The morning call., 1891-07-16
Increasing Values Of the Products Of The
Land and Water.
Comparison Between the Yield Of Farms
and MlneS-The Rapidly Growing
Industries Of Alaska.
sreeial to THE MORNING GALL.

resources, commerce, ETC., of the Pacific
Coast States. Mr.. Brock has the reputation
of being q reliable statistician, and his re-
port, just issued. will certainly be found an
interesting document especially to Pacific
Coast people. There has been great de-
mand for the publication. in consequence
of an Associated Press dispatch printed on
the coast recently, outlining the forthcom-
ing work. Complete statistics are given of
Alaska. Arizona, California, Idaho. Nevada,
Oregon and Washington. The California
statistics were prepared by Thomas j.
Vivian of San Francisco. who is at this
time engaged in some statistical work in the
Census Ofice in this city. Mr.. Brock re-
CARDS the California work done By Mr..
Vivian as being particularly creditable.
PRELIMINARY REPORT.
a preliminary or Introductory statement
of considerable length. prepared by Mr..
Brock himself. is presented in very read
able shape. There are not so many tables
as in the ordinary statistical reports, and
the whole is relieved by interesting observa-
ticns and comparisons tnterspersed through
out the preface or introduction. NJ. Brock
Is great admirer of the pushing and ener-
getic Pacific Coast people, and says he is
glad OF an opportunity to present their
MoTks IN favorable light to the country at
large. The preliminary report says:
The Pacific States form an ntereStn 2,
group in which the industrial DEVELOPMENT
Is surprising, and the rapid progress in COM
merclal and transportation facilities and
great increase in values within a comDara-
lively short erlod are very gratifying"
RESOURCES OF ALASKA.
A statement of tie resources and COM
meree Of Alaska, compiled 10y Mr.. Ivan
Il Petroff of San Francisco, will doubtless be
read with surprise and appreciation. With
out including the various vessels, tugs, fish
ing boats and other craft employed by the
ttirty-six canneries in Alaska, it is esti-
mated that during the fiscal year 1890 there
were employed In ocean trans spOrtaton
between Alaska and San Francis co
seven vessels engaged in the cod
fishing. industry, nine steamers and
thlrty-tive vessels in the whaling feet,
and fifty-fye vessels engaged in the salmon
industry. Besides these. in the transporta-
tion to and from San Francisco, about So
steam tugs, from 20 to 100 scOws and about
$50 small boats have been engaged in this
industry. This does not include vessels en-
gagged in trade with their home ports else
where. The exports from Alaska during
the fiscal year of 1889 were valued at
S9,S4O730; of this salmon was valued at
1885, 600. fur seal at $4,000, 900, gold bull
ion, ore and gold dust at about g.. .0O0. 900.
and whalebone SLIGO, ,000. 1t is estimated
that there is invested in the various enter
,OU BOIQ
and silver mines aud mills; coal mines, $780,
900; salmon canneries, 81, 500, 600; In ship
pings, 100000; sawmiils, S130,000; cod
fishing stations and vessels, 100000, and in
trading stations, wharves. etc, $3.50, coo; or
total OF 81, 10000. The value of Alaska
Will be better appreciated and understood
from an estimate of the values of the prod
ucts that have been obtained from the
Territory from the date of its purchase in
1867 to 1889. inclusive. A careful estimate
N lie dnrf fbaf
period places the value at S3l, ,557, 392 and
other furs at S14. .90S. $685. or total of S46,-
166, $50. The estimated value of other prod
ucls of the fisheries since the purchase Is as
follows: Canned salmon, sc. .439. 797; salted
salmon, S460.S0S: cOdfish, 81, $50 236; total,
$3.50 S4l. The gold and silver product for
that period is estimated at S9, IA, $50. The
aggregate estimated value of all these prod
4 nets obtained from Alaska from the time
OF its purchase 10 the year 1899 is over S60,-
OBS, ,721. This estimate does not include the
products OF the whale and other fisheries
and of numerous other minor industries.
