Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-04
Copyright. 1850
BY HERBERT COREY.

- ST. PAUL. February There are
times when figures cease to have a
meaning. This seems TO be one such
time. 1t would be possible to approx
mate the totals of the northwest's pros
perity-to tell how many more millions
it is worth today than it was today a
year ago-to guess at how large cir
Gus tent would be required to hold all
of it's farmers who wear Persian lamb
overcoats. But such figures would be
merely Supplying. Let us go al it in
another way.
Il know of bank on stills in coun-
try town not far from St Paul." said ].
w. Wheeler, president of the Capital
Trust and Savings Bank. 1T was just
moved in from the railroad
Carried in, it seems, to catch up with
the town. Ii is still on stills. because
every one in that town has been too
busy accurately TO survey the lot lines.
One of these days they will settle down
and the bank building will be hoisted
over to one side or the other and dirt
will be shoveled under il and il will
cease to be such an itching temptation
to the peripatetic bank robber. Because
this bank-jusr pitch pine shanty on
1egs-according to its last statement
carries cash on hand. $4,000.
II appears this is nothing particularly
unusual. The story was repeated to men
OF ST Paul, and they almost yawned
Every one has money up here, or should
have money. The last statement shows
SS.000.000 on deposit in the small towns
OIL the Great Northern railroad from
81. Vincent to Crookston. That is a
hngernail length on the map. The sleep
ing car porter did not know the names
of any of these towns.
II nevah even glance out of the win
dow when l goes through" said he, with
emphasis Not even glance"
Which may explain why he is still a
porter.
Deposits, $1,000 Per Capita.
One of these little towns averages
$500 per capita on deposit. An auto
mobile agent told of selling $4,000
worth of machines this year to the de-
positors of one bank alone. The farm
ers in one village in seven hours raised
100000 with which to build d coop
erative elevator. That was practically
a cash proposition. These farmers do
- nat take windy flyers. The village is
only TO be found on a large scale map.
Prosperity in the northwest has its
relation TO the war, of course. Thanks
TO that struggle. everything the north
west has TO sell brought top prices
An incredible crop of wheat sold at
during a bad crop year. Wool brought
good prices, and better are predicted
for the spring clip. The lumber trade
has not been so good since 1910 as il
was in the closing months of last year
what is anticipated from IL for 1916
may be guessed at by the prediction
that this years cut may be the largest
on record. The iron and copper output
has been measured only by the ca
pacity of the transportation systems.
But the northwest's prosperity is not
altogether q war prosperity.
Our hands are fairly Clean" the man
pf the northwest insists.
II is largely based on the products
of the farm. All agree that 1858
wheat crop was the most wonderful or
record. Some of the stories told are
almost unbelievable. Fifty bushels &c
the acre was fairly common. AS high
As seventy-two bushels TO the acre was
reported. One man was paid for the
loss of one-Quarter of his crop by ths
hail insurance company and Their
Shreehed out forty-one bushels to the
acre. Ohio runs about fourteen bushel,
70 the acre.
The farmer who did not average
better than forty bushels had nothing
10 say about IT," bankers declare.
Instances Of Prosperity.
As this wheat brought war prices tn