The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-02-12
GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES.


The Washington Globe contains an able
article on the growth of the country during
the past year. From il we condense some
interesting statistics:-
During the past year the prosperity ol
the United States has received an unexam.
pied development. The various sources of
true national wealth, the cultivation of
new lands, the increase Of the crops, the
extension of manufactures, the working of
mines, the import and export trade, foreign
and home commerce, the construction and
working of railroads, the growth and es-
tablishment of cities, have all wonderfully
increased, and have added largely to the
capital of the country. The transactions
Of the New York Clearing House for 1856,
show an increase Of Sl,7Oo,OOO,00O, or
thirty per cent on those Of 1855, making
the total for the year amount to the cnor-
nous sum of .s7,3oo,ooo,ooo. The trans
actions Of the London Clearing House in
1889, amounted to s4,772 100000. They
amount now to probably treble that sum.
If so, the business of New York is equal
to half that of London. In the imports
and exports of New York, there has been
an increase Of 33 per cent on those OF 1855.
The increase i'll railroad traffic has been
from twenty to thirty per cent.
Thirty-one millions of acres of land
have been sold and appropriated but the
public lands yet remaining unsold in the
Territories arc equal in extent to the present
thirty-one States, or more than all Europe,
except Russia. Farming and industrial
production has kept pace with other depart
ments. Its approximate value, as estimated
ny the Secretary Of the Treasury, from the
returns of the census of 1910 and that of
1850, was, during the year 1856, about
s2,6oO,OOO,000, or triple that of $780,
The value of the entire property of the
United States, taxed and not taxed, he csti-
mates at s1l,317,OoO,ooO, exclusive of tile
public domain. lie estimates the popula-
ton at sec, G,oG4,31o.
About 5000 miles of railroad were con-
structed in 1856 there are now $4,000
miles Of telegraph wires in operation.-
There have been constructed two hundred
and twenty. one steamers, and seventeen
hundred and three sail vessels, with an ag-
gregatc tunnagc Of 459,304 tuns.
Notwithstanding this large addition, the
official lists show decrease in the mer-
Chant marine on that of 1855. During
tho year, the Federal Government has re.
duced its debt to twenty-five per cent. It
now amounts to sao,ooo,oo0, with resi-
due i'll tho Treasury of $4,000, 900, after
the payment of all demands. Our trade
with Canada, under the new treaty, has in
creased from s2o,ooo,ooO, in 1853, to $50,
100000 in 1866. The gold mines of Cali
fornia have supplied us altogether with
about $17o,ooo,ooo in gold. Willie the
country las thus improved, villages have
been transformed into cities, an citiesd have
grown by the construction of buildings un-
equalcd by any built in former years. In
four years, the number of post Offices have
increased twenty-five per cent, or from
20,oo1 in 1852 to 25,565 in 1856, show.
ing the creation of 4,GG4 new centers of
population in that short period.
Thus, year after year, are the United
States advancing in material prosperity, as
natural result of the Development of their
boundless resources.