The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-02-08

Z
nine and you have the astounding fig |
ures 450,OO0,OOO for the fret, and |
1857, 100000. That is, if the plow
share were to run over all, we could
sustain a population of 450,000,000
souls, and ship 1857, 900, 900 bushels to
starving Europe. But hear what the
statistician, Atkinson says. Instead of
this 50,000,009 which we now sustain
one hundred million could be supported
without increasing the area of single
farm, or adding one to their number
by merely bringing onr products up to
our Average standard of reasonably
good agriculture" Multiply again by
two and you have the sustenance for
900,000,00O people and a surplus of
5,114,000,00O bushels for famished
mouths abroad. Think, then, of the
marvellous possibilities of our soil, my
farmer friends. Take these facts home
with you, aud ponder them we'll
But there is still greater wealth
under the soil. Twenty years ago but
one Nation, England, led us in mining.
In 1880 we passed her by three per
cent, and every year only widens the
gap. To day our mining operations
are more extensive than all those of
Asia, Africa, Continental Europe, South
America, Mexico, and Canada. Be
tween 1870 and 1880 we produced of
precious metals, S73O,O00,OOO. Half
the gold and silver in the worlds
market comes from the mines of
America Look at the univirsality
of our valuable ores and minerals.
Twenty-three states of the Union, it
is said contain iron. One of them
enough to meet the worlds demands
for hundreds, if not thousands, of
years. Our coal measures are with
out limit, and more easily mined than
the deep mines of England. The sta
tistios of 1880, then the greatest in
crease between 1870 and 1880. Here
are about the figures
Iron ore tons 100000. s Increase 10 per ct.
Copper GSpE " soSSosS sslSS sssSS ss,sesooo
Petroleum, gal. 4a,ooOOcO s6oooo,oOO 20 fold.
1t is said that IN twenty years one
western State mined over S43S, S,000,-
900 of precious minerals. That was
Nevada when famous Comstock Lode
with its twelve small holes in a noun
tain side, yielded S37,00O,O0O in one
year. All the wealth, says writer,
of the corn fields of Pennsylvania, a,
New York, New England, Wisconsin,
Michigan and Minnesota, in that year
1877, scarcely equaled it. 1t is claim.
ed, by good authoritrity, that the min
eral out put west of the Mississippi for
1880 was $1,000, 100000. sum equal
to almost one half of the agricultural
yield of the entire United States. This
is not all. The area of our western
coal fields is something like 100000
square miles, and, with the exception
of Minnesota, coal there is found in
every western State and territory-iron
in all of them. Missouri has it 10
every county. Minnesota, Nebraska,
and the Indian Territory alone have
no lead, but 500 square miles in Miss.
ouri are lead producing, in the year
1877 yielding over 100000 lbs. All
have copper excepting two, Nebraska
and Kansas. Salt deposits, too, in the
west are inexhaustible. Also sulphur.
One mountain in Idaho contains it
three per ct. pure, while Louisiana has
a bed almost as big, 112 feet thick.
Sulphate of soda are found in lakes in
Wyoming about ninety per ct. pure,
and from eight to ten feet in the vein.
How about tin? Cornwall, we have
been told, must supply the world. No
need to put it on the "free list" if the
United States geologist for Montana is
correct, who says that tin bearing
rocks are found there which can be
quarried from the surface, veins more
than fifty feet thick surprising the
famous English mine, and which, he
thinks, will never be exhausted. Tar
iff performers" should look at this fact
in arranging their schedules.
In these two departments then,
Agriculture and Mining, we lead the
world. But there is another in which
we lead it. That is manufacturing.
From 1870 to 1880 the manufacturers
of France increased 100000, of
Germany $430,00O,00O, of England
S5S0,000,000, while those of our coun-
try increased over $l,OOO,OOO, 900.
The eulogy of that "grsnd old man.
of England is pertinent right here.
"She THE U. S. will probably become
what we are now, the head-servant in
tne great household of the world, the
employer of all employed, because her
services will be tie most and ablest.
We are that to-day Mr.. Gladstone.
In this department of our industries
the elements of our superiority lie,
lst--in the superabundance of our
raw material, especially coal. Every
year adds to the cost of coal in Eng
land because of the depth of heI
mines. Here Its production OH ac,
count of the competition in labor and
in other directions, is annually less ex
pensive. Think of England having tc
cross the ocean, 5000 miles, for every
aleof cotton that she spins, while here
we grow the cotton and have in abund.
ance all the requisite for its manufac-
ture. See what is beginning to take
place in a new South, in Alabama
Tennessee, Virginia and North Caro-
lima. There cotton, coal aud iron have
craved for ye trs, the inspiring touch
of home enterprise and capital in theil
development. 1t was the plea Of
common sense and pride. Now
these States are beginning to be lit ~
with mills, factories, and forges, which
threaten serious competition to th,
iron masters and other manufacturer,
of Pittsburg which has the advantag,
of natural gas Why should they buy
abroad what they can manufacture a
home for nearly the same cost, ant
thus give employment to their owl
laborers at remuneration, too, whicl
puts out of sight the degradation Of
;he pauper labor of Europe? believ,
new era is breaking upon this sec
tior, and that under the American
and not the Golden idea, they will
soon swing into the line Of msnu.ac
turing States. ! say, God Speed tn
dayl