The lowest temperature at Sitka, Alaska,
81 above zero in 1887, the highest In summer
was 79' in 1881. The mean winter tempera-
tuTe of Sttka is about $50 and in summer
about 550. Surprising as it may seem to
those not familiar with Alaskan conditions
the winters OF Stka are milder than many
OF the leading cities of Europe, among
which may be mentioned Stockholm. Copen-
hagen, ST. Petersburg or Moscow. 1t is
more moderate in winter than Boston, Port
land, Me-, or Albany. \. 7.
PRODUCTS OF CALIFORNIA.
OF the total product of gold and silver In
the United States GIL per cent of gold, AZ
per cent Of silver and 5i.5 per cent of the
total Of both was the product of the Pacific
Coast. The combined product of gold and
silver in the Pacific group from 1881 to 1889
inclusive was $3.50, SSi,092, while the total
of both precious mettIs for the whole
United States for the same period was
S75S, 6,930 The agricultural development
was not less remarkable. A table is given
showing the number OF acres of public lands
surveyed in the iollowing-named States and
Territories up to June 80, 1890:
States and Surveyed
50 10, ,564
idaho; ....-.'--...-...'........... 39$S277
ss2
HLsh. 7029, 100
washington. 4165,l71
In the thirty years from 1850 TO 1880 the
area Of improved lands of these States and
Territories has increased from 49, GA acres
to 1896, 695. The most important OF the
agricultural products, in amount and value,
Is the wheat product The wheat crop
alone of all the numerous agricultural prod
ucts nearly equals the total value of the
product of gold and silver in the States and
Territories Of Arizona, California, Idaho,
Nevada, Oregon. Utah and Washington for
the five years f;om 1885 TO 1889 inclusive.
For these years the total gold and silver
product of these States was S213, 536, ,621,
while the wheat crop was S211. .344, ,SS1. In
California during these five years the wheat
crop exceeds the production of gold and
silver by tie sum of S44. .256. 433. In Wash
ington the product of wheat exceeds the
gold and silver product by S26. GIG, 26l. In
Arizona, IdHho. Nevada and Utah the ex-
cess is largely in favorof the precious metal.
When we consider the total products of
aRricpltUre and cOmnara them with the tot
product If the precious metals the result is
surpTisilg and most favorable to the field
and farm.
A COMPARISON OF VALUES.
In 1889 the California gold and silver
product was Sl4,o34. 3l3; the value of the
wheat crop is estimated at S30.646,S ,S44, of
cattle and sheep slaughtered $4,000, 900,
ard the products of fruit Sl6.OOOOOO If
the product of gold and silver in California
Is taken f"r twenty-five years, from 1868 to
iSo9 @ inclusive; III; there is the large aggregate
OF S5J9, 10, ,343, while The wheat product for
the same years was CAT ,59G 260 bushels,
valued at S62S 040, $40, or an excess of yaiue
In favor Of wheat Of S22S S79 467. This pc
riod Of twenty-five years is taken because
there is no reliable data of the wheat Weld
prior to 1868. 1t will be thus seen that this
magnificent result, the product of only one
Of the cereals in one of the Pacific States, SO
famous for its yield Of precious metals is a
splendid tribute to the resources of its soil
4 ana to the industry of its people The
product of gold aud silver in 1888 in Califor-
pia was S14.150.0o0 while the home value of
the hay crop alone was S18,519.632
From 1882 10 1889, inclusive, Washington's
l wheat crop was, IN the aggregate. valued at
. So, ,617, 500. For the twenty-one years. in
elusive, from 1869 to 1889 Oregon's wheat
crop yielded Sl42, 653, ,627
The product Of all The salmon industries
of the Pacific Coast for the season of 1889
was 1,650,000 cases. In 1876 there was a
nf "a thn