The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-05

\ icM NN'hS iEO ! >iI'i " :" 49,
Successful .roccry merchant Of life
long experience, "Supro>r YOU were
now out of business. wonll yoli accept
IL gift 500 900. on condition that
sou riskcd ii all starting inthc whole
~alc groccry trade in Chicago ncv"t-
lng all your tili aud rucrgy to maxi
ing il Il >urco>,l His reply wa,
iromrt aud emphatic no. he
said, The rhAncr~ are too great that
! world lose il All NY time and labor
.-ldr>
There are only three really large
wholesale dry vooi> firms in Chicago.
Twenty years ago thrr" were eight or
TN. y fcw years ago lar.. firm IN
.i4at line failed The remaining firm,
wcrc very anxiou~ to layc the ku~i-
ness rrhablitatcd aud continued.
They felt that there ought To- be- more
competition than the three firms ould
give, bat although there vas no lack
- money. men who knew the cUndi
lions were unwilling to riskit and the
firm went under.
Last week. in conversation with the
president Of one Of our largest banks,
he spoke Of the difficulty Of lending
money safely at better than almost
nominal rates IF interest asked
him if he knew Of any line Of manu-
featuring in which he would advise
anyone to engage, no matter how well
he understood the business "No,
he replied 81 wish did then
asked him if he would be willing to
lend money to a man Of good habits
and good business experience who
promised to engage in the manufac
turing of any stable article Of which
he had thorough knowledge, in com
petition with existing factories.
Studying moment, he replied "No,
unless he had abundant means Of his
own to meet losses
No man living has ever seen "A bust
ness and financial situation like the
present in our country. For the first
time in our history, we arc creditor
nation. Chicago is called a Western
city, get Chicago banks have millions
loaned to German bankers. Interest
is higher there than here. Foreign
trade is hundreds of millions annually y
in our favor. Products from both
farm and factory were never SO large,
yet more existing factories arc being
closed than new ones opened. True,
many large factories are being further
enlarged and better equipped with
labor saving machinery, but still
larger number Of small factories are
being dismantlcd and the workmcn
and statesmen discharged. Times are
said to be improving, and they are;
business is said to be excellent, and it
is. Hitherto, good times and high
prices have always gone hand in hand
yet prices now, on manufactured arti
sicles at least have never been so
low. 1t is clear, however, that as the
consolidation Of manufacturers and
the establishment Of department stores
increase prices will go lower still. The
people insist on low prices for every
thing they buy and these are the only
known methods by which they can be
obtained
The future of wage carncrs, which
includes not only workmcn in fac
tories, but clerks, commercial
travellers, etc, is problem. How
far the law of supply and demand will
affect the wages Of those who retain
their positions is uncertain. One
thing, however, is certain: conccntra-
tion of business and the improved
machinery will continue to lessen the
number Of places to be filled. Those
thus thrown out Of employment
must find other means Of making q
living.
Making a living Yes. that is,
after all, all that any man can do, or
get out Of this life, no matter how
hard he may work or how much he
may worry. The actual necessities of
life are just four, no more; food
clothing, fuel and shelter. The aver
age hard working poor man eats more
and enjoys his food better than the
average rich man. especially if the
latter be Il brain worker as he usually
is. Years ago a boy friend of the
writer was sent on an crrand to the
home Of very rich banker. He found
the family ut breakfast. shall never
forget the expression "nhis face as he
said, "Why, they had nothing to cat
but plain bread and butter. oatmeal
and coffee The boy thought the