Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-03


down on the Etowah river with
an old neighbor the other day
discussing the high water and its raw
ages upon the farms along its course,
and he incidentally remarked that he
had noticed in his observation Of the
various stages of the river that 1t
never did the same thing twice, though
IL might rise to equal heights, and yet
II is said that history repeats itself.
Well. things do happen and happen on,
hut somehow or other we are never
hit twice the same way by the same
thing. no matter If it has been around
in our neck of the woods before. There
is a vast difference in the seasons,
our winters are getting later every
year. and our falls prettier, and our
summers hotter.
I know. again, that we have for four
years now about had period of I'M
interrupted prosperity, not IN Dooms
and bubbles, as we have had in the
past. but in railroad traffic. in the iron
Industry. in all the marts OF trade and
manufacture there has been glow and
scintiIlation. Prophets who nave
known the history of good times in the
past have told us that these good
times would end last year. Some pre-
dicted they would end in the stringen-
CIV the year before. Whatever else may
or may not oe, it looks now that the
momentum of the tide will surely car
nv us through the present year.
There is a change of conditions In the
south. 1t has been a long time since
we paid a dollar for corn. Labor Is
scarcer on the farms in the south TO-
dav than it ever has been since the
civil war. More farmers want TO sen
their farms and more of them are IN
doubt about their future interest.
1 see Sister FELTON, is in favor of pull
ing down the fence and let China
come in that labor may be supplied.
This much 1 know. that with very
short crop of corn and a short crop OF
cotton last year, the farmers in Geor-
gia and in fact, of all the south, are
not in near so good condition TO-DAY
as they were twelve months ago. me
farmers of Georgia will be more IN
debt to banks and merchants and
warehousemen for fertilizers next ran
than they have been at any fall IN the
past six years. see them wisely con-
sidering the raising Of more corn ana
less cotton this year. If we could COM
bine the farming interest like we have
combined the iron interest and the pc
troleum wells and the whisky as
tilleries they. would have the world
by the tail. but poor Old farmer, some
how or other he can't combine with
ANYTHING. each one has to tote his own
skillet alone Now his cotton all SOLD
IT viii soon be selling at ten cents IN
New York and he will be kicking him
self because he didn't hold. Next year,
perchance, he will hold his cotton that
he Is offered nine and ten cents for,
and then close ii out in the spring at
seven or eight. Some how or other the
farmer gets less when he deals with
the outside world. am somewhat Of a
farmer myself. 1 did not plant but two
acres of cotton last year and that
was my wife's patch. cultivated 1t
and she got the cotton, but want It
understood, gentlemen, while have no
corn for sale, / am not buying any.
and meat in my smokehouse. and
wheat at the mill. and corn in the crib
and hay in the loft and pigs in the lot
and COWS in the barn. AS the Pres
byterians say, 1 am elected whether L
am a candidate or not.
I have seen farmers raise heap Of
cotton and had no credit at the bank,
but / never knew a farmer with his
crib full Of corn that could not borrow
all the money he wanted at the banks
or buy anything he wanted from mer-
chants, money or no money. A crib
full Of corn to the farmer is just ex-
actly what the vaults full Of money is
to the banker-it is something he can
do business on.
And as we talk of the times and sea-
sons, has the world ever seen such
record Of disaster by fire, by earth
quake, by pestilence, by war, by dis
ease? They are falling on all sides and
in all ways.
note with regret and sadness the
death of Postmaster Smyth. of At
lanta. He was a splendid official and
a fine character. Peace to his ashes.
The poet was a prophet when he wrote:
Death rides on every passing breeze,
And turks in every flower,
Each season has it's own disease,
Its perils every hour.
"Since on this winged hour,
Eternity is hung,
Awaken, oh, God. by Thy mighty
power
The aged and the young
While resting and recuperating I am
have been watching with some interest
the coming municipal campaign Of At
lanta. 1 am perfectly candid when I
say that when Atlanta makes H. H.
Cabaniss her mayor she will not half
way have paid him for the work he
has done for Atlanta, for everything
that has been for the good Of Atlanta
Cabaniss has been in the forefront for