Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-11-07
A FEW MISSOURI FACTS.
Labor Commissioner Meriwether's
Statistical Map Of Missouri, Show
ing It's Great Resources.
Correspondents of the Leager

Correspondence OF the Ledger
JEFFERSON CITY, Oct. 3l.-The
official map, just issued by Labor Com
missioner Lee Meriwether, contains
several striking as well rs valuable
showings relative to the varied pro-
ducts of Missouri. People r aware,
in a general way, hat Missouri is one
of the greatest States in the Union,
but there will be many persons, even
mon the best informed, who will be
surprised on examining Commissioner
Meriwether's map. to learn that Mis-
souri, excels not only in her W spec
ialties, but also in several side pro-
ducts, which are specialties of other
States. For example, although maxi
ing no claim on being a 'lumber"
State, like Michigan and Wisconsin,
Missouri marketed 296, 130, APO feet of
lumber in 1894; in addition to 2, 1855, IA
cross ties and som , forty million feet
of logs. Residents in cities must be
growing fcnder every year of chick
ems, as the amount of poultry shipped
from the 1O7 counties engaged in the
business ia not only an enormous one,
but is one that is growing by leaps and
bounds. In 1890 only 10,766,573 pounds
of poultry were shipped to the cities;
in 1891 the amount increased to 2S,-
O49. 1T more than double the amount
of the previous year., while in 1894
the figures stand at A, 16o, 6s2 pounds
-four times as much as was marketed
in 1S90). The amount of melons
marketed seems to have varied very
little, the figures being 1889 carr in
1894, as against 1,761 cars in 1891. But
ter also shows little variation, $780,
537 pounds having been marketed in
1891, and 2,S10, $50 pounds in 1894. But
the amount of canned goods marketed
has shown wonderful increase III the
past few years; the figures of 1894
show a shipment of 33,461, 155 pounds,
as against only 1880, 900 for 1891. The,
increase in corn shipments has been
$685. 500 bushels in 1890, $685. 3s in
| 1891 and 10, $50, 1872 in 1894. The figures
| tOT CSS6 arc liO1O 5dblcAuSGc4N -11s
900, 426 dozen in 1891 and %, 765, 1856
| dozen in 1894. The increase in hides
is large-from 1885, 9s4 pounds in 1891
6,755,17 7 in 1894. On the other hand,
the falling off in iron is enormous and
unpleasantly indicative of the stagna-
ton in the iron industry in Missouri
in particular and in the United States
in general. The shipment in 1890
amounted to 326, 232 IONS of iron; in
1891 the figures fell to 1851 tons, and
in 1894 to only 1882 tons. This tre-
mendous decrease is due not only to
stagnation in the trade, but probably
also in part to the intense competition
of the surface iron mines of Northern
| Minnesota with their cheap freight
outlet via the boats of Lake Superior.
The huge steam shovels used in the
Vermillion Range, north of Duluth,
scoop up six to ten tons of iron ore at
a time-a process at once SO colossal
and so inexpensive that there is small
cause to wonder at the inability of
competition on the part of the old
style mines wherein the ore can be
extracted only by digging deep shafts
and using expensive machinery.
The figures above quoted, which are
only a few samples of the many shown
by the map, do not represent the total
amount of the respective articles pro-
duced in Missouri, but only the surplus
amount shipped from the county
wherein the articles are produced.
When it is remembered that there are
upwards of three millions of people in
the State, it will be seen that the
amount of articles produced must
largely exceed the amount shipped.
Ninety-seven counties shipped some
800, OO0, 900 feet of lumber, but as the
several million inhabitants of those
ninety-seven counties all live in
houses, the total amount of lumber
produced in Missouri is necessarily
much greater than the 800, 000, 900 feet
shown by Commissioner Meriwether's
map.
Credit is due Mr.. J. W. Marsteller,
of the Labor Bureau, who drew the
map and attended to the collection of
facts and figures it contains.
By sending five cents in stamps to
the Labor Bureau, jefferson City, a
copy of the map may be had by any
citizen of Missouri.