The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-10
4 WONDERFUL NATION.
A Glance at the Past and = Prophecy Of
the Future-Grovt b.

| has no rival on the face of the globe IN
natural resources,-in wealth, in the gen
eial nteIligelsde GIFTS people. There is
little us. m taking a glance over the past.
for neatly every man of intelligence is
familiar with the history Of the country.
He knows that dozen years less than
| half a century ago the republic Of the
! United States included thirty-one states
and five territories, if we include among
| the territories the District of Columbia.
The area then was, as 1t IS now. not IN
GLIDING the Alaska purchase, 3.0d2 see
square miles The population was less
than %. 100000 West Virginia was the
center of population. The population in
the territory west of the Mississippi river,
a territory 2, 13j, $40 miles in extent, was
at this time only 1890, 404. 1t was
supposed that most Of E.Afxtensive area
was composed of desert lands and alkali
plains.
The old school biographies displayed
in conspicuous letters Great American
| Desert" which By the hand of man has
| since been transformed into as fertile
and productive farms as any in the east
This trans Mississippi region today in
cludes twelve states and nine territories,
and the United States census of 1880
gave it a population Of 1889, $50. In
1850 the value of all property west of
the Mississippi river was, in the states,
500. 704, 479 and in the territories S1l,-
224, 026 In 1880 this had increased 10
S.. ll9 900, 600 in the states and in the
territories to g, 994, 900 600.
The ratio Of increase in values through
out the entire country was just rs re-
markable. In 1850 the value of real and
personal property in the United States
was S113j. 80. 800. In 1880 the value
was $40, Gi2, coo, 600. The population has
has increased from %, 101 ,s7G in 1850 TO
so, 1872, eGG in 1880. The center Of popu
lation is in the vicinity Of indianapolis,
Ind. The growth in the prOduCtiyeness
of the soil is Just as phenomenal. In
1s49 the corn crop was SOP OIL lO4 bush
es. In 1879 it was .7j4 j21 ,G76 bush
els. The wheat crop in lS40 was l00,-
AS, 944 bushels and in 1879 It was
ass. 4s3, 1877 bushels. The corn acreage
in ls49 was 2j,000,000 acres; in 1879 it
was GO. 900. 600 acres. The wheat acreage
in 1s40 was 10000 600 acres; in 1879 it
was 3j.430. 1888. In 1853 the mileage of
the railroads was 12,00s. In 1882 there
were in operation ia, $50 miles Of rail I
roads.
If this percentage of growth continues |
in the next half century where shall VIC |
be as n nationf The immigration is in |
creasing every year. 1t seers that Eu-
rope is already too full to hold with
profit its rapidly growing population.
Look at the immigration figures and note
the remarkable increase. In 1881 the |
number of immigrants were $780, 3l; in
1882. 7sS 092; in 1888, 603, 322; in 1884
5ls,j92; in 1855. 39J, $40; in 1856 1884,
203; 1887, 500, PSI. Making a total im-
migration in seven years Of $3.50, 167
This immigration will increase rather
than diminish, 1t will be many years
very many years-before the ratio Of
population in this republic equals that Of
the older countries today.
In 1850 the ratio of population per
square mile Of territory in the United
States was 1910. In the same year the
ration Of population in the British isles
was 2G9.49; in China it vas 960.j9; in
Germany, 1918; France, 176. 80; Japan,
2i2 50; British India. 223.jG; Belgium
4G1.9j. Ifthe ratio Of population in this
country were equal TO the present ratio
of population in Trance we should have
a population Of j31 $40, jS3. This growth,
at the of increase so far observed IN
our material progress, would give US this
population IN q decade less than a cen
fury. Thirty years from now, at the
same percentage Of increase. our popula-
ton will be 1lO.1s6,310 In fifty wears
it will be iS6, PA, SG4. There is. indeed I
no limit 10 the greatness Of the American
republic. Detroit Free Press.