San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-02-22

v;uced that no people in modern times
have had so much to hope for in their
;,,mediate future as our own at the
present period. In observing the matter
rom n distance, one perhaps can judge
- them with freedom from local inAu-
.nces so apt to mislead, and itmight be
interesting to look at some Of the many
.;cns which point to a prolonged period,
near at hand, of peaceful prosperity and
rropress far greater than the country
has ever experienced in the past. -
That q nation so young, without
oreat accumulated wealth, almost with
ont m army or ancient institutions,
should have safely passed the crucial
test of the last eighteen years, is itself
a spectacle to inspire the highest hopes,
and is sufficient guarantee for the
future; but there are ample evidences
beyond this upon which the American
people have just grounds for the most
gratifying anticipations. When it is
remembered that for four years nearly
half the industrial force of the nation
was engaged in some manner in the
work of war, creating nothing of tangi-
bic wealth, expendinga million lives of
men in the midday of their usefulness;
with more than ten thousand millions
Of the treasure already gained; with
the social and financial commissions in
cident to it, the marvel is that we en-
dured it and yet exist.
Everywhere among civilized men the
, unlimited resources of our country, the
high financial character, integrity,
intelligence and culture of the
people are being recognized and COM
mended. Foreign. immigration, for a
short time apparently turning to other
countries, has again set toward our own,
having been treasured of the advantages
itofers them, superior to any other. But
of vastly greater Importance is the
shifting of the people already there,
from towns and cities to the country. The
mistaken influx to the cities after the
towns war and up to 1875, where it
was belived an easy living awaited all,
is NOW reversed, and the reports of in
creased land sales and of the transporting
companies, the census of the Western
States and the wonderfully increased
productions there, fully confirm this,
and it is one of the best indications of
the times.
The cotton crop of the South, SO
greatly impaired by the war, has been
restored, demonstrating the most valua-
BILE fact, if such demonstration were
ever necessary, that free labor is adapt
edto its culture, while the experiment
in cotton-raising in other countries,
caused by the hiatus in our OWE, has prov
ed that the United States has monopo-
lyo the cotton-growing lands of the
world, both in respect to the quantity
and quality Of the cotton, while it's in
crease has no apparent limit. This
places beyond question the fact that
the United States for long time will
be the cotton-producing country for
the world, while the demand and uses
for it are steadily increasing.
The production of cereals in the
United States is steadily growing, as
also the foreign demand for them. The
wheat crop alone this year will be near
ly 6O0,000,000 bushels, while of all the
cereals there will be not less than 3,000,-
OOO,OO0and the average Of grain produc-
ing territory is small comparable what is
capable of production. The North
west, with California, the finest wheat
portion of our country, has yet vast
areas untouched. The immense valley
ofthe Red River of the North, the best
ofall, is practically unoccupied. The
increase of land brought under cultiva-
ton in the last few years has been a
little over 1000, 900 acres annually, but
the rapid adaptation of machinery for
agricultural uses, and the present impetus
nimmigration ofagricultural people, viii
largely increase this. In 1877 the pro-
duction of cereals, excepting wheat,
was one-third greater than in 1876,
while that of wheat was one-half greater,
and of tobacco double, being 100000