The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1885-01-03
How the United States Got Its Lands.

How the United States Got Its Lands.
How many United States bonds are
held by English and French citizens at
present We cannot say, but if they have
sany it is only because they do not wish
to surrender them at their face value
with interest. Our government bor-
rowed some money of France more
than hundred years ago-during there
volutionary war-and paid it all back
long ago. It has not borrowed money
of any foreign government since then.
The United States bought Louisiana,
the vast region between the Mississippi
River, the eastern and northern bound
ary Of Texas then belonging to SPAIN,
and the dividing ridge of the Rocky
Mountains, together with what is now
Ore gon, Washington Territory, and
the western parts of Montana and
Idaho, from France for $ll, $50, 900.
This was in 1903. Before the princi-
pal, interest, and claims of one sort and
another assumed by the United States
were settled the total cost of this
Louisiana purchase, comprising, ac-
cOrding to French construction and our
understanding. 1,171.9 square miles,
swelled to $23, 50O, 600, o. almost SO
per sect!on-a fact not stated in CYCLIC
pedias and school histories, and there
fore not generally understood. Spain
still held Florida and claimed part of
what We understood to be included in
the Louisiana purchase strip up to
north latitude 3l-and disputed our
boundary along the South and West,
and even claimed Oregon. We bought
Florida and al the disputed land east
of the Mississippi and her claim to
Oregon, and settled our southwestern
nboundary dispute for the sum of $6,-
800, 900. Texas smilingly proposed an
nexation to the United States, and this
great government was "taken in" Dec.
~, 1S45, Texas keeping her public
lands and giving US all her State debts
and three-year war Costing us $685.
600, ,OOO) with Mexico, who claimed her
for runaway from Mexican jurisdic-
tion. After conQuering all the terri
tory now embraced in New Mexico, .
part of Colorado, Arizona, Utah,
Nevada, and California, we paid Mexico
$25, 900. 900 for lt-*15, ,OOO, 900 for the
greater part of it and $lO.GOO,O 900 for
another slice, known as the "Gadsden
purchase" In 1867 we bought Alaska
from Russia for $7,2OO,OWl All the
several amounts above named were
paid long ago. As for all the rest of
our landed possessions, we took them
with us when we cut loose from mother
Britain's apron string, but did not get
aclear title until we had fought ten
years for it-tirst in the revolutionary
war, costing MS in killed 7,343 reported
besides the unreported killed-and
over $1,000 wounded, and $135, 1919, 1O3
in money; afterward in the war of 1872
Is. costing us in killed 1,S77. in wound
ed 3, 73'71. IN money $1O7. l5"O OO3. We
have paid everybody but the Indians,
the only real owners, and, thanks to
gunpowder, sword, bayonet, bad
whisky. smallpox, cholera, and other
weapons of civilization, there are not
many of them left to complain. Besides
all the beads, earrings, blankets, pots,
kettles. brass buttons, ETC., given them
for land titles in the olden times, we
paid them, or the Indian agents, in one
way and another, in the ninety years
from 179l to 1881, inclusive, $l93, ,672,
697.3l, to say nothing of the thousands
of lives sacrificed and many millions
spent in Indian wars, from the war of
King Philip to the last fight with the
Apschcs. This is the way that Uncle
Sam got land enough $780,, ,6O4 square
miles, or 9, 3OS, S66, $50 acres) to give us
each farm. Chicago Inter Ocean.
The largest known flower, says the
Scientific Farmer, is that of D para
siticel plant. the Raffiesia Arnold. The
plant has no proper stem or leaves, but
consists of flowers, varying i'll diameter
from :! to ; inches to ? to } feet. en-
veloped at base by few blush
or :. brownish scales, and emerg-
ing from the roots and trunks
various species of Cissus in Sumatra
The flowers remain expanded but few
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