McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1914-09-04
Times ARE
NOT HARD IN STATE
CHARLES c. GILBERT GIVES IN
TEREsTINc ACCOUNT OF TRIP
THROUGH THE STATE.
"DRY FARMING SAVES DAY
Crops In Middle Part of State Have
Good Prospects - Manufacturers
Somewhat Scared by War.
Shortage of Dry STUFF.

Nashville. - That the corn crop
shows fine prospect and that good
times are still with the people of the
state, Is the report of Mr.. Charles c..
Gilbert, Secretary of the Tennessee
Manufacturers association, who has
just returned from an extensive trip
through Middle and East Tennessee.
In an interview Mr.. Gilbert gave the
following interesting account of crop
and manufacturing conditions as he
found them:
Throughout Middle and East Ten
nessee the farmers are exceedingly
jubilant over the crop prospects and
predict an unusually large yield of
corn. This, coupled with the bumper
wheat crop, is going to mean much
to the people of this state. It's an i'll
wind that blows nobody good has
been clearly, demonstrated this year.
While 1t is true we had almost an
unprecedented drought, at the same
time, by reason OF this long dry spell
the farmers were enabled to pillow
their corn more frequently, thereby
keeping the ground well stirred; then
when the rains came the soil was in
proper shape to take it up. This is a
feather in the cap of the advocate Of
dry farming, and goes to show that
If the ground is properly cultivated
the absence of rain makes little diff
ference. Some of the farmers |
talked to stated that they had plowed
their corn two or three times oftener
than In other years.
THE people of East Tennessee are
not talking hard times at all. I met
with the East Tennessee Press Asso.
citation at Athens and came in con-
tact with about forty editors, all of
whom seemed to be prosperous and
enjoying life to the fullest. In that
number were editors of all political
faith and belief, but when it came to
their discussions as to how to adj
vance the material resources of East
Tennessee their political differences
were forgotten The people of West
and Middle Tennessee who do not
visit East Tennessee and have in their
minds art gallery the picture of a
long, lean, lanky mountaineer, with
a jug of homemade over one shout
der and muzzle-loading rifle on the
other, need to take trip in that
section and see how far advanced that
portion of the state is. The people
of East Tennessee are Industrious
and thrifty, as evidenced by the good
roads they have built, the splendid
churches and schoolhouses and the
attractive farm houses in which they
live.
''The manufacturers in East Ten.
nessee were getting along fairly we'll
until the scare of war to some ex-
tent crippled their business. 1t is
remarkable how much Tennessee is
dependent upon Germany for manu-
featuring materials. Especially is this
true among the textile and cloth mills.
Unless some way can be devised
whereby few cargoes Of dye stuff
can be brought over from Germany
pretty soon, all of us are going to
have to wear white socks for a sea-
SON. Practically all Of the dye stuff
is imported, and as none has been
received during the past few weeks,
the stock Of most of the mills is get
ting low.
"The manufacturers Of East Ten
nessee believe in the merits of the
Tennessee Manufacturers association
as evidenced by the large number
who gave their application for mem
bership during the recent trip. The
scope Of the association is so large
and so many real things are being
accomplished for the people of the
state, through the means of this as
sociation, that 1t is with little diff
Guilty that membership is secured"