The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-22
WORLDS FARM 1908
MOVEMENT STARTED BY CENTRAL
TRADES AND LABOR UNION.

national Expositton In 30. LOUIS
The recent meeting Of the Central
Trades and Labor union at st. Louis
was an unusually important one. Mr..
@. O. Benke, delegate from Walters
union No. 30, introduced series OF reso-
lutions providing for o fitting celebra-
ton of the acquisition Of the territory
formerly known as Louisiana, pur.
chased by the United States in April,
1908. He proposes to have an interna-
tional recognition of the event from the
first Monday in April, 1908, to Dec. 20,
1908.
Mr.. Benke said 1t was most BETTING
at this time to call the attention OF the
civilized world to the acquisition OF
that vast territory, which during the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
was known ON the map Of the world as
Louisiana. He said: Louisiana was
taken possession Of by La Sale in 1852
in the name Of Louis XIV Of France.
In 1899 the first colony was founded by
France at Biloxi; in 1918 New Orleans
was founded; in 1853 the government
of France by secret treaty transferred
the vast domain to Spain. The residents
revolted and drove the Spanish governor
from the territory, this being the first
revolt ON the American continent against
the crown of Spain. Spain sent squad
hI.aI tho nnlnnv which
NAMED dissatisfied colony until 1900.
It had increased vastly in population
and prosperity, especially during 1890,
under the governorship OF Baron
Carondelet. In 1900 treaty between
France and Spain reconveyed the terri
tory to France, but this time France
did not retain possession for any con-
siderable length of time, for in April
1903, Napoleon sold for merely NOM
inal sum ($l5, 600. 000) all its Louisiana
territory to the United States of Ameri-
ca, which assumed formal possession
Dec. 20 of the same year. In 1904 the
district of New Orleans was established
by congress, the rest of the immense
territory being erected into the terri
tOIy VI anu IA AOAS AHeO VIZ
territory of Missouri.
Mr.. Benke then offered the follow
ing resolutions, which were unanimous
ly adopted:
Resolved, That a committee of one from each
organization herein represented be appointed
| by the st. Louis Trades and Labor union, with
| instructions to lay before the citizens OF St
| Louis the following proposition-to wit:
L l,at 1,,,sKo ha AEGf MnnAau
| 1903, and closing on Dec 25, 1908 there shall
| be held the Mississippi Valley Internationa
| exposition in st. Louis, to the end that thu
| most important event in the history of thu
| great valley-viz, admission OF its vast terri
tory into the domain Of the United States-b,
| properly celebrated.
| Resolved, That said committee invite the co
operation of all civic and other societies in or
ganizing the agitation essential to success, ant
| that the press Of the city be invited to coop
| crate with our citizens in giving aid to thu
| movement
Mr.. Behnke further said that by thu
treaty of Paris of 1894 all French terri
tory east of the Mississippi was cedet
to England, and that that territory to
day comprised population as follows
Mississippi, 1900, 000 western Tennes
see, 500, 900; western Kentucky, 500,
600; Illinois, 100000; Indiana
1850, 900: Ohio, 4,000.000; Yves
Pennsylvania, $500, 900; Michigan
l2,250,O0O Wisconsin, 1000, 600. max
ing total population today OF 20, 100,
600.
Continuing, he said that the state
made out of the territory Of Louisian
were populated as follows: Louisiana
2.O0O,000 Arkansas, l,500,000; Mis-
souri,, 3, 200, 600; Iowa, Q, $50, 600; Min
nesota, 800, 900; North Dakota, 500,
600; Nebraska. 1850, 1000, Kansas
1000, 900; eastern Colorado, 800, 00C
Wyoming, 100, 900; Montana. 200. O0C
In his remarks Mr.. Behnke said
"The combined population today is IA
900, 900, making grand total popula
ton within the territory which woul
be directly interested of 81 states and
territories with total population {
30, 900, 900 people, or about half OF th
total population of the United States
and just equal to the present populatlo
of France, which formerly owned tn
vast domain. Within the boundaries {
this territory are over 500 incorporate
cities. 1t is the largest piece of produc
,, i've land on the surface of the globe.
embraces within its products every nee
of man. 1t represents better than an
: other portion of our nation the cosm'
politan character Of the typical Anne
lean citizen, upon whose shoulders hi
rested for nearly century the progre
of the nation. 1t is not sectional poll
ically or geographically, but is intens
ly national in both. 1t is the heart
: the great republic, and our city of s
Louis is the core of the heart. Here an
= here alone is the proper place to Gel
: brate the greatest event in the histoi
!. Of the Mississippi valley and its hui
: bred tributaries, the only question b
ing:
First. It's the occasion worthy
y uotice2
"Second.-Is st. Louis the most {
: ting place in which to commemorate &
great occasion?
/" Third. Are the citizens Of st. Lot
y capable Of doing justice &c the occasio
N Fourth. will they do so in a ma
per UNPARALLELED in the history of {