Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-02-18
friends, the grief will be not unlike
that which swept over the country
when Hanna's best friend fell under
the bullet o! an assassin.
No Depression in the West.


ticeable of all conditions at the pres
ent time in the great west is the al
most undiminished continuance OF
the high tide of prosperity, says
Walter Wellman in the Record Her
aid. Continuing this writer claims
that, broadly speaking, there has
been no falling of in the volume
of business. Farmers have more
money than ever before The en-
ployed people are all at work for
good wages. Railroad earnings
throughout the west average higher
than year ago at this time by from
S to IA per cent, though many good
Judges thought last years volume of
traffic up to the highest possible
mark. The amounts Of money which
the people of the west have on hand
representing their surplus, their saw
ings, their accumulations through
these recent years OF unexampled
prosperity are simply amazing. In
purely agricultural counties the
bankers say they do not know what
to do with the money that is offered
them for deposit. In many instances
they have been compelled to refuse
further deposits because Of the diff
Guilty of using money pro6tabiy. 1t
is surprising to be told that in an
average western county OF perhaps
$4,000 population, embracing prob
ably 2. 500 farms, the aggregate sum
on deposit in the local banks reach
as high as $2,ooo,ooo or $1,000, 600,
or an average of approximately 81
900, per farm. As no one individual
has very large deposits, it follows
that the actual accumulations are well
distributed.
Wherever one goes in that region
continues the writer, he beholds evi-
dence that the people have been liv-
ing well. 1t is undeniably true that
never before in the history of the
world have 10000, 900 people in
habiting given area enjoyed such a
high standard Of personal comfort as
the people OF the northwest. They
are housed, clothed, fed and provid.
ed with articles of necessity and OF
luxury upon scale which in its dis
tributed average surpasses anything
ever before known in the history OF
mankind. This high standard OF
living is the amazement Of all tor.
eigners who visit our country, 1t is
condition simply impossible in any
nation in Europe. 1t is a standard
which is surprisingly we'll difused; !;
its course throughout the map OF
population is almost straight line
showing few elevations for the veal
thy aud not many Expressions tor
the very poor.
Though the people have been liv.
ling well. buying much and enjoying
the good things OF life to resnarka
bic extent, they have for the most
part lived within their incomes, as is
shown by the large accumulation of
savings. This is more true Of the
agricultural communities than of the
manufacturing or commercial centers
an if there is to be 4 period Of in
dustrial depression, the farmers, the
very foundation of the edifce, were
never before SO strong or so well
a Die to weather a storm.
/ There are no indications OF per
iod Of industrial depression in the
west. 1t is true there has been a
slight shading down from the high
est line OF activity. Everyone rea-
Lies that the high pressure OF the
last two or three years cannot be
maintained indefinitely, There must
in the nature Of things come slight
reaction, and the reaction has al
ready shown itsdi locally in de-
preston, more Or less temporarily
in the iron and sleel industries, and
more generally in a stoppage Of new
enterprises. So far as the west is
concerned the reaction has for the
most part been more psychological
than actual. The people have read
the talk in eastern papers about hard
times in Wall street and ominous
signs in eastern financial skies. Why
there should be such TAX, and what
there is to base it on, has been my
atasv "a them A. the ssss.n time,