Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-12-25
f33eHs4
OUR NATIONAL WEALTH.
The Unparalleled Material Progress or the
IJnlfa n SCI tAa

The Unparalleled Material Progress or the
United States.
a glance over recently ublished sta
t1st1cs shows us that the progressive adj
vance OF the United States during the
past century has been almost fabulous;
and unless some immediate means be
found OF increasing the population and
wealth OF Europe as rapidly as those Of
the United States do, the American Ma
t1on will In no distant period become
foremost in Importance and political In
huence among the governments Of the
globe. The United States Of America,
which separated from England in 1778,
and elected their first President in 1889,
now consist Of forty two States, six Ter
ritories and one Federal District. The
area Of the Union, including Alaska, is
about 3,6O5,OOO square miles. In fifty
years Great Britain's population has in
creased 10,OO0,OOO; frances. 5000, 900;
and that of the United States, 81, 600, 900.
Since 1870 the population Of North
America has doubled about every
twenty-six years. In 1890 the popu-
lation Of the Union was not 4,0OO,-
900; now it exceeds 81, 600, 900 in
habitants. If corresponding in
crease continues, in seventy years
more the United States will be as popu-
lous as Europe. Four-ffths of the pres
emit population consist of Americans
of English origin, and the other
fifth consists chiefly of Germans.
The French, Italians and Spanish
who have emigrated here are SO COM
paratively few that they are swallowed
up in the immense mass of Anglo-Ger-
mans. AS for the financial condi-
ton OF our country, it is, with its fort
une of $4,000, 900, 600, as estimated in
1884, the richest country in the world.
At that time the fortune of Great Brit
ain was estimated at $45, OOO, 600, 900; of
France, about $40, 600, 600, 600, and of Ger
many, $4,000, 10000 The United
States are also, Notwithstanding the i'm.
mense sacrifices made during the war of
rebellion, in the most prosperous fnan-
cial situation Of any in the world. The
commercial imports. and exports of
America, about 81, 500, 600, 900 per annum,
dc cot come up to those of England-$3,-
100000, 000-but they nearly equal those
of France and Germany. The merchant
marine of the Republic ranks next to
that OF England. The United States
possess the most extensive telegraph
system in the world, and the American
postai-service exceeds all others in it's de-
velopment. There are 1876 post-ofices in
the United States, and over 24O, 600 miles
of postal route; while the nearest ap-
proach to this are the 10, 5S3 post-offices
of Germany, which has $1,000 miles of
postal routes. Last year more than
$3.50, 100000 letters and printed docu-
ments of all kinds were sent by Ameri-
can post-ofHces, costing $50, 900, 900 for
the postal operations. Such prosperity
may be easily explained by the fact of
the great areas of the country, which
are so fitted to receive a dense popula-
ton; and by the consideration that so
many of the American colonists are re-
cruited from the most enterprising and
courageous of Europeans. Another fac
tor is the lesser military budget which
the United States is required to support,
and the few men kept from the pursuits
of peace in the maximum of their
strength. The severe military systems
of the Old World, which force innumer-
able immigrants to leave, are not neces-
sary here, for we have not, like Euro
pean nations, had race struggles to es-
tablish ourselves in new territories.
Peace has brought us prosperity, and
let us hope that our continued prosper
ity will continue to bring US peace
Demorest Monthly.