The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-10-10
NATIONAL PROSPERITY.

ministration of Gen. Grant. a lew
facts will fully illustrate this point; we
begin with Rail Roads the great devel-
opers of individual, and national wealth.
Fifteen years ago, or at the beginning of
1853 there we're but 24,503 miles of
Rail Road in the United States, while
at the close of 1871 there were 60,S52
miles of Rail Road completed and in
use by the various business departments
of the Country, showing an increase in
fourteen years OF 36,349 miles. Poor
in his manual, acknowledged authority
in Rail Road matters gives us the fol-
lowing statistics. AT the close of 1868
there were 1855 miles of Rail Road in
the United States. AT the close of 1869
there were 47,254 miles, increase for
the year, 1900 miles. At the close Of
1870 there were $500 miles, increase
for the year, G,l45 miles. At the close
of 1871, there were 60,S52 miles, in
crease for the year 1853 miles, and
before the close of the year 1871 there
will be at least 5000 miles more COM
pleted and in use by the public, making
the total number miles of Rail Road
built during Gen. Grants Administra-
tion, aud now used by the several depart
ments of industry in the country, 26,597
miles, or 1904 miles more than there
we're at the beginning of the year 1858.
Bus mess men consider these facts,
they look them square in the face, they
make them the premises from which
they reason to the conclusion to vote for
Gen. Grant for President of the United
States for another four years. The
business men of the nation have idea of
disturbing the Fourerite Philosopher,
and Chappaquack farmer, in raising Gu
cumbers, and chopping off two inch
stlck Vi Woou L utHe IoI tHe ueAt III
definite number of years.
Now We have seen the vast but stea-
dy increas in but one department of ma
tional enterprise, to wit: Rail Road build
ing, But Rail Roads are pioneers
traversing streams and valleys, and even
climbing mountains, developing the
natural sources of wealth in communities,
but thero must be an underlying in
dpcement to men of money to invest
their thousands of millions in this one
branch, and that too among the most
expensive Of the enterprises Of the nation
There must be at least an apparant
possibility Of income sufficient to bring
back d fair remuneration on their in-
vestments. There is a good deal of
human "nature" about the men of money
and enterprise, who invest their money
4 this way, they do SO in the strong
hope, that in due time they will reap if
they faint not The men who employ
their money in building Rail Reads
through the country, have a wonderful
fippant way of talking about tonnage,
and the prospect of the increase of
tonnage on the line Of the projected road
Now how stands the matter in this di-
rection, and on this point we only have
data for the year 1871, when the Rail
Road Touage alone amounted to the
round sum Of fifteen thousand millions
of dollars. Does our national history!
or the national history Of auy of the
. modern nations show an exhibit like
this? Does it not show prosperity
never surpassed, if indeed equaled2
In another department of nationa
business, and that is Savings Banks, W.
have au exhibit that more particular!
interests and concerns the laboring
masses. In this we are confined 10 SEA
tistical information to the State of New
York alone.
In the year 1870 the increase o
deposits in the Savings Banks of tn
State of New York alone amounted t
s36,3S9, 100, being an average of 1896,
80 to each depositor. The deposits fo
the year 1871 amounted to s37, 7,946,6
being an average of $324,03 to eacI
depositor. Here then in two years W
have an increase in the deposits in tn
Savings Banks Of one State alone out O
the 81 States Of the Union of S74 1856
769. If the deposits of the other State
is as much in proportion to populatio
as those of the State of New York, thel
we have in the years mentioned, abou
Sl,00O,O00,0O0 deposits in the Saving
Banks of the country.
This is certainly showering of pro
ravitu omono. tLa 1ahnr;no ol9asee r1ral