Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1909-07-15
When Laws We're Worse


interest in comparing it with the
conditions which prevailed dur
ing President Jackson's admins
tration. Captain Marryat, that
;afmous sea story writer, paid a
visit to America at that time,
when the panic was at its height.
Two years later he recorded
some of his impressions of the
period in "a Diary of America"
The New York Evening Post
Prints a portion of this Diary
with d few comments, from
which we quote:
"Ali the banks have stopped
payment in specie, and there is
not dollar to be had" remarks
Captain Marryat of his first ex-
perience. II walked down Wall
street and had a convincing
proof Of the great demand for
money, for somebody picked my
pocket.
1.-TWO hundred and sixty
houses have already failed, and
no one knows where it is to end.
Suspicion, fear and misfortune
have taken possession Of the city.
Had / not been aware of the
cause I should have imagined
that the plague was raging, and
l had the description of Defoe
before me-"
Captain Marryat did not fail
to notice and comment on the
characteristic American spirit
which was able to enjoy the hui
NOR of the situation, even at its
own expense, and in the midst
of disaster to lay plans for a new
gstart.
"The militia are under arms,
as riots are expected" he writes.
S'The banks in the country and
other towns have followed the
example of New York, and thus
has General Jackson'se currency
bill been repealed without the aid
of congress. Affairs are now at
their worst, and now that such
is the case, the New Workers APP
pear to recover their spirits
One of the newspapers humor-
ously observes: All Broadway
is like unto a new-made widow
and doesn't know whether tc
laugh or cry
"There certainly is a very re.
markable energy in the Ameri-
can disposition; if they fall they
bound up again. Somebody has
observed that the New Yorl
merchants are of that elastic ma
'ture, and that, when fit fol
nothing else, they might be con
,verted into coach springs, anc
such really appears to be thell
character.
They may say the times arr
bad said young American tt
me, but l think that they arr
excellent. A twenty-dollar not
used to last me but a week, bu
now it is as good as Fortunatus
purse, which was never empty
l eat my dinner at the hotel ant
then show my tyenty-dollar note
The landlord turns away from /
as if it were the head of Medus;
and begs that l will pay anothel
time. / buy everything that
want and l have only to offer m.
'twenty-dollar note in paymen
and my credit is unbounded-
that is, for any sum under TWEEN
ty dollars. If they ever do Civ
change again in New York /
will make a very unfortunat
change in my affairs "
In that day the importation o
gold was slower and more diff
cult, and currency, it appears
was not to be had, even at a pure
MUM.
Nobody refuses to take tn
paper of the New York banks,
writes Captain Marryat, in de
scribing conditions, "althoug
they have virtually stopped pay
ment-they never refuse any
thing in New York-but nobod
will give specie in change, an
great distress is occasioned b
this want of circulation medium
Some of the shopkeepers told m
that they had been obliged t
turn away hundred dollas
day, and many a Southernel
who has come up with larg
r,,nr,ltr Of Col1thnl.r, nntnr ha