Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-12-11

THE knights Templar under the au-
spices of Steubenville Commandery
No. IL, had a splendid reunion on
Thanksgiving day. Many guests from
Pittsburgh and other places were pres
ent. They had marching with BAN
ners and brass bands; they had a ser
mon and banquet and toasts, and a
jolly good time.
Ex-senator Updegraff, of Mt. Pleas
ant, in response 10 the toast-"The
State of Ohio; the third in the bright
galaxy of States" found a theme wor-
thy of being talked about. We present
a specimen of his admirable condensa-
ton of the richness and greatness of
our Buckeye State:
Thirty.seven sovereign States, clasp
ed blythe endearing name, ''Our COun-
try," form our national family. Among
these, Ohio, graded by population,
takes the third" place. In growth,
variety of resources and products, loca-
ton, progress, education, benevolent
institutions and national influence, il
holds rank second to none. In 1910,
when New York stood first and Penn.
sylvania second in white population,
Ohio was ninth. Since that time its
progress has been such a miracle OF
growth and prosperity, that its history
and statistics seem fable and a false.
hood to the amazed people OF older and
slower countries. In 1870 its constant
ly increasing population was 2,655, $50
Last year the aggregate assessed value
of its daily auglnenting, real and per.
sonal property, was 81 ,624 ,323, 1I8. The
true value of the same is set down a,
s., ,335 ,463, 1874, or about four times wha,
it was in 1850. There are in the State
%, ,OOO, 900 acres of cultivated land, which
last year yielded over $500, O,0OO, ,OOt
worth of farm products. There are
now $141 ,924 900 invested in manufac
turing, supplying 1877 200 men with la.
bor, and yielding last year a product ol
$500, ,OOO, 600.
In 1871 there were mined 55,3I5, CSC
bushels of coal, and geologists compute
the amount of available coal in the
State to be p, 100, ,000, 900 tons, and new
sources of supply are being constantly
discovered. Thesupply already kno n
would furnish the vast amount mined
last year for more than 80, 600 years.
| Ofpig iron, that standard staple oi
modern industry, Ohio, in 1871, manu-.
factured 353,0vO tons. Every ton oi
iron represents about twenty-five days
work, as nearly So per cent of its value
is the labor il involves. That amour!
of iron manufactured then means g..
49,, 900 days labor, worth $l4, 4,737 800
or the constant employment of 32,75(
wOrkmen, and tAe support Of 163, ,75C
American men, women and children.
But better and grander far than all
these proofs or material prosperity
comes the crOwning fact that during
the past year Ohio has expended more
than 81 ,0O0,0O0 for educational purpO-
ses in furnishing the meaus of knOwl-
edge to every child of every class and
condition within her borders. That
more than 100000 children are now en-
rolled in her public schools. That pi-
oneer army OF 27,743 teachers are to-
day laying, by noble and creatiUe work,
the foundations of her future freedom,
greatness and power.
But the chronicle of OhiO's growth
and grandeur would be itself the histo-
ry of an empire. 1t talnOst realizes the
prophetic promise of n nation born In
a day." But yesterday the bark Wig
wan and the primeval Wilderness.
To-day, luxury, culture, wealth, 4. ram
deur. power. Every year develops new
increases wealth, and ST lmu-