Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-28
THE NATIONS GROWTH.
What the United States Will
Become in the Near Future.
Figures Which Testify to the
Country's Greatness.

An interesting article in the New York
Times contains some startling facts and fig
ures concerning the future growth OF the
United States. The foundation for any
estimates of our future growth, says the
writer, must lie in the history of its past.
Beginning, therefore, at the dawn OF the
present active generation, say 30 years ago,
we find that our territory included 81
States, Territories, and the District
OF Columbia: that its extent was
it remains to-day, exclusive OF
Alaska, 3, 0J2, S52 square miles, and tina 1t
contained population of less than 22,OOo, =
900. The centre of population was near Park
ersburg. w. Va. The vast territory west
of the Mississippi River, embracing States
and 4 Territories, 2, 135, $40 square miles of
land, or over seven-tenths of the entire ma
tiOnal domain contained at this time only
1893, 4O4 people, and of these there We're only
81, 29o living in the limits of the four Terri
tories. Several peculiar fallacies respecting
this region gained such general acceptance
that they we're recorded upon the maps
and in the biographies published in this
early period. The fertile region between the
River Platte and the Red River was des-
cribed as the ''Great American Desert" IN
one case and as an "AlkaG Desert" in another.
Even as late 1866, in Lipp!ncotts Com
prehensive Geography" 1t is said that,
Along the eastern foot of the Rocky Noun
tains these plains are almost deserts. Much
of this region is suited to a pastoral people,
as the high plains of Asia The greater
part of Northern Texas is described as all
''arid, staked plain" and the southern part
is called sandy desert"
Now there exist in the trans Mississippi re-
giOn II States and Territories having
population in 1880 of II, 259, 800 According
to the census of 1880 the true value of the
real and personal property west of the
Mississippi was in the States S5O9, 7O4, 40
and in the Territories S1l,224, OPS. In 1850
this had Increased to So 119, 900, 900, or by
in Va
s., 1894, 100000, or by 272O per cent, in
the States and Territories included in
the limit of the four original Territories. In
the same period of 20 years the true value of
real and personal property in the entire
country had increaSa ed from 81, 135, ,225 to
S43, GA, Coz, 900, or something over GOO per
cent. During this period of 30 years since
1853 the Territories of Minnesota, in 1857, and
Oregon in 1859, were admitted into the Union
the new Territories of Kansas, 1851; Nevada,
1851, Nebraska, 1854 and Colorado,
1861, We're organized and subsequently adj
mitted into the sisterhood of States, and the
present Territories OF Washington, 1853, Da-
kota, 1861, Arizona and Idaho, 1863 Montana,
1864, and Wyoming 1868, were organized
organized Territory until 1854, was
credited in 1880 with a property valuation
of $3.50, 600, 00O-a sum eXcee ling by nearly
$1S0.00O,000 the aggregate valuation of all
the States and Territories west Of the MlsSlS-
sippi in 1850.
In the direction of agricultural develop
ment the progress of the Nation has been no
less striking. The corn crop of 1849 was
592, OF, lO4 bushels, and in 1879 it was
1854, 591 ,676 bushels; the acreage had in
creased from 25,OOO,O0O to 62,OOO,O0O. The
wheat crop in 1S49 was 100, 49,, 944 bushels,
produced on less than 10, 100000 acres; in
1879 the crop was 459, 4S3, 137 bushels, and the
acres 3d. 49, 333. In 1S49 there were 65, 797, 1896
bushels of potatoes produced on 800, 900 acres
of ground. and in 1879 the crop from $780,
600 acres was 169, AS, $50 bushels
But perhaps as Just criterion by which to
Judge of the development of the country
can be taken is the statistics regarding the
building of railroads At the end of 1882
there were in operation II, 90S miles of rail
there were sc, III , and in 1882 there were Ill.,,
$50. According to the Annual Statistician
the number o. miles in operation at the close
OF 1885 was 1856 248 miles
The population by decades since 1850 was
as follows:
Per Cent of