The Greeley tribune., 1912-01-04
answered., ,

"And the watchman answered.,
The morning cometh.'"
Less than two years ago there aIs-
peared in these columns an article,
under the caption OF "The Man in
the WatcI-tOwer'', asking the ques-
ton, "WatchmAn, what OF the
night" Answering his own query,
the writer made the statement that
we as community were Over-build-
ing, Over-speculating, living extrava-
gantly, getting too deeply in debt,
and reaching too far and risking too
much in our mad race for the al
mighty dollar.
1t needed no prophet to predict
the inevitable slump, yet q prophet
of i'll omen is never welcomed, even
when laden with self-evident truths.
The article in question was severely
criticised, and its author charged
with knocking.
Within the months that have
passed, the predictions OF the
Watchman have become history.
1t was not the failure OF the po-
tato crop that did the business 1t
was what had occurred before. The
bad potato year has simply empfa-
sized the condition.
Within the past ten years pOta-
toes have sold for ten cents a
bushel, and many carloads dumped
for want of n market. This was
much worse catastrophe than no
potatoes, for the crop did not pay
for the harvesting and hauling. Yet
no such cry of hard times went up
as we have heard this winter. As
community we had not then be-
come quite SO money mad, and had
not become so deeply in debt.
Today. many of the Tribune's
former critics are asking, in all seri-
business, "WiIl the country ever
come out of 1t? Will we as a COM
munity ever recover our prosper
ity?" Thus does the human mind
oscillate between the highest sort Of
optimism, and the depths OF the
doldrums.
On the first day Of the new year
Nineteen Hundred and Twelve there
is satisfaction for the WatcfIman in
the Tower that he may answer, with
conviction, 1.-THE Morning COmeth.' "
Things have been bad, for the
causes named But already the re-
/ action has started. IrrigatiOnist,
farmer, merchant, banker, has been
/ sounded as to the outlook for 1912.
Invariably the answer las breathed
spirit of hope and confidence III
the future.
Following a hard summer and a
! harder fall, business lOOsened uF
surprisingly during the holidays
and merchants are going into th
= new year with stocks reduced, ant
r with money to meet their bills. Post
r Office receipts for December wert
only ten dollars less than for th<
g same month last year, in spite o
z the fact that new offices have bee,
s established to the northeast, cutttn
r of much revenue that fOrmerl
/. came here. Every honest man, b
he merchant or farmer or PrOfes'
Sional, has made an extra effort Il
pay his debts, and the other sor
are being prodded pretty hard b!
collectors, in an effort to get al
/ that is coming. The hanks have
done their part in getting the maj
who carried too much sail to ree
his canvass. Collections have beer
pushed, and loans curtailed as fal
: as possible. Today the financial in
y stitutions of this city and OF the
q county as a whole, are in good
; shape. and will he able to meet rea'
sOnable demands for capital to dc
business and to grow crofss.
The year 1912 will he one OF re-
adjustments as to standards Of hv'
9 ing and doing business 1t will he
=. a year Of debt-paying and OF moder'
r ate economies, but withal It haf
be fairly prosperous, and at the
l end Of tire year the people as a
whole will find that they are better
of than they expected. There Is
every prospect of good crops to the
careful grower. The mountains,
thus early. are full Of snow. and
the cold weather now h admitted
by the best farmers to he good
omen for this years harvest
There will he less dependence on
potatoes. and more diversified farm
ing instead. Dairying, on a modest
scale, in connection with agricul-
ture, will make some Roadway. and
add to the ready money in circula-
tion.
The advent Of the Hudson branch
Of the Burlington is more than a
vision. Though apparently dormant.
there is good reason to believe that
II will he built before snow flies
next fall. There will be some build
ing in Greeley NEXT sDring. though
not so much as formerly. The new
high school will he finished and a
few dozen residences erected.
With good health. with a desire
to succeed. and willingness to
work hard and trim expenses to a
reasonable basis. no man TN this
community need fear the future.
There has been no panic In the ma
ton, and there will he none. Should
we need cheering mp bit 1t may
help to read what some Of the lead
ing men OF Greeley think of the
outlook: