The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-05-10
From the Railroad Record.
From the Railroad Record.
THE CENTRE OF POPULATION AND
OF COMMERCE AND LOCOMOTION.

What really are the sources Of commerce
and where commerce must ultimately tend
pee ms to be little understood BY many persons
We hear much Of the immense commerce Of
New York; that the revenue is collected there
that the public money must be expended there
because II g collected there, and various asser.
Tons and opinions Of this sort, based upon the
loea. .nae an importing city Is the centre Of
source OF commerce. Nothing is in fact more
absurd than such an idea. New York, like all
importing cities, is merely an agent for the
uanser OF fabrics, money and persons, to the
place OF their ultimate destination; and makes
tie iiviag and its wealth by its receipt, for This
agency, like commission merchant The i'm
porter OF silk goods, for example, adds his COM
mission on the price for his services and cap
Itai in transferring them from France TO Ohio
The broker adds his commission on the money
which he transfers from the capitalist to the
borrower. All this makes a commercial city,
but does not make commerce, and s not its end
any more than farmers wagon makes the hay
and wheat carried IN it. The sources OF com.
Merca are in people and soil able to produce,
and people and weath able 10 consume II is
the producer who furnishes the articles for the
commercial agency to transfer, and il is the con-
sumer who takes it from him. New York
Collects revenue. but who pays it Ohio pays
one tenth the revenue Of the United States.
The Government informs US il has collect
hfty millions of revenue: then Ohio has paid five
mlIions Of it, Indiana and Kentucky have
paid i've millions more.
The sources Of commerce are production and |
consumption Now, let US see where produc.
ton and consumption are. IF the wealth OF a |
country were very unequaily distributed, they
might be onc-sided, especially If some portions
ut the country were barren. But in the United
States the advantages the country and the
wealth OF the country are very equally distrib-
uted, The older States have the lager share
OF manufactures, but the new ones in soil and
oil natural productions Ohio is probably as
wealthy, in proportion to its inhabitants, as any
State; except, perhaps, Massachusetts, or New
York In this nearly equal distribution Of ad-
vsntages. the centre reproduction and consump-
ton is, practically, not far from the centre of
population. Where is the centre OF population,
and what has been it, progress' Without cal
culating il to single Elile, we may state that in
1870, the centre of population was in Adams
county, Pennsylvania; and in 1850, it was in
Belmont county, Ohio. Thus, between 1890
and 1850 (six'y years,) the centre Of population
has travelled two hundred and twenty miles al
most due West. The centre Of population
travels about 81 miles decennial!y, or nearly
four miles per annum. In halt a century it
will be in Indiana, and it will be century at
least, (fever,) before it crosses the Mississippi
Probably; il the Union contnu-s rs it is, it will
never cross the MissiSsippl. The reason il
obvious Between the California Mountains.
and the West line of the Missouri, there is but
small portion Of fertile lands; while east of
the Mississippi, and west of the Alleyhenies
every acre may be made garden spot West
Of the Mississippi 10 the Pacific, 10 a greater dis
lance than from the Atlantic to the Mississippi,
but far less fertile and productive.
The centre Of population ia in Ohio, and it is
evident from preceding facts that It will be so
for half q century. Here, in Ohio, then, is the
centre Of commerce, and il is this fact, which :
20 rapidly increases its wealth, developes its in
dustry. and gives such activity to loconotion;
and this activity, industry and development is
moi likely to be all diminished; on the contrary.
L Will iaeseases The eommereial growth Of it,
chief ports have never been equalied by the
growth Of any part Of the world. Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Sandusky and Toledo are all growing
rapidly, and TO these we should add the interior
Towns Of Dayton, Columbus and ZanesviIle,
more Immediately dependent on manufacture,
but connected with the others by railway. To
Illustrate the growth Of commerce in Ohio, we
will give the aggregate population and growth =
,f these towns. For it is we'll known that the
commerce Of these places has increased more lii
rapidly than the population; 50 that in giving te
The growth Of towns, we really represent the NJ
growth ofcommerce. th
The aggregate population Of Cincinnati, W
Sandusky, Toledo, Dayton. Columbus and ey
GAINESVILLE, At different periods, were a. fol- h,
ows: i.
In 1890 1914 q
In 1880 32720 :.