The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-26
BLACK BELT STILL
 LAND OF PLENTY

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: The plaintive wall of the faint-hearted business man is heard on many sides and Demopolis and the Black Belt sec- ton have unquestionably been sorely and harshly dealt with by the boil weevil and the European war. We have seen an annual cotton business aggregating Sd000,- v 600 dwindle to less than sl,000,ooo for this season-all of which means unpaid debts, hard-pressed merchants, tight drawing of financial rens and a general realiza- tion of the necessity for retrenchment next year
 It all means hard" times for many of our people for a short time, especially Tor the shiftless tenant and the town and village landlord as well as for the merchant who has grown rich speculat- ing on good crops" for the negro tenant
 Someone has well said: "ro have what We want is riches, but to be able to do without is power," so the present en- forced lessons of retrenchment and econ omy means real power for our people in the future. It means that we will all learn the lesson of living at home, learn to become real farmers. producers and not such great consumers of the goods or the east ana west.
 However we have recently had many examples of the real prosperity of this section. One noticeable evidence of per- manent security is that our people are not sacrificing their assets on account of the temporary depression, nor are they dumping their farm products on a weak and timid market.
 Only recently two or three agents of the European belligerents have been to 1.f ,&..t.. horses and mules, but without any suc- cess in making purchases They left de- claring that they found a better class of horses and mules than they expected to see here and that the people here did not seem to care to sell except at fancy prices
 This indicates that the merchants and bankers. as well as the average land lord, has determined to do business an- other year, and to keep going in every way. There has not been a business fail- ure at Demopolis and a careful survey would indicate little fear of any serious business difficulties during the winter or coming spring. Of course some of the "minnows," those who have ventured into deep water, may be swept aside, but the permanent merchant and business nlar will be satisfied with smaller profits foi the time being and will remain to adjust himself to new conditions.
 During the past week Demopolis shipped l 23 cars of cattle, four or five cars o l hogs, and probably 100 cars of first class 1 hay. These products, together with grea quantities of turkeys, chickens. potatoes | honey, and cane syrup, to say nothing O large crop of corn, insures something t' rely on during the coming winter months It has done much to take the place O 1 cotton and has meant very much il l teaching our people that they can liv' at home. raise everything and live wei | on the surplus cTops.
 l At the last state election Marengo ant
 Hale counties voted overwhelmingly t
 eradicate the cattle tick. This means t
 make this section the greatest cattl country in all the United States.
 Our farmers are all learning to grad cattle, improve their horses. take car
 of hogs and sheep. and do their part t carry out the predestined purpose of na ture-to make this section the greates live stock country to be found anywhere
 The Black Belt of Alabama especiall | the Demopols section, is the only plac in the United States where the boil weevi has failed to lower the value of farr 1 lands. We have now had the boil weevi three years and during these three year the value of our farm lands has in creased fully 50 per cent. Is not this tn greatest tribute any section could hay paid to it?
 To live happily 365 days in the year an celebrate perpetual thanksgiving, pitc your tent near one of tho flowing well on a farm in the Black Belt of yves
 Alabama, near enough to Demopolis t hear her mocking birds singing praises c
 the Land of Plenty"
 JESSE B. LEARN.
 Demopolis. November 20. ssl4.