The last decade of the 19th century is of interest for not only political and historical matters but an economic depression and recovery. There is a past financial journalist and author who started his writing career in 1898, Garet Garrett. One of his novels, The Driver, begins with the 1893 decline.
It is available for free in digital formats.
Amid the current pandemic, there is no shortage of experts who reference the Great Depression, 33
years after the Panic of 1896. They cite a need for government intervention or spending, many being Democrats. There probably is no reason to criticize them: their opinions may be right. However, pundits mentioning 40 years prior, when trade restrictions and strong currency coincided with the end of an extended downturn, are effectively nil.
Times were tough then though. People faced starvation. Detroit Mayor Hazen Pingree established
Anyhow, Hanna is sometimes described as a stellar businessman. However, he had failures and only succeeded after marrying into a mining family. He was able to expand from there, with great success–resources that liken him to Midas might be not-so-well researched though. In fact, right after the war, the Civil War that is,
Hanna became identified with coal and metals, an opera house; and a contentious stint owning a newspaper. It is not clear to what extent The Driver is directly influenced by him. He would be an enabler of its milieu or ethos. However, tariffs, which appealed to Hanna, are at odds with libertarianism, which is associated with the book.
In 1896, McKinley’s opponent, William Jennings Bryan, energetically toured the country aboard a train and utilized what were apparently terrific oratory abilities. The opposition produced pamphlets, such as a 40 page piece on silver, for voters to read. Evidently the Republicans distributed them at Bryan’s whistle-stops before and after he chugged in to speak.
Garret Hobart was vice president when Garrett changed his first name to Garet!
The Driver involves a speculator, one who tries to buy low and sell high, or sell high and buy low; and revives a railroad business. Its overall message would be critical of regulations or government intervention. Though we now have air transport and highways–with bureaucratic help–Warren Buffett is among those with train holdings today.
The railroad, of itself, should not render Garrett’s novel strictly historical. Whether the book is insightful toward the 2020s is another matter. It could be enjoyable reading that provokes thoughts.
It is available for free in digital formats.
Amid the current pandemic, there is no shortage of experts who reference the Great Depression, 33
Times were tough then though. People faced starvation. Detroit Mayor Hazen Pingree established
Public potato patches…on 430 acres of city land during the panic of 1893 and subsequent depression. Pingree became a national hero for the idea, and the potato patch program was copied in other major cities.One of the political figures who was closely associated with President McKinley’s political career was Mark Hanna, an industrialist who became a US senator. Hanna financially supported McKinley, including amidst potentially-disastrous liabilities that stemmed from a written agreement, around 1893. Per Robert Merry’s retelling of McKinley’s life, there were defining aspects of the 1896 campaign, such as refusal to compromise the president’s office and powers to Republican Party bosses, including Thomas Platt. The bosses made offers through Hanna.
Anyhow, Hanna is sometimes described as a stellar businessman. However, he had failures and only succeeded after marrying into a mining family. He was able to expand from there, with great success–resources that liken him to Midas might be not-so-well researched though. In fact, right after the war, the Civil War that is,
Hanna bought a refinery and a steamship. In short order, the refinery burned and the ship sank; neither reportedly were insured.Such things happen.
Hanna became identified with coal and metals, an opera house; and a contentious stint owning a newspaper. It is not clear to what extent The Driver is directly influenced by him. He would be an enabler of its milieu or ethos. However, tariffs, which appealed to Hanna, are at odds with libertarianism, which is associated with the book.
In 1896, McKinley’s opponent, William Jennings Bryan, energetically toured the country aboard a train and utilized what were apparently terrific oratory abilities. The opposition produced pamphlets, such as a 40 page piece on silver, for voters to read. Evidently the Republicans distributed them at Bryan’s whistle-stops before and after he chugged in to speak.
Garret Hobart was vice president when Garrett changed his first name to Garet!
The Driver involves a speculator, one who tries to buy low and sell high, or sell high and buy low; and revives a railroad business. Its overall message would be critical of regulations or government intervention. Though we now have air transport and highways–with bureaucratic help–Warren Buffett is among those with train holdings today.
The railroad, of itself, should not render Garrett’s novel strictly historical. Whether the book is insightful toward the 2020s is another matter. It could be enjoyable reading that provokes thoughts.