, 1878-12-05
RESOURCES Of THE uNITED STATES.

Prairie Farmer
Manufactures and commerce have
made Great Britain the richest and
foremost nation ON the face Of the
oar,h. This pestge has been created
through the industries connected
with manufactures and commerce,
and not from agriculture, usually
considered as the most important
industry of a nation, and really the
foundation of prosperity in any coun.
try. England has led the van so far
os the wares of the world are con.
earned, at least so far as manufac-
tnres of genera utility are in ques-
ton, and she has the carrying trade
to large extent through the su.
premacy of her merchant commerce.
Will it last?
What have given her the suprer-
acy in manufactured articles are her
vast mines Of coal, which have en-.
abled her to manufacture cheapIy all
those articles where steam or heat in
any shape could be utilized. For
the last five years, however, it has
been apparent that she has reached IA
point beyond which she can not go
forward. Coal is becoming dearer
every day, on account of the in.
creased expense in mining. Labor
is advancing in price year by year,
unlil at last the equalization in the
price Of power and labor rs between
the United States and England, in
connection with improved machinery
here, has rendered it possible for us
not only to compete with England in
various manufactures, but actually
to underse,l her in her own markets
il certain lines of goods. 1t is hard.
ly to be supposed that the United
States will consent to rorego the ad-
vantages thus derived, but that we
shall earnestly press and drive home
this entering wedge. We are rich
in all mineral resources; we have
unlimited mines of coal both East
and West most cheaply mined; we
produce the raw material in the cheap
vegetable fibre used in manufacture.
ing cotton--as well as the chief
animal Gbre--wool. We have not
yet fully developed our manu(actur'
ing facilities as we may; neverthe
less we are improving therein year
by year, and it will not be long be-
fore our manufactures for export
will be second only to our agricul-
tural products. Indeed there is but
little that we need that we do not
now manufacture.
The central division Of the United
States, the great valley of the Missis
sippi, reaching almost from the arc
tic regions to the tropics, and from
the AIleghanies to the Rocky noun
tains, contains alone nearly 100000
square miles of territory. In it is
situated the richest farming land in
the world, and vast area is under
laid with coal. Its mineral and
woodland treasures are almost incon-
ceivable in their varied richness,
while from the great wheat regions
of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Dako'
tn, down through the corn zone of
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska
and Kansas, to the cotton and cane
fields of the South, is found an ever.
varying diversity of products,
stretched over broad acres, thickIy
dotted with the smiling homes of a
thrifty population.
Usually nation emerges slowly
from savage life to barbarism, and
from thence to civilization through
long centuries Of serIdom, tryannv
and oppression. Two centuries ago
the wild Indian roamcd through the
wilds of America from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, save here and there
where was IA weak settlement strug'
UEnr far |; 70 N,m how nhanuel