Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1901-01-02

Jars ago the United states con slstee
,cf fourteen states, four terffsbries anSl
ssae District Of Columbia. The total
population was 6,308,4S3, according
to the census, about 100000 less
than the present population OF New
York state. The receipts oi the ieder-
al government were about $4,000, 900
and people complained OF huldensome
taxation just as they d. now. the
national debt was about 1888 100000.
The total number OF posto.iices was
sos. Our present postal system with
its perfect handling and quick dis
patch of mails at such low rates OF
postage, had not been dreamed o! by
the statesmen OF those days. The pos
tai revenues were 1880, sol. The
amount paid in pensions was SEA, 100.
This year it is $l40, 10000. The total
tonnage OF the merchant marine was
672, 1872 tons. The regular army con-
sisted OF 1851 officers and men. Je!ter-
son had just been elected president to
succeed John Adams. John jay was
governor Of New York ana It's popula-
ton was 5S9,05t. New York city bad
population OF cease. There were
seven daily newspapers in the oi'y ana
much OF their news was from three TO
twelve months old when published.
Two OF the papers, the Commercial
Advertiser and Evening Post, still
survive. The revolution was about
half as far away then as the civil war
is now, and most OF those who distin-
guished themselves i'll the former
were still in public life. One hundred
years ago there were no nHtiounl
banking systems, no savings 5aA.ls,
no steamships, no steam railroads, no
street cars, no electric vehicles, no
illuminating gas, no kel oaene lamps,
no public water supply i'll cities, no
canals, no telegraphs, no telephones,
no anthracite coal for fuel, no steam
mills, no steam printing presses, no
harvesting machines, no steam Lhresh-
ers, no spinning machines, no steam
drills, no cotton gins, no cooking
ranges, no sewing machines, DO type
writers, no photographs, no payements
and no sewers. Pretty much The
whcle known world was discovered
and settled by men who sailed the sea
with only the wind as q motive power
and who travelled on land On loot, ol
with horses or oxen. The oX-team
was Il great civilizer. Instead OF stove,
and ranges and heaters, The open fire.
place served for cooking or heating
PURPOSES. Springs and running streams
and wells furnished the water supply
The weiI-sweep, and the curb, cranl,
and bucket preceded the pump anG
water pipe. Wool, cotton and wan
were span by hand and woven on
hand looms. Nearly every family had
its spinning wheel and loom cen
tury age, and many had shoemaker
kits. Grain was cut by handsome.
times with sickle and threshed with
fail. Many laborer5 wore leather
brceches Buckskin shirts and coon
skin caps were common. huls and
skins passed for money. Settler.
were coming over the Allegheny
mountains and settling in the far of
wilderness along the Ohio river ant
tributaries. The country west OF tb(
Mississippi was an unknown and TN,
explored Wilderness. With the know.
ledge and advancement 81 the nine.
teenth century 10 g by, what may
We expect from the twentieth century
Possibly The soldenage is just dawn
ing upon lis. We are emerging llon
the shadows and living in the besi
land the world has ever seen. Will
the coming OF the new century oul
future promises bright indeed.
TIE PLAIN PEOPLE.