The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1905-02-08
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday. February 8, 1905.
Prices scarecrow.

Anderson Mail, January g.
The fo1towing,is a copy of letter
sent to Theo. H. Price, the great Wall
street cotton bear of New York, in an
swer to his circulars now being sent to
the farmers all over the cotton belt. A
number of his circulars have been re-
ceived by Anderson comfy farmers:
Theodore H. Price, II Wall street,
New York city-Sir: Your great scare
crow in the shape Of a circular, giving
your estimate Of 15, SOC, 900 bale cotton
crop, together with photographs of large
fields of open cotton, as they were sup
posed to have appeared the 9th of De-
cember, are now being received by our
farmers >And now, when you remember
that we Southern farmers are accustom-
ed to placing the image Of the devil in
our watermelon patches to keep away
the negroes and Crows, we trust you will
not be surprised to find your effort to
scare the Southern farmer into selling
his cotton below the cost Of production,
that YOU Wall street gamblers and money
sharks may gobble up millions ofdollars
of his honest toll and labor, is absolutely
a dismal failure. However, we hope
you will continue to send out your cir
culars; this we term missionary work.
But allow US to suggest that you be
more careful and be sure that you send
them to real live men, as the one we got
hold of was addressed to q man who
passed to the great beyond more than
five years ago.
Still, if you should desire to continue
sending your great budget Of cotton in
formation to the dead, address q few Of
them TO your Bear friends in purgatory;
perhaps they would be glad to hear from
you. Yes, old fellow, in sending out
your circulars it clinches the fact with
us that we are getting YOU old 'grizzlys'
into devil Of a close place; in other
words, we've got you between Us and
the powder house, and rest assured that
we are never going to hold mp till we get
you close enough to ignite that fur Of
yours and blow you into an eternal froth.
The farmers of the South have risen
in their might and are standing shoulder
to shoulder in determination to forever
annihilate the power of you Wall street
spectators, who have made your mil
lions by squeezing the very life out Of
the great money crop Of our fair South
land. For years and years have you
non producers Of the necessaries Of life
set your trap to catch the unwary far
mer, but rest assured that your days are
numbered. Education has put us on to
your damnable schemes and concert Of
action has placed US in position to fight
you, and III this fight we'll win or die.
And now, old gobbler Of the products
of honest, toll, as:to your estimation Of
13, 500, 900 bale crop, that is only guess
work. You know nothing more about
the size of this crop than we do, and a
monkey knows as much about it as eth
er Of US:
And now, as we Southern farmers be-
lieve in giving the devil his dues, we are
forced to admit that You uttered one
truth in your circular, viz: That there
is something over six million bales Of
cotton still in the farmers hands, and
that this cotton Was made to sell and
will be put OH the market.
Yes, sir, Theodore, this cotton is III
the farmers hands, and is for sale; but
when you and the other Wall street
gamblers get it for less than remunera-
tive prices, the State Of Florida will be
covered in fifteen inch snow on the
18th day of August, and there will be
:.nigger' wool growing in the palm Of
your hand.
This section of the South is able to
carry every bale Of her cotton into the
next crop, and we believe this is true Of
all other sections, and should we have
this to do, when we get through cutting
the acreage for this year, if you arc 50
unfortunate as to be on the 'bear; side
of the market at the end Of 1905, you
will be d-n glad to get our two mil
lion bale surplus at any old price.
In conclusion, allow US to again thank
you for your missionary work. Just
send on your circulars; We'll distribute
them among some Of the cotton mill
men here. who are borrowing cotton
from other mills in order to keep run
ming till some is offered for sale. They
perhaps might serve as a narcotic that
would give them restful nights.
W. L. Casey.
Secretary Five Forks Union, No. i. Of