Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-09

ing: accustomed, in their own land, TO n
more than plain country life and tn
innocent trade of husbaudry, they set tn
example of colonizing New England an
formed the mould Of the civil and religion
! character Of its inhabitants" For thi
they frs, planted the church. and by i,
, side Immediately reared the school-house
and in these two institutions all GU
greatness had its origin. Under an equs
, yoke, they were the advance propelinI
|, power, which has opened America T.
civilization and freedom. Now, forum
ately for Us, with population of owe
fifty millions. and rapidly increasing. oil
the cornec of the cross road leading to TIT
village centre, may be seen the same New
England school-house, and nesting IL
the valley, the modest church with it
spire pointing TO the azure sky, wher'
the religion and morals of our fathers arr
taught. Wherever these sentinels have
appeared as the advance guard OF pro-
gress, good government, art and science
! have moved forward and asserted control
Let these conspicuous elements of free
government continue 10 be our national
bir,hright, and whatever Of higher edu-
cation, general refinement and more en-
larged culture we can add thereto, we
thereby simply do our duty. We shall
thus transmit, a rich inheritance TO the
future occupants of American soil.
The information that we gather from
the statistics of agriculture is very graft
swing. and furnishes conclusive proof that
the vast increase of our population be-
longs to the producing classes. Along
the Atlantic coast where commerce, man
ufac,ures and mercantile pursuits are
largely represented, population shows an
increase, during the last decade, of only
1876 per centum, while the central belt
and the trans-Mississippi region, which
represent the farming and producing IN
,erests Of the country, have increased In
population s6.4 per csntum. The acres
cultivated in the United States have
nearly doubled in ten years, and the to-
tai amount of cereals produced in 1879
was 2.697, 737, 920 bushels over the crop
Of 1869, or nearly 100 per cent. increase.
In 1860 we produced five and one-half
bushels of wheat to each inhabitant 1t Is
now nine bushels. and is increasing in the
same ratio. Formerly, France was king
in cereal productions now the United
States leads the column and is prospect
lively the most powerful of all nations of
the globe. There are over four million
farms in the United States-an increase
Of ffty-one per cent. during the past dec
ade. The increase of the number OF
farms is relatively much larger IN the
Southern States. where formerly immense
landed estates were owned by single IN
dividualS.
The census of the district Of Maine in
the year 1900, gave a population Of ISL
! 7l9-which showed an unexpected IN
crease of over IS per cent be;wsin that
/ date and the first enumeration OF It's IN
habi,ants under the Federal cons,itu-
ton in 1890. In the year 1920, wher
/ Maine became a sovereign and independ.
ent State in the Union, the population
was unexpectedly large, being 29S,269
| For the four following decades from 1920
the decennial increase Of population was
as follows In 1880, SO per cent; IL
| 1910, % per cent in 1850, 10 pei
cent in 1860, S per cent ; so that the
population that year was 62S,219. lr
/ 1870 the consus showed an actual loss o.
1864 inhabitants. The result gave rise
to anxiety in regard to the future, anC
speculation in regard to its causes. i
was. however, explained that the grea
loss of life among the brave soldiers o
Maine during the civil war and other cir
cums,ances had contributed to this re
suit. In 1870, increase of population
again commenced, and we now have
population of 64S,936, which shows
gain of % 900 over the census OF 1870
gain Of per cent over the last census
and an addition of llS per cent sine
1919.
The valuation of the real and person
al property of the State, measures Its AK
ereeaie wealth, and the large and rapi
increase that we have made in valuation
constantly advancing the past SIX,
wears represents better than population
the material condition of our people an
the general prosperity of the State. l
the year 1920, when Maine became a
, independent State, our total valuatio
was only $40, 962,77S; in 1880, s2S'
sO7 .6Si; in 1910, SOS, 246,2S
, 1850, slOO,O37 ,964; in 1860, sl62
l5S,5Sl in 1870, s22i,S22,SOO;
1880, our valuation reached the sum
I S235.97S,7l6, an increase Of SO pr
sent since 1920.
The increase of the number of miles {
railroad in Maine during the past d.
cade indicates condition of increasin
prosperity. In 1870 we had 1856
miles of railroads we now have lOl
= miles. The railroad has been extende
into Aroostook county, "the garden
: Maine" bringing the productions OF tn
i rich soil into the great markets Of Il
: country. This has contributed vel
: much towards increasing our populate
i and valuation. In this connection, / ca
= but congratulate the people of Maine @
the excellent management and conditiC
of our railroads. For further particula
and statistics, l refer you to the report
= the Railroad Commissioners.
7" The census Of 1880 showed that the
:, were in the State Of Maine, 64,3'
~ farms, an increase of 4,i95, or 8 ?