The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-01-14
THE TRADE OUTLOOK.
Sound Money and Good Crops Have
Brought an Era of Great
Prosperity.

The enormous orders which railroads
have placed for steel rails are the
most significant illustrations of the
great revival in business in this coun
try since the election. The Iron Age,
the standard authority in the trade,
says in its current issue that no less
than 100000 tons have been taken this
week. which means prosperity for the
mills next year. This represents onlya
part of the immense business that will
be done. for many roads have not yet
placed their orders, but are preparing
TO do so. From excellent information
at hand the Age concludes that the
production will reach 100000 tons in
1899. Three western railroads alone
have ordered 100000 tons, one taking
$4,000. Their orders for new cars are
on a similar scale. and altogether it
seems that the heavy purchasing which
the mills have been expecting from the
roads since the 1896 election has at last
begun.
The railroads are making the start in
the outlays which have been required
for a general revival of business. Soon
The other lines of trade and mapufac-
lures will follow. Confidence that was
first restored in our currency and
financial institutions is now returning
in every direction. Railroads did not
buy rails heavily, though they needed
them. until they could be assured that
the return of good times would not be
checked by the danger of further sill
YER legislation, and they could tell that
the results of twogood crops had given
the country basis upon which it could
depend for freights outside of grain.
The same thing has been true in prac-
tically nearly every other great line
OF trade. Money was plenty ard credit
good. but the wheels of progress were
clogged until the road was cleared far
ahead. Last year there were fine crops.
high prices and general winding up
of old debts. but people had not that
confidence in the future necessary TO
buying operations which make not a
few lines of trade but whole country
busy and prosperous.
At last the swelling of the tide is
general. and it is SO recognized in Eu-
rope as well as in America. Every line
of business is becoming buoyant, with
few exceptions. The demand for labor
is such that few men are unemployed
if they want work. Advertisements for
all sorts of help appear in the newspa-
pers, to whose columns such announce
D!ents have long been strangers. Even
cotton manufacturing, so long de-
pressed, is now rallying, and soon will
be prosperous. 1t will follow the up
heaval in iron and steel, of which the
strongest indication is given in the i'm
mense railroad orders.
The country never was so rich, and
its currency system has not for 20
years been so free from danger of at
tack. The first result of abundant funds
and the assurance that nc revolution
was to be attempted in the monetary
standard has been wild rush to place
Investments in bonds and fixed Sc
curities. What is coming now is the
withdrawal of money from bonds and
its employment in active trade. In
short, we are upon the eve of another
great era of development which will
discount that of S0-1s90.-Louisville
| Couricr-J Journal (Dem.).