The New York herald., 1869-05-21
AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL
SOCIETY.

The annual meeting OF the American Geographical
and Statistical Society was held last evening In the
rooms OF the society at Cooper Institute The Presi-
dent Of the society, Charles p DAILY, occupied
the chair, q considerable audience Of ladies and
gentlemen being present.
The reports Of the council of the society and Of
the treasurer and librarian were presented. From
these appeared that the affairs Of the society are
In prosperous condition. The membership has In
creased during the year from 49 to al. There have
been 2,267 volumes added to the library during
the year, making the entire number OF volumes
about 10000. The balance In the hands OF the
treasurer over all expens es is $sAS 90.
The following officers were elected for the ensuing
year-President, Charles p. DAILY; Vice Presidents,
Henry Grinnell, F. A. Conkling and Rev. Joseph +.
Thompson; Foreign Corresponding Secretary, Town.
send Harris; Recording Secretary, +. H. STRANGELY;
mond; Council, William Remsen, T. Bailey Myers,
W. I. Blodgett W. +. Curtis and Theodore N Dwight
The announcement OF the election OF these Office rs
was warmly received by the audience.
After few remarks from the President, congratn-
latlng fthe society upon the prosperous condition
II presented, he introduced to the audience Mr..
WILLIAM b. OGDEN, who had prepared o
paper to read a. on the occasion upon no,, the
REMARKS BY MIR. OGDEN.
Mr.. OGDEN, on presenting himself, was very
warmly greeted. He then opened the subject OF his
discourse by reviewing briefly the progress OF the
United States IN every project that had Tor s object
not only the material prosperity but the physical
principally confined his remarks 10 the great in
crease OF railroads in the country. In 1885 there
we're but 100 miles of railroad III all the States III
1886 the extent OF railroads mad increased TO lob
miles; In 1916 to 5000 miles; III 1855, ten years
after, railroads had increased to 1900 miles; In
1865 to $1,000 miles, and we have now, in
1869, over 1900 miles. Applause) In
1867 England had but 10000 miles; Germany,
including Austria, H. 800 miles; France 1900 miles.
In the balance Of Europe there were but about l66 500
miles, and throughout India and South America,
perhaps, 1000 miles, giving some $4,000 miles OF
railroad throughout the world in the year 1867.
Now in the present year, there are over l000 600 miles
OF railroad ON the face OF the earth. Npplause.)
But the great and crOwning effort oil railroad enter
prise In this country the completion of the great
Pacific Railroad, extending from the Missouri
making an unbroken line OF 1,776 miles IN length.
significant number Is that l176 m the MS
tory Of OUR 1se esy @ ro@ 0e
Sacramento TO San Francisco, incorporated I'm the
great Pacific Railroad, and that from Omaha TO New
York, connecting the atlantic and Pacific Oceans,
making the whole line 3, ,250 miles, and from San
Francisco to Bangor Me-, $500 miles Of railroad.
(Applause) The first Of this immense undertaking
was commenced at PromOntOry Point, on the 10th OF
May, 1854, and within i've years the whole grand
anennn ana on the ioR of This ann dav
be forgotten the anniversary OF the OPEN
ing OF the great Pacific Railroad tApplause) Mr. Og
den went into brief history OF the first actors in hs
great work and their efforts to convince the gov
ernment and the people of ITS feasibility. The
well known merchant Of this city, Mr. Whitney,
who first explained and exempfed by figures the
possibility OF work which at that time was deemed
introducing the first measure into the United States
Senate In 1857 providing an appropriation for the
taxing of surveys OF the road After several years
Of action and inaction, OF doubts and hopes, Of de-
termination and iresoluti0n at last the great work
was undertaken, and the people OF to-day witnessed
the completion Of the create work of the century
Mr.. Ogden then spoke OF the country through which
the great railroad ran its mineral wealth. which he
aatd vQt hnf
which with regard TO gold and silver alone
amounted to one hundred millions OF dollars year.
He not q specuiatist or theOrist, yet he would
venture to say that II there were two more such
railroads-and they needed-from the Pacific to
the Atlantic the national debt would be lessened to
One-fourth of Its present burden on the people IN
very few years. In concluding he said he had been
for the last two weeks, particularly the last few
days, engaged IN negotiating with Jay Cooke Co.,
OF Philadelphia, by which Mr.. Cooke would become
the financial agent for the construction Of the great
Northern Railroad from Lake Superior through
Missouri and across the Plains to Columbia rIver
bringing 500 miles nearer to the empire OF Japan
than the present Pacific Railroad. The negotiation
WAS substantially closed and most satisfactorily too,
and he hoped the work would soon be commenced
Mr.. Ogden was warmly applauded at the close OF
his most interesting address,
Mr.. SAMUEL RUGGLEs then rose and referred to
devices Of MIR. Ogden In frlrtherng the great work
OF railroads throughout the country. In conclusion
he moved Ia, vote Of thanks thanks be be presented to Mr.
meeting very cordially greeting the orator OF the
evening.
briefly addressed the meeting. Rev. Dr. Thompson.
Vice President, offered the following resolutions ac-
companied with brief tribute to the memory or
Hon. Geo. Folsom:-
Resolved That this society has learned with deep
Of the death of Mr. George Folsom OF s founders
for years its Vice President who departed this lie
Rome the 27th Of March last and that this
ders Its coincidence 10 his family under this afcton.
Resolved That the rendered Mr. Folsom
Of science and letters example gentlemen Of
leisure and social position worthy of all commenda
ton and the hope that with the development Of
the wealth Of the country there win arise taste for
tslecua and aesthetic culture which will
growth with wisdom, beauty aud honor
The resolutions were unanimously adopted, afrer
which the meeting ut being then eleven oclock was
brought to q close and the audience dispersed.