The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-16
FARMER F0RET0LD
TRADE CONDITIONS
Samuel Benner of Ohio Has Gre
ated Comment by His Accu-
rate Predictions.
TOLD WHAT STEEL WOULD DO.
Lays No Claim to Unusual Power,
but Bases His Prophecies
on the Lessons of the
Past.
TOLD WHAT STEEL WOULD DO.

Cleveland. O.. Oct. 16-The remarkable
way in which the trade conditions Of the
present year were foretold In December by
Samuel Benner. a farmer of Dundas, has
created much comment among the manu-
facturers Of the country. particularly the
steel men. who have for years given much
weight to the prophecies made by the
farmer sage.
Benner has for many years been an
nouncinR. q year ahead of time, the trend
Of trade. bastng his prediction on the prop
osition that periods OF nance and trade
move In cycles and that, having once
learned from the past the duration Of the
cycles. 1t was the easiest matter to fore
tell the probable course trade and nance
would pursue in the future. He covers
the conditions Of steel, iron, grain and pro-
visions, and has been 80 successful that
steel men watch the predictions.
Benner lays nc claim to supernatural
power, basing his predictions solely on les
sons Of the past: Addison Cammack, one
watched the predictions for many years,
and during the later years Of his activity
In the market he was guided in his trans
actions by the predictions Of the old man:
wa the prediction of Benner that a cycle
Of high prices had come that induced
Cammack to undertake a campaign which
Benner had gained a foresight into the
economic laws governing the world of
trade.
When Benner gave out. in December. his
predictions for the present II the coming
year he foretold Just what has happened.
The significant portions OF the Benner pre-
dictions were:
81 predict that prices for pig iron. rail-
road stocks and many commodities will
be lower in 1904 than in 1907.
Il predict that after 1904 there will be
a revival in trade. better times. and that
higher prices will prevail until the year
1.-THE present down cycle in prices and
In general business ends in 1904. and by
reason Of a protective tariff his country
has not had an old-fashioned period of
hard times during the past three years.
Nevertheless. there has been a s~tupendous
fall in prices and shrinkage in values of
railroad and Industrial securities with a
severe decline in iron.
THE year 1896 will be the beginning
year Of q new up cycle in pig iron and
long continued prosperity in general bust
ness. lasting unit! the next commercial re-
vulsion. which will be due in 1911.
When our financial and commercial de-
pressions reach their lowest limits. as de-
termined by the cycles of trade. they af-
ford the best opportunities to make profita-
BILE Investments. Of money in property,
railroad stocks, Industrial securities, man
ufactures and mercantile pursuits.
Looking forward beyond 1904 the cycles
indicate six years OF national prosperity.
The coming opportunity to catch bust
ness and prices at their lowest limits OF
depression will not happen again for TWEEN
ty years.
''The prospects Of a bright BUSINESS future
were never better for moderate and con- /
tinued prosperity. but no great boom in
prices similar to earlier times. when We
had $50 pig iron"