Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-05-17
The following readable article is
taken from a page Of the Superior
Inter Ocean that is devoted to- 4
description Of tho Northwest:
II NINNESOTA.s
MINNESOTA.s

u
description of tho Northwest:
MINNESOTA: I'd
To this State belongs the credit Of
originally attracting attention to and.
securing a designation Of the great
Northwest. Here was born and here
developed into striv ing giant that
milling interest which made at once.
valuable and famous the hard wheat
which has in fifteen years time added
to the wealth of this State alone over
$30O,OUO.0OO. and which has made
the entire Northwest stamping-ground
for millions of feet from the Eastern
and Middle States, from Canada and
Continental Europe and from the
Atlantic Islands. 70 this state have
come in vast swarms the adven-
turous French, the logged English,
the practical Scotch, the fiery Irish,
the quiet btu laborious Scandinavian,
the historical and hardy Finn, the
inscrutable Russian, the unconquer-
able Pole, aud the sun-loving Italia
and the Industrious German. Here
they have colonized side by side, and
aided in the development of what is
very properly termed the North Star
State, the State that is destined soon
to become the pole-star of the COM
nlerce of over one-third of the North
American continent. The develop
ment Of this State hns been marvellous
TO a degree, and yet the entire north
ern half, the to-be wealthier hall, is
almost entirely undeveloped. ! j >.
In 1864 the total area of taxable
property in this State was 1913, 237. =
II acres, having a total assessed vaIua-
alton Of S33, III ,956.21.
In 1888, twenty-four years lat, :,
the area assessed was 27,26O,351 acres
valued at S450, 07O,376 on the assess
ment rolls--an average increase of
SIS, 100000 per year.
In neither of these assessments is
the personal property of the State in
cluded nor the property of the railroad
companies. +
In 1888 the personal property assess.
ment reached a total OF S1O6,126 ,O15,
and a fair assessment Of the railroad
properties of the State, based, upon
their gross earnings and amount of
taxes paid, would not be less than
$175,000,00O. The railroads at pres
ent pay into the State Treasury in
the way of a tax upon their gross
earnings, the large sum Of 100000
per year, or double the amount Of
taxes for 1864, and one-third Of the
entire running expenses Of the gov
ernment Of the State.
We have here, then, our best
witness to the possible development
Of the Northwest. A State which in
1864 had u total Of assessed valuation
of less than s43, 100000, in 1883 had
swollen to the enormous total of
1871, 196,49l, including the present
('98) assessed valuation of the rail
road properties, which in 1864 had no
existence as taxpayers. It is SUBJ
m tilted that the resources of nature
and the active capacities of man
never before united to produce so
remarkable an increase in the wealth
Of q single State, if we except the
single instance of the State of Illinois.
Illinois in 1880 was just where Min
nesota was in 1888. Massachusetts,,
very wealthy State at that time
was only assessed at s1;549,OO0,0OO
in 1879. This result has not been
brought about entirely by means Of
the production of Minnesota soil, but
was largely assisted by the estuary
character Of the State in commercial
way, enabling the concentration of
half a million Of people and $685.
100000 in value Of taxable property,
in the cities of St. Paul and Mime
apolis, and $25,00O,OOO of assessable
property and $4,000 people in the
city Of Duluth. The past twenty-five
years of dcvelorement in the State of
Minnesota are a grand prologue. to
thd next twenty-five years of growth,
in wealth and population Of the new
States Of North and South Dakota
and Montana, and yet a prologue
which may fall far short Of anticipat-
ing in all its vast breath and cogent
energies the actual product of the
next quarter ola century in three
new States where will be united
Natures richest resources and mans
latest scientific and practical inven-
tons that have lent wind-storm
pace to- the progress Of every new
country in the last ten years.
In 1886 the individual deposits in
Minnesota national hanks amounted
to $22,OsS, $3.50 rnnking tenth in
the list of States.
School books are furnished to the
school children Of Minnesota free
of charge by the state. The poorsare
thus provided with the necessary in
strumentalities Of q common school
education. 81.
! 1t costs 100000 per annum to
support the the Judiciary Of the State
1t costs the State Of Minnesota
$4,000 per year to support the rail-
road and grain inspection department
Of the governments