The Wheat Crop Of 1875, And Business Prospects

The reports from the great and fertile Northwest are of universal interest. Agriculture is altogether t,he most important of our industries, and the one which gives Ufe to all others. It is the main pillar of the public prosperity. A healthy revival of business in the later suminer and early autumn months depends on a propitious and fruitful season. The majority of our people derive their subaistance from the cultivation of the soil, and their ability to purchaso goods depends on the abundanoe of their crops. It is the grain erop more than any other which sets the wheels of trade in tuotion, not only by the large markets for manufaotured articles created by the wants of its producers and their ability to pay, but also by the effect of cheap food in increasing the oonsumption of other things by the inhabitada of citiea. Wheu food is dear and it takes a great p:irt of people's earnings to supply their tubles, thero is little left for the supply of less indispensable wants. Moreover, a gtagnant demand for manufactured gooda throwg artiaans and laborers out of emploj mf-nt or diminishes their wages, so that in proportion as food is dear they have loss money to expend in its purchase. Agriculture is thus the main axle on which the business of this country turas. It also furnishes the chief eniployineut for our great linea of transportation. It is the grain trade which covers the great lakes with vessels, which gives employment to our canals. The gram products of the West are the chief source from which the stream of our foreign commerce ia fed. The single artielo of cotton makes, to be sure, a larger figuro in our export statistics than the article of wheat ; but if we join with wheat Indian corn and the products of Indian corn, like bacon, pork and lard, the total conaiderably exceeds the export of cotton. The prospects of the grain erop is thus a subject of more universal interest than any other in the whole circle of our material prosperity, if interest be measured by real importance. Though winter lingered so far into the spring months that the business seaaon will be ahort before the midsummer heata come on, and we cannot expect a very vigorous revival until after the grain is harvested in July and August. But if the harvest should be as abundant as there is reason to hope, the dawn which now begins to appear will brighten into clear day in the autumn months. Still ANOTHEB frightful warning against the construction of churches and placea of public assembly with insuffieient means of escape, has come f rom Hollyoke, Mass. Last Thursday night, at the Roman Catholic church in that town, a vesper service took place, and as it was about closing, the drapery around the statue of the virgin Mary oaught fire. The flamea spread to the roof, and the building was soon in a blaze. About 700 people were in the church. While those below readily got out, those in the gallery could not escape because there was only a single narrow stairway at the front. Human beings were piled up eight feet high at this place, and some persons were so tightly wedged together that the firemeu had to pull off limbs to get them out. The number of dead is reported at 71, fatally burned 22, otherwise burned and wounded 27, total 120. The annual meeting of the Right Worthy Grand Lodge of' Good Templars of the world was held at Eloomington, Ilï., last week. According to the statistics of last year, this body representa a membership of 700,000. Nearly every State and Terrifory in the Un ion was repreeented in the convention, besides, England, Scotland, Walet, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Newfoundland, Nova Sootia, British Americn, Noiv Zealand, Australia, Bermuda, Queeusland, South África, Tasmania and New Brunswick. This society has accomplished a great deal of good in the reïormation of inebriates. The officers of the Secret Service, who have been investigating the latt di8tillery frauds in Chicago by examining the freight of railroads, have discovered great discrepancy between the quantity of liquors shipped and those accounted for on the books of' the distillers and gaugers. This looks as if diatillers and officials have been engaged in the frauds. One railroad corpora. tion refused to show its books unti' threatened with arrest, and it is pre sumable that certain tr&nsportation companiesjiave been in sympathy with the frauds. Georgia is trying to becorue the New England of the South. lts leading business men hava deteruiined to drop politics and have gone to work to erect cotton yarn factories on every " cros8-road in the State," for the purpose of working up the immense cotton production, which can be more easily shipped as yarn than in the bulk. These milis will cost about f10,000 each. Politics and business will both gain by the execution of the project. It is to be hoped that it will sucoeed, and other Southern States will follow the example. The people of Manistee have accumulated the " filthy lucre "so rapidly that they have no place for its safe keping, and have advertised for a bank - not a sand bank, they have thoso in abundance - but a " national bank, or any bank of issue that will meet the wants of the people." A city full of money and no bank within seventy miles ! They also want a first-class hotel. Manistee claims a populution of 5,000, without a good hotel. Could not Chicago, or some place that has a surplus of hotels, be induced to move one up there. Ann Arbor has none to spare. The cheering information is received that the watera of Lake Superior, still locked with ice, are likely to be fairly open by the fourth of July.