are perpetu-
ally the target for abuse and misrep-
resentation by the fakirs.