Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1880 — The Outlook Brightening. [ARTICLE]

The Outlook Brightening.

There are some uncertain things. No human foresight can inform us whether a season will be wet or dry, or whether a Winter will be open or severe. Men may guess, and guess correctly, but it is only guess-WKirk. No study of tables of raintail or climatic changes for any given period of years will enable us to judge of the future with any degree of certainty. The wise farmer will not plant or sow under the direction of any prophetic seer. The wise fisherman will not be deterred from preparing his boats and nets because the winter has been open —or the reverse. But when the regular fishing season arrives he casts in nis net; if he succeeds, well—if not, he tries again, and continues trying till he succeeds. So will the man of push and energy and faith do in all the relations of life. The farmer is no exception. He has practical faith in an unseen yet controlling power that has promised that seed time and harvest shall never fail. The ill-success of business enterprises and the consequent hard times of the last four years, while it has changed the current that was setting in from country to city, has accomplished a vast amount of good of a permanent character. The current is changed, flowing now from city to country, where oread and butter is sure, and we are to have more producers to increase the aggregate wealth of the country. The mass of our farming population, not regarding times and seasons, have continued steadily, sowing and reaping, having faith in their business, and now, since the re vival of business has actually commenced and prices of all farm produce have advanced, they are reaping the reward of their confidence. Those who had most faith are reaping the greatest reward. Nothing shows more fully a great mind than a persistent following out of a well-matured and wise plan or course of life. Reverse after revise in various parts of the great army of the Republic only made one of' our great Generals declare, “ I will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.” So true pluck and a persistence in a well-directed and wisely-chosen course always declares. Men who have acted on .the principle that “ it is a long road that has no turn” are now rejoicing at the favorable turn business is taking, and at the brightening prospects of the outlook before them. While we cannot foresee what will be the continuance of the present advance in prices of farm products, we cannot fail to see its stimulating effects upon every branch of industry. It has put money into many an empty pocket, and started afresh the wheels of many a mill and factory to supply the demands of increased consumption. During the last four dull years supplies have been worn out. They were turned over, patched up, refitted, so as to last a little longer, until they were all worn out, and necessity compelled the purchase of new outfits. And thus, when the business boom came it was a big boom. Men reason truly that when prices advance better times are before us; so capital is liberated, investments made, new enterprises started to meet productive demands. Never has there been such a stir and hum in business circles since the close of the civil war. The acreage sown to wheat this fall has been unusually large, and if foreign demand continues, our exports for the next twelve months will exceed those of the past year. To our mind there is no discouraging element in all our industries, least ol all in agriculture. The only caution we wish to utter is—keep out of debt and be sure that your expenditures do not exceed your income. Keep near enough to shore, so that if an unexpected storm arises you can reach the land without swamping.— Practical Farmer. —A drunkard at Battle Hill, Kan., resolved to reform or die. Putting some deadly poison into a glass with whisky, he locked himself in a room with the mixture. His plan was to conquer his craving for alcohol if possible, and, if his appetite overpowered him, kill himself with the drink that satisfied it. He was alone with the poison for six hours, and then he drank it. His life was saved, however, by the timely efforts of a physician, and he was sent to an asylum for inebriates. —lt is strange and sad to think that those twelve Indians don’t come forward to be hanged. What are they thinking about? Where is the boasted kind-heartedness of the red man?— New York Graphic.