The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-01-16
MISSOURIAGREAT STATE
It Surpasses All Others In the
Diversity Of Its Products
Secretary of state A. A. Lesueur Makes
n Report of the Resources, Prod
ucts and General Condition
of Missouri

l the following letter by Hon. A. A.
Lesueur, secretary of state of Mis-
souri,, N regard to the material prog
ress and condition of the state.
In compliance with your request
made to Gov. William ]. Stone, and re-
ferred to me for reply, l submit the
following summary in regard to the
material resources, products and gen.
eral condition of the state of Mlssouri:
Missouri is the fifth state out of As
in the American Union in population,
which, according to the last census,
was 2,676, 1s4. The population is now
estimated to be 3,25O,OO Missouri is
the eighth state in assessed valuation,
only the states of New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Massachusetts, Ohio, California,
Michigan and Indiana being greater.
1t is doubtful whether the real value
of property in Michigan or Indiana
the real value Of property in
Missouri, and it will be noticed thai
the assessed valuation of the great
state of Illinois is less than that OF
Missouri.
Missouri in area has 69,415 square
miles, or over $4,000, 900 acres. 1t is
larger than any state east of or boder-
ing upon the Mississippi except the
state of Minnesota. The length OF the
state north and south is 2s2 miles; its
extreme width east and west is Sac
miles, and it's average width 1856. Some
idea of the immensely of this magnit'
cent domain may be gained from the
fact that the entire states of Maine,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, New
HAMPSHIRE, Vermont, Rhode Island
and Delaware could be put dow side
by side within it's limits and still leave
a margin of 1900 square miles.
Missouri is the third state in the
Union in the number of its farms, anc
the third state in the number of acre:
of improved lands, having over 1900,
0 acres under cultivation, or a larger
acreage for the harvest than is pos
sessed by the states of Michigan anC
Minnesota combined, or the states o.
Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut
Maryland, Minnesota and Rhode Is
land. Missouri raises more corn thai
Indiana and Maryland.
SurDaSses olhtE n III
1t produces as much wheat as tn,
states of New York, kentucky and Da
kota combined. Missouri ships nearl,
so, 900, 600 pounds of poultry every year
not being equaled by any state IN tn
Union. 1t is the fourth state in mum
Der OF horses, and leads every state IL
the Union in the number OF mules
producing last year $50, sos horses an
35l, 5y9 mules.
1t produces annually 1,OOO, 600 NOR
pounds of wool than does Texas, an
as much of that staple as the combine'
states of Illinois and Georgia. Its yiel'
of hav surpasses that of Kentucky
Tennessee and New Jersey, and its to
bacco crop is in the neighborhood O
Is, 900, 600 pounds. Its southern coun
ties raise an excellent quality of cot
on. All the cereals, all the grasses
all the fruits and timbers of the lat
tude flourish in abundance and groN
to maximum dimensions.
Missouri is abundantly supplied wit
large streams and springs of pure wa
ter, many of them distinguished TO
Inelr VOlulHC 1hC "obN1 WV -
the streams and springs south of til
Missouri river are unlimited, and nc
excelled by those of any state in tn
Union. The day is not distant whe
these vast water-pOwers will b
brought into use and made to tur
the wheels of thousands of factories
Nearly all that portion of the stat
living south of the Missouri river
heavily timbered. These immens
forests embrace pines, poplars, asi
oaks of Is different kinds, hickorie
walnuts, linden, cottonwood, swee
{ black and yellow gum. cypress, syc'
more, locust. elm, birch, tupelo an
, every kind of timber required IN ma
ufactories of woods.
, During the past year Missouri hi
not only supplied the wants OF ht
I people with timber, but exported aOC
I OO0, 900 feet of lumber, in addition
! millions of railroad ties and 40, OOO,O VI
+ feet of logs not manufactured In
: lumber. Her forests must be seen al
examined before they can be fully a
preciated.
r NITGAL Lchus lEABh hhN Aah~
Missouri has no great mounta
ranges. The maximum difference
. elevation is 1,5OO feet; local relati'
! differences are less shan 200 feet.
Missouri produces more lead Of
than any other state except Colorad
: and owing to the decreased output
silver in that state (much of the lie;
accompanying that production), u
. prospect is that Missouri will soon
v the first state in the Union in the pr
: duction of lead. 1t has Il lead mine
y the ST. Joe mine, at Bonnie Ierre,
St. Francois county--which is thong
to be the largest producer IN t
!. world, the estimated daily product
{ ing in the ncighborhood of 1,5O0 pig
The state possesses in great abu
Il dance clays suitable for pottery, tilin
friedrich, retorts, etc. These ella
II have a high reputation, and besld
= their use at home, have been shlPpe
manufactured and crude, to all pal
,e of the world.
= Missouri possesses building stones
? great abundance, among them lin
II stone, sandstone, granite, marble, al
/, for ornamental purposes, a Mexlc
h onyx susceptible of the highest polls
1t has building sands, gravels a
lime in inexhaustiDle quantities., a
valuable mineral waters of varied PR
critics. In addition to these, Nilsson
bas "a duciup counties, viii,