The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-08
THIS JOSEPH SEES
A LEAN YEAR AHEAD
But After 1904 Prophet Ben.
ner Predict. Seven Fat
Ones viii Come.
ROOSEVELT re WIN OUT
And After th. Government. Policy 4.
Settled by This Event Business
Will Get Better and Prices
Take Upward Turn.

ASAA OkSSA@A R4ORllS.
cies for 1904 have been issued and the
bulls Of Wall street are much cast
down, while the bears are correspond
ingly elated. Mi. Benner thinks that
the prices in all lines Of industry are
going to be much lower during the
coming year, but lie believes that 1t
will be the turning point in the bear
movement and will be followed by
twenty years OF imitation.
Benner's prophecies have been SO
often correct In commercial as we'll as
political matters hat they are taken
geriously in the business world,
Samuel Benner is an Ohio farmer who
tilis the soil by day and studies the
stars by night. For many years he was
q local oracle only. He told the farm
ers of his neighborhood by star gaz-
ing whether or not to plant their po-
tatoes in the dark OF the moon, when
1T would be the best time to shuck corn
TO get the best results, and how best
TO swap a roam horse for a sorrel when
the moon was in perigree. BY and by
the fame Of his predictions spread
through the Whole country round and
for twenty a or more they have
been published In pamphlet form every
year. The first copy Of the 1904 vol
$500 WAN SI1OOt yS6kC40Ay dllO
was read with deep interest by the
Epeculators. Mr.. Benner's predictions
FOR 1904 are as follows:
Il predict that prices for pig iron.
railroad stock and many commodities
Will be lower In 1904 than in 1908.
y predict that the republican party
will be successful in the election Of
November, 1904.
Revival After 1904.
II predict that after the year 1904
there will be a revival in trade. better
lines and that higher prices VIII pre-
vail until the year 1911.
III present down cycle In prices
and in general business ends In 1904;
ind by reason of protective tariff this
country has not had an o~ld-fashioned
period of hard times during the last
three years. Nevertheless. there has
been a stupendous fall In prices and
shrinkage in values Of railroad and In
hustrial securities. with a severe de.
cline In iron.
Prices for iron. railroad stocks and
many industrial securities will con-
tinue to be depressed until the future
policy of this government Is settled In
the coming election for president.
Now. while we have had a disastrous
reaction In prices from stocks and in
vestment securities. It Is to be reason
ably expected hat a further moderate
business reaction will follow to the
close of this low cycle.
Therefore the decline in Iron and
steel. curtaiiment Of orders for rail-
road materials and manufactured COM
modities will continue through the year
1904.
THE year 1905 will be the beginning
Of a new up cycle in pig iron and for
a. long continued prosperity in general
business. lasting until the mex COM
mercial Revision, which win be in
1911.
The coming opportunities to catch
business and prices at their lowest lin
Its of depression will not happen again
for twenty years. It is estimated by
financial experts that the shrinkage
in values in railroad. mining and va
rious industrial securities during the
last two years amount to 81, 600, 900, 600.
1t is possible that the loss Of this vast
amount OF money a be recovered and
a thousand million dollars more Of in
hated values added to these securities
during b coming years of prosper.
ity."