Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-01-06

eSting at this close OF the year. SlHce
August, prices of wheat in New York
have lowered along the dollar line,
sometimes a little below, frequently a
little above, and the climax was reach
ed the other day in Chicago when the
price Of winter wheat touched one dol
lar and nine cents. Contrast this condi-
ton with that of a short time ago. On
Jan. 2, 1896, the price of red winter
wheat No. in the New York market
was sixty-nlne cents. On Feb. Z, 1899,
it was fifty-seven cents; on Oct. a, 1894,
1t was fifty -four cents and a fraction.
Ohio medium class wool, which In
November sold in the New York and
Boston markets at thirty cents, brought
only twenty cents in January of the
present year. Montana fine medium
wool (scoured basis which in Novem-
Der brought fifty-three cents per pound,
was worth thirty-three cents at the be-
ginning of the year. Kentucky and In
diana unwashed, which In October and
November brought twenty-three cents
a pound in the markets, was worth but
seventeen cents at the beginning OF the
year. Lard, which in September
ranged as high as five dollars and TWEEN
ty-seven cents, Is quoted upon Feb. IL,
1897, at three dollars and ninety-fve
cents. Mess pork, which is quoted as
selling in the New York markets at
two dollars and seventy-five cents in
September, began the year at eight dol
lars and twenty-five cents per barrel.
Beef, which sold in the New York mar
kets at ten dollars and fifty cents per
barrel In November of the present year,
is quoted at eight dollars and fifty
cents in the same markets in July last.
In many other things farm prices
steadily advanced, and farmers have
reason to congratulate themselves upon
their improved conditions. A recent
statement by Bradstreets, in which 1t
compares prices of nearly 100 different
articles with former rates, shows an
advance in November in corn, oats, pO-
tatoes, milk, beans, peas, hemp, bar
relied beef, mutton, sheep, hops. eggs
and wool, while other articles of farm
produce retained the advanced position
which they had gained earlier in the
year.
That all these things have had their
effect upon the farmer and made his
year a prosperous one Is evidenced by
reports coming from every part of the
country showing enormous reduction
| In mortgage Indebtedness. Thousands
upon thousands OF mortgages, hundreds
/ of thousands, in fact, are being paid
off with the result Of years prosperi-
| ty under protection and sound money
and hundreds of thousands of homes
will this year have for. this reason ms
well as for many others a merrier
Christmas and happier New Year than
| they had known during the period OF
free trade and Its accompanying trou
bles.
Not only in the matter Of increased
earnings do the farmers find their con
dition improved, but coupled with this
has come a reduction In prices Of many
articles which they must buy. Brad
streets statement referred to above
shows n reduction in November In the
prices of coffee, cotton sheetings, tin
print cloths, iron and steel, coal and
coke and many other articles for which
the farmers money must go.
The farmers Of the country have rea
son to congratulate themselves also up
on the change which has taken place II
the management of their own Depart
ment OF Agriculture since year ago
Uncle Jerry Rusk, President Harri
sons Secretary Of Agriculture, was (