Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-11-24

tne territories the District Of Columbia.
The area then was, as 1t is now. not in
cluding the Alaska purchase, 3.O02, s62
square miles. The population was less
than 25, 900. 900. West Virginia was the
center Of population. The population in
the territory west OF the Mississippi river,
a territory ?, ,l35, $40 miles in extent, was
at this time only 1899, ,404. IL was
supposed that most of this extensive 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 Mississippi region today in
cludes twelve states and nine territories.
and the United States census Of 1880
gave il 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 $11,-
224, ,026. In 1880 this had increased 10
50, ll9, ,000,0 900 in the states and in the
territories to 81, 994, 900, 900.
The ratio of increase in values through
out the entire country was just as re-
| markablc. In 1850 the value Of real and
personal property in The United States
was g., 1876, 7s0.32s in 1880 the value
was si3. G42. 900, 900. The population has
has increased from 23, $40 in 1850 TO
so, l52, ,SG6 in 1850. Tn center Of popu-
lation is in the vicinity # indianapolis,
Ind. The growth in tire productiveness
of the soil is just as phenomenal. In
lS49 the corn crop was 5g2 OIL, l04 BUSH
els. In 1879 it was LISA, j2l $40 bush
els. The wheat crop in 1Si9 was l00,-
4Sj,94i bushels and in 1879 il was
459,4S3,l 1877 bushels. The corn acreage
in ls49 was $4,000, 900 acres: in 1879 it
was 62,000,000 acres. The wheat acreage
in lS49 was 10,000.U00 acres; in 1879 it
was 35,430, 333. In 1853 the mileage Of
the railroads was l2,90s. In 1882 there
were in operation ia, $50 miles Of rail-
roads.
II this percentage Of growth continues
in the next half century where shall we
be as nationl The immigration is in
creasing every year. II seems that Eu-
rope is already too full 10 hold with
profit its rapidly growing population.
Look at the immigration figures and note
the remarkable increase. In 1881 the
number Of immigrants were 500. ADJ; in
1882, 7ss, ,992; in 1888, 603. .322; in 1884,
5ls,592; in 1885, 305, BAG; in 1886, 334,-
203; 1887, 509,2sl. Making a total inn
migration in seven years OF 5,S19, 1877.
This immigration will increase rather
than diminish, II will be many years
very many years-before the ratio Of
population in this republic equals that Of
the older countries today.
In 1880 the ratio of population per
square mile Of territory in the United
States was 1870. In the same year the
ration Of population in the British isles
was 269.49; in China it was 260.59; in
Germany, 197. As; France, 1869; Japan,
212.S9; British India, 223.58; Belgium,
46l.95. II the ratio Of population in this
country were equal to the present ratio
Of population in France we should have
population of 53l, SAG, ,5s3. This growth,
at the rate of increase so far observed in
our material progress, would give US this
population in decade less than CEN
tury. Thirty years from now, at the
same percentage of increase. our populs-
ton will be 10, ls6,3l0. In fifty years
it will be s6.2l4,s6i. There is, indeed,
no limit to the greatness Of the American
republic Detroit Free Press.