Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-03


gia and Kentucky each contained less
than 10000 inhabitants The ten
states remaining had u population of
less than S.50o.GOO.
The south was also the weaIthiest
portion Of the country. Virginia was
noted for its fine tobacco. which had
formerly been the currency OF the col
ony; the Carolinas for their rice. Geor-
gia for its pitch. indigo and tar These
commodities were sent to the northern
country and in return manufactured
articles and luxuries were imported
Boston and New York were tn. chief
centers of commerce.
In New England the most thriving
communities lived in the seaboar;l
towns and derived their wealth from
ship building. commerce. fishing or
bookkeeping. The fisheries and espe-
cially the whale fisheries, formed the
chief support of several prosperous
towns. Nantucket. which row would
be practically deserted except for the
summer visitors. was then i thriving
community. possessing great ship
yards and sending out each year 151-
vessels to the whale fisheries. The
seaboard towns also acquired wealth
>
carried on in packet sloops. built and
manned by New Englanders. Maine
was especially noted for the fine tim
her for masts which it possessed.
Aside from these industries connect
ed with the sea New England was not
favored land. Most Of the people
were engaged in farming and the IN
propitious soil furnished them living
Nh ff.T5 : I'll
with the luxurious life on the River
James. still more barren If contrastel
with what We consider meager living
at the present day. The farm WAS
made to supply almost everything
which the family needed. In 1881 d
typical farmer wrote: AT this time
my farm gave me and my whole fam
lily a good living on the produce of i
and left me. one year with another, $50
silver dollars. For I never spent more
than SO a year. which was fer salt.
nails and the like. Nothing to wear.
eat or drink was purchased. as my
farm provided all
But the most striking fact is the az
sence of the goods which are now COM
mon and on which our national pros
pcrity so largely depends In the south
: u
the north the manufacturing estab
lishments We're represented by a few
paper mills an iron foundry or two AMI
( a factory for making cooked hats.
There was then no surplus 81 grain or
| iron TO export. But there was one
commodity of great value which in it
self marks the state of the country and
which was a product of the wilderness
/ covering the greater part of the coun-
Try. The fur trade was a most lucrd-
tive source Of income for those engaged
in it. For mere trif1es they secured
from the Indians the finest skins and
sent them to Europe.
It was necessary to secure large
prices for imports, as the vessels sail
ing to Europe were small and the pas
sage slow. one month was a remark
ably short time for a trip either way.
The passage seems usually To haze
consumed eight or ten weeks. Travel
ing in America was even slower The
fastest made was by packet sloop. il
the weather was good. Under favor
able conditions the passage from New
York to Providence could be made in
three days. but often the trip took
nearly or quite two weeks. On account
Of this uncertainty passengers Sener-
ally preferred the stage coaches In
these trip could be made from Bos-
ton to New York in six to nine days BY
travelling eighteen hours day. The
eNecrable roads and the lack of bridges
caused frequent delays and mishaps.
if nothing worse. The crossing from
Brooklyn to New York was a danger
Gus trip in winter and continued to he
until the application of steam to the
ferry boats. When these were the con-
diions where trade was most active
and travelling most usual We can i'm
agine the innumerable dangers and ac-
cidents on the less common routes. 1t
is no wonder that gentlemen setting
out on journey of 800 miles should
give a farewell banquet and solemnly
say good by to their friends
Ii We turn our attention for d mo-
ment from the seaDoard to the country
beyond the mountains we find here and
there an outpost of civilization. Dan
iel Boone was daring the dangers from
wild beasts and wilder men in Ken
lucky. Western Tennessee was being
settled. But the country to the north,
Ohio. Indiana and Iillinos. was still the
home of the buffalo. St. Louis was be
coming Il center for the fur trade. The
great lakes We're practically unknown.
The Mississippi river was hopelessly
remote from civilization and il seemed
barely possible that this river could be
Of any Importance for many decades.
II To- these discouraginE conditions
the state of the country after the war
be added the outlook for expansion was
gloomy and ii is no wonder that the
western territory was valued so slight
ly. The country was heavily in debt.
there was no efficient central power.
there was no community OF interests or
feelings. The states We're jealous of
each other and each tried to profit at
the expense of the others States
which had no convenient ports for
foreign commerce were subject to be
taxed by their neighbors through
whose ports their commerce was car
ried on. New Jersey, placed between
Philadelphia and New York, was liken-
ed to a cask tapped at both ends: and