New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-01
THE GROUTH OF A STATE.

tennial season. The average cltlZen has Jhc
knowledge of American history and geography
which he acquired mt school packed away in
n very dusty corner of his brain. What else
he had acquired of knowledge concerning the
country's growth had reached him principally
through the newspapers, and was rather mis-
ccllaneously shelvcd in his memory. The ac-
crssiOns TO this store within the last twelve
month are enormous; it Is quite safe to
say that most Americans have learned more
about their own country within that period
than during the previous decade. Foreigners
have gained in still larger proportion, having
acquired more information about America IN
the present year than the sum total Oh what
they had before. Part of this new knowledge
new to most of its recipicnts-came from
seeing what America had To show at the Ceh-
tennlal Exhibition part came through the nn-
merous reviews of the countrys progress
which have been presented during the year
Many of these reviews have far more than a
passing value. One of the best OF its kind is the
address of Edward ID. Mansfield, Ii. ID. Qat2
Commissioner of Statistics for Ohlo), de-
liyered mt the Centennial Exhibition Aug.
Q. Ii sketches succinctly the progress OF the
State of Ohio. There are less than 100 years
of this brief history. 1897 being tine date
when the Northwestern Territory was organ
led and the next year being marked with
Ohios first settlement, by colony from New
England, mt the mouth of the Muskingum
River. OF that colony Washington said: -
"know many of the settlers personally, and
"there never were men better calculated To
"uromote the welfare of such community
He added that if he were a young man, no
region at the West would be more attractive
To him than that which the colony had Sc
lectcd. remarkable characteristic of all the
early settlers of Ohio was that there were no
uneducated people among them. They were OF
the class that build school houses and churches,
that make good laws and obey them.
The rapid growth of Ohio was something
marvellous. Kentucky offered an equally fer
tile soil but Ohio was free from the blight OF
slavery, 100000 acres of her land were re-
served for the maintenance of schools and col
lcges, and by the ordinance of 1887 the titles
of lands To settlers were made exceptionally
secure. Between 1910 and 1880 the p0pula-
ton of Ohio increased twcnty-fold; during
the next twenty years it more than doubled !;
in the present year it is estimated mt three
than the whole United States possessed when
independence was declared. Some OF the nat
ural advantages which made Ohio 80 attrac-
tive to its settlers are summed up III DR..
NansGclds address. On the whole surface OF
this State of 10000 square miles there are
no mountains, no marshy wastes, no barren
sands; it is all arabic land, interscctcd with
600 miles of rivers, by means OF which the
ocean may be reached either ut the Gulf OF
Mexico or at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. \
citizen of Ohio has within navigable reach of
his own State ~, 900 miles Of river and lake
coast. all within the United States. Beneath
the fertile soil it is asccrtained that 10000
souorc miles of coal and 1000 square milo )
of iron are awaiting the labOrs of the miner.
Ohio could alone supply for many centuries
tbe worlds needs of iron and coal, and from
the prodncts of her fields, her factories, and
her mines would be easily capable of sustain
ing a resident population of ten millions. We
can best realize the singular fertility OF Ohos
soil by comparing its grain product per square
mile with that of European countries. The
amount of grain raised in France Is stated as
$50 bushels to the square mile in Austria,
about n third more; in Great Britain, trlile
over twice as much in Ohio, $3.50 bushels to
tbe souare mile, /. c., three and half times
the proportion of France. This ratio
il also higher than that of Illinois, although
the total amount of grain raised in the latter
State exceeds any other in the Union. If com
harrison be made so as to include population,
tbe results are still more striking. The three
Europcan countries just named raise only n
fifth as many bushels of grain to each inhabi-
tant rs does Ohio. An equally striking ex-
bibit can be made by a similar comparison of
the numbers of domestic animals in Ohio with
those in other States and in foreign countries.
! In view of such facts it is not difficult to ex-
pain the circumstance that Ohio after feed
ing her own inhabitants, exports direct and
indirect products of her soil amounting in
value to $100,000,OOO.
| Perhaps, however, the most striking of the
! statistics which DR.. Mansfield presents relate
10 education. The taxation for school pur-
poses in Ohio was, in 1874, $7,452, 1876. The
proportion of illiterate persons is less than in
twenty-eight other States, among which Con-
necticut and Massachusetts are numbered.
! There are more colleges and universities
in Ohio than in all New-England, and a
greater number of college teachers. The
ratio of college students 10 the pop
ulation is also among the highest. So