Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1897 — NORTH BARKLEY [ARTICLE]

NORTH BARKLEY

John Fanson was in Wheatfield Monday on business. Miss Eva Witzler is threatened with typhoid fever. Mrs. James Stevens returned home Sunday after an extended visit in Illinois. John Dodd and family Sundaved at Harry Gifford’s. Wm, Hickman and wife returned Sunday from a two week’s visit with Mrs. Hickman’s sister in Illinois. Wm. Poisel, of Medaryville, was in our vicinity Friday Jack Knedler who has been visiting at Remington and Goodland for the past week returned Monday. Miss Jennie Beedy went to Chicago last Tuesday.

The Treasury Department has over $145,000,000 of gold in hand, and has had since the McKinley administration came in a larger gold surplus than at any time for a long period of years. This is in marked contrast with the conditions during, the Democratic administration, when President Cleveland was compelled to sell bonds every now and then to keep up the hundredmillion reserve. No better evidence of the actual return of business activity could be found than the official reports of bank clearances for the week ending September 18. They show the clearances to be fi£ty per cent, greater than at this time one year ago, and seventy-five per cent in excess of those of the corresponding week two years ago. Th ay are greater than at any time since January, 1893.

Those people who are satisfied with Mr. Bryan's explanation of the cause in the advance in the price of wheat might do well to inquire of him about the advance of wool. He says the advance in wheat was due to a shortage abroad There is no record of any considerable shortage abroad in wool, yet prices of wool have advanced sixty per cent, since the beginning < f September. 1896, while silver has fallen twenty per cent, in the same time. The “American Agriculturist*’ says: “The W estern farmer’s financial condition is wonderfully improved. During the past three < years he practised such economy

that with a slight improvement of wheat prices last fall and fair values of cattle, sheep, and hogs, the thrifty farmer gradually reduced his debts. With good prices this fall, he is indeed paying off the mortgage The fall in the interest rate is as remarkable as the other features of the rising tide.” Last week’s report covering the business failures in the United States is more encouraging than any which has been presented since the upward tendency of business which came with the inauguration of President McKinley. The entire number of business failures reported last Week was only 169, which was less than half the number in the corresponding week of September, 1893, the first year of Cleveland’s second term, and vastly less than any corressponding week during the entire four years of his occupancy of the presidential chair.

The present drouth is remarkable and perhaps unparalleled in the scope of country it prevails over. There is no place in the whole country where there is any rain. The weather bureau's reports for Tuesday. Wednesday, and Thursday of this week not even a trace of rain is reported any place. On Monday and Friday a few remote regions had a little rain, generally reported as a trace, but in a few instances reaching a small fraction of an inch. In Salt. Lake City, yesterday, there was a quarter inch of rain which, if we mistake not, was the largest rain that has occurred any place in the whole United States during the present week. With such conditions prevailing over-the whole country, the prospect for rain here very soon is not at all encouraging.

Reports from the manufacturing districts, North and South continue to show increased activity. Three large cordage mills at Isaia, Ohio, which have been out of operation for several years, are being reopened with a full force of men. The Wead Paper Mills at Malone, New Yoik, which have been idle for two years, have been reopened; the Bridgeton Pennsylvania, Woolen Mills, which have been closed nearly three years, have resumed operations; two of the Ohio Valley railroads have given orders for one thousand new box cars each, for use in the business which is being offered them, and which they are now unable to handle; the Cleveland Rolling Mills report a large order for bar steel from Birmingham, England, and an Ohio paper mill reports a contract of several thousand tons of print paper for lho Japanese trade.

There is probably no one in Northern Indiana more deeply inti'rested in Sugar Beefs and thpir successful culture than Jacob Keller of North J udsdn. He was instrumental this, past spring in having a number of. experimental tracts planted, and began having t. sts made of their quality just as soon as the beets were sufficiently matured to do. The first test with beets scarcely matured, showed 11.5 per cent of sugar in juice with 79.8 per cent purity. The second, ten days later showed 14.7 |r.r cent sugar and 85.9 percent p-.-.a; •• The last L;st, made last week. shows 15.6 per cent sugar and 93.1 per cent purity. If Starke county landscan make such it good showing for beet culture, we s;-e no reason why Jasper county < ..nnot not do.equally as_jyell. as a gnat deal of the soils of the two <■ unties are very much alike.