The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-11-25
which leaves New York al o:ls, You NAV

which leaves New York al AIS, you may
be sure that your correspondent il san
Francisco will be reading it next Nom
day night-four days from New York.
The trainers of our constitution would
have considered n man entirely beside
himself who would have suggested such
| q possibility.
In 1875 the states east OF the Missouri
river were sending food and clothing
TO the starving people of Kansas.
Thanks to the facilities afforded by the
railroads the corn crop of Kansas this
year Is 340,000,000 bushels.
1t seems but n very few years, said
the speaker, since l made my first trip
to Colorado, and stopped on my way
at the home of Buffalo Bill, at North
Platte, Neb., on the Union Pacific. At
Ogaialla, 81 miles west of North Platte,
the Sioux Indians were roaming over
the prairies and making more or less
trouble for the early settlers who ven-
tured so far out of the beaten paths of
civilization. The Nebraska corn crop
this year covers 100000 acres, and the
yield is 200,000,000 bushels.
Previous to the construction of the
Northern Pacific, the Great Northern,
Northwestern, ST. Paul, Burlington,
and other railways that traverse that
wonderful region known as the "wheat
belt" there was nothing 10 be seen but
prairie grass and an occasional band Of
untamed savages.
Nc. ..t. UD..u
In 1S40 there came across the conti-
nent reports of the discovery of gold
in California, but the only means Of
reaching its Golden Gate was by sea
around Cape Horn, or the long and per-
iious journey, with OK teams. across the
plains, including What was then styled
in our Biographies the American deS-
ert, and through the hazardous noun
tain passes of the western part OF the
continent. The completion of the Pa
cfic railroads changed all this, and
opened new fields for all kinds Of enter
prises. in an uneXplored territory
stretching over more chan 1900 miles
to the west, northwest and southwest
of the Mississippi river, the products of
which region were practically valueiess
until the means of transporting lem
were provided by the railroads. The
wheat crop Of California this year is
100000 bushels. The largest crop
ever produced in California was in 1850.
when owing to exceptionally favora Bile
weather conditions that state produced
C3,000,0O0 bushels. The gold output Of
California for the year 1899 is estimated
VI SlG,000,000. The vineyards and or
aSge groves of California would he Of
! practically little value were it not for
the fact that the railroads, by their
trains of refrigerator and ventilated
cars, make it possible to transport the
products Of her fertile valleys TO all Sec
tions of the country.
1t seems but yesterday that the rail-
roads were completed into Portland,
Ore, Tacoma and Seattle, Wash, and it
is marvellous that for the year ended
June 80, 1899, there was exported from
the Columbia River valley 100000
! bushels of wheat and from the Puget
sound region 100000 bushels. Ore
gon and Washington form the north
| west corner of the territory of the
| United States south of the line Of Brit.
| ish Columbia and are directly on the
| route to our extreme northwest posses
sion, Alaska. The wheat crop of the
| states of Oregon and Washington for
/ the year 1899 is $4,000 900 bushels. There
vas exported during the year ended
JuAe 30, 1890, from the Columbia river
| direct TO foreign ports 100000 barrels
| Of hoLY, and from Puget sound points
| 100000 barrels.
Colorado. which, with its ineXhaust-
| IDLE mines Of gold, silver, lead, iron and
coal, forms almost an empire in Itself,
will produce this year OF 1899 Of gold,
| $24,000,OO0; of SILVER, S14,2O0,000; OF
! lead, $i,400,0O0, in addition to Il mag
| niiicent crop of VIII eat, fruit and vege.
| tables. Thanks 10 Rer railroad facili-
ties, Montana is to-day the richest min
cral region of its size in the world. The
| latest published statistics-thosc OF
1s07-give the mineral output of Mon
| tana rs $4,000, 600.
Without railroads, Kansas, Nebras-
| ka, Minnesota. North and South Dako-
| Ia, Montana, Colorado, California, Ore
gon and Washington would still be the
home of savages.
Service of American Railroads.
1t is beyond question that American
| railroads to-day furnish the best serv.
| ice in the world, at the lowest rates of
! fare, atthe same time paying their em-
| ployes very much higher wages than
| are paid for similar service in any other
country on the globe. In the United
States the first-class passenger fares
last year averaged EOS cents per mile,
although on some large railways the
average was several mills less than two
cents per mile; in England the first
class fare is four cents per mile; third
class fare, for vastly inferior service, is
two cents per mile, but only on certain
| parliamentary trains. In Prussia the
| fare is three cents per mile; in Aus
tria, 3.05 cents per mile, and in France,
| 500 cents per mile.
Our passenger cars excel those of
| foreign countriesin all that goes % make
up the comfort and convenience of a
| journey. Our sleeping and parlor car
system is vastly superior to theirs; our
baggage system is infinitely better than
| theirs and arranged upon Il much more
liberal basis. American railroads cu r.