Year: 1876

Is there sound and real revival
of business? On the whole we be-
leve there is. Setting aside the nat
ural stir and increase in purchases
here, in Philadelphia and elsewhere
in the larger cities, by the hundreds
of thousands who have visited and
are visiting the Centennial show; set
ting aside the usual and even in dull
years constant increase in business
at this season of the year; putting
away carefully all temporary causes,
we see reason to believe that there
is, not only in New York, but all over
the country, a real revival of trade,
moderate in its proportions, cautious,
as it ought to be, but arising natur-
ally out of causes which we shall pres
emily mention, and promising to last
and increase and TO have its effec-
upon general industry.


The evidences of this business re-
vival attract attention, as we see by
the newspapers, not only. here, but
in Boston, Chicago, in st. Louis
at all the centres of. trade, ia fact.
There are more people buying; the
Southern trade is said to be uncom-
monty brisk this year. Western
commerce is also brisk, and mer
chants from all parts of the country
are replenishing their steek in a man.
ner which seems to lshowst that not
only are their shelves bare, but they
have, on survey of the condition Of
their customers, concluded that
these will buy and have meney to
pay. There can be no doubt, in fact.
of the present activity of trade. The
main question is, will it continue, or
is it only a squirt, or spasmodic
movement ? We believe we see rea-
sons for holding that it is not spas
mUdic, bat that, unless some now
unforeseen cause intervenes, it will
continue, and we are at last on the
upward way


Commodities of all kinds are at
present uncommonly cheap. Pro-
ducers of all kinds have at last suited
themselves to the markets. The anx-
iety to make and sell has brought
the ingenuity of manufacturers into
use, and people can not only now buy
cheaper than at any time since 1860,
but they find it more easy to buy
what they want. During the great
rush and excite ment of the speculs-
tive period, producers ceased to take
particular pains to study the tastes
and wishes of their customers but
this is now changed for the better in
many, and, indeed, in almost all de
partments.


The country is really rich. 1t has
been vigorously economizing since
1873, and three years Of strict econ
omy do wonders among forty millions
of people. The sum of our savings
as a Nation in a year of economy
amounts to vast deal of wealth.
We have been saving for three long
and tedious years and, while this
economy has been forced and dis
tressful with a considerable part of
our people-with those engaged and
employed in manufacturing, it is un-
deniable that the farmers and plant
ers, who are the bulk of the popula-
ton, have hadprosperous years. Even
last year the farmers of Central Him
ois made it their chiefcomplaint that
they could find nobody to borrow
their surplus money and give them
what they thought fair rate OF in
terest. But the times are not hard
when men have enough to eat, and
chiefly growl because nobody will
borrow their surplus cash. During
all the hard times we have had in
the main good crops and have receiv-
ed good prices for them, and thus we
have had an unvarying source Of


growing wealth.