Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-11-19
rHE WESTWARD MoVEMENY,

AT the beginning of tho present
century the center of wealth, industry
and population lay in the line which
passes north and south through Wash
ington City. In 1870 it had moved
westward to Pittsburgh. In 1870 il
was at Cincinnati and it is thought
that the next census of 1880 will show
that the conter of population is located
at or about Indianapolis. Before the
close of the century it will lie west
ward of tho Mississippi. SO rapid has
been the developments so unprecedented
the growth OF populous States that tho
most far sighted men could not foresee
the changes that they would work in
business and industries Of the country
and indeed, Of the world. In the cur.
rent number Of the Princeton Rerielc-
which has now become one of the most
thoughtful and instructive of our peri.
odicals-there is very able collection
of statistics showing the Comparative
darative Wow Of American progress, #"
from which we gather some interest.
ing facts. 1t is familiar to all that cot
ton, the staple product of the South,
the corn and wheat and pork OF the
West, the leather and lumber of the
Northwest, the coal, iron and petroleum
Of the Middle States, the textile fabrics
Of New England, and tho precious
metals of the Pacific States, are the
basis of our commercial prosperity ;
but it is not generally known to what
extent the production of these com.
modities varies with the growth of
new industries, and how often the
changes are directly the reverse of
what might have been expected. For
example, the iron and steel trade is
rapidly moving westward, in spite of
the seeming great advantages which
Pennsylvania possesses. 1t is said that
the quality of the iron ore of the
Mississippi valley fits it better for steel
manufacture, and as steel is rapidly
supplanting iron in the arts, this gives
the West great advantage. In the
year 1878 the State ofllinois produced
as many railway rails as the whole
country produced prior to 1860. The
four States, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana
and Kansas, manufactured over one.
third Of all tho rails produced in the
country. The advantages which these
States have in distributing their heavy
iron ireights over the great lakes and
the Mississippi and its tributaries are
also very great. The furniture trade
has moved westward. The leading
hotel at Dundee, Scotland, is furnished
throughout by furniture made at Grand
Rapids, Michigan. Such furniture can
to-day be delivered in Scotland at 25
per cent less than it can be made in
Scotland, owing to cheap lumber and
laborsaving machinery. The new
England furniture manufacture has
correspondingly declined. In the South
the drift has been westward, chiefly
toward Texas, and that State has been
built ur at the expense of the rest Of
the Gulf States. Still Georgia and
Alabama are making a handsome start
in manufactures. The cotton mills are
growing prosperous and new ones are
building but still a very small i'm.
preston has been made upon New En-.
gland mills Ninc-tcnths of the manu-.
facturers OF cotton are still in the
North and almost all the fine goods
are Of Northern manufacture. The
Gotten States, however have advant.