The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-23
HOW THE UNITED STATES
 HAVE EXPENDED.
(By Dana c. Munro, A. M., Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, and William Fairley, Ph. D.
CHAPTER II.

ory from Maine to Georgia and west ward to the Mississippi. But in fact the white inna bitants were almost ex- rlusively on the seacoast. Here and there settlers had pressed their way into the interior. But their homes were difficult of access and constantly ex- posed to the attacks of Indians. Must ui New York State was still the home uf sayages or trappers. Albany boast ed that it commanded the Indian trade uf the north and northwest and was on the only practicable highway to Canada.
 New York before the revolution had been a town of 23.000 inhabiIants. But 1t had been almost ruined by the war. Many of the houses were destroyed. only a few streets were paved and those so badly that Benjamin Frank- lin said New Yorker could always be recognized by the way he shuffled over the well-paved streets of Phila- delphia.
 Philadelphia was the largest and most important city in the country. IL contained over 4,0O0 houses and S0,ooO inhabitants. It was noted for its lux ury and extravaganza. It was tne scene of the declaration of independ- enC6 ana ttle SCdL VI OONo 1t ran the great road to the west, Whlcn was traversed each summer by hun- dreds of emigrants to the frontier. The road ended at Pittsburg, hamlet of 1000 inhabitants, which was the great center for travel to the west.
 But the largest part of the colonial population was to be found south Of Philadelphia. In 17S3 Maryland, Vir- ginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia contained about one-half of the 5000, 900 English speaking people Tn the country. In fact, by the census Of 179O Virginia contained about 10 per cent more inhabitants than Pennsyl- vania, the second State in size. North Carolina came third, with larger population than New York or Massa- chusetts, if Maine be excluded from the latter. By this census Maine. Ver- mont, Rhode. Island, Delaware. Geor- gia and Kentucky each contained less than 100000 inhabitants. The ten States remaining had a population of less than 3,500,O00.
 The South was also the wealthiest portion of the country. Virginia was noted for it's fine tobacco, which had formerly been the currency of the colony; the Carolinas for their rice. Georgia for its pitch, indigo and tar. These commodities were sent to the northern country and in return manu- factured articles and luxuries were im- ported. Boston and New York were the chief centers of commerce.
 In New England the most thriving communities lived in the seaboard towns and derived their wealth from shipbuilding, commerce. fishing or storekeeping. The fisheries. and espe- cially the whale fisheries, formed the chief support of several prosperous towns. Nantucket. which now would be practically deserted except for the summer visitors, was then a thriving community, possessing great ship yards and sending out each year 150 vessels to the whale fisheries. The seaboard towns also acquired wealth from the coastwise trade, which was carried on in packet sloops, built and manned by New Englanders. Maine was especial ly noted for the fine timber for masts which 1t possessed.
 Aside from these industries connect ed with the sea New England was not a favored land. Most of the people were engaged in farming and the un- propitious soil furnished them living which was poor indeed if contrasted with the luxurious life on the River James, still more barren if contrasted with what we consider meager living at the present day. The farm was made to supply almost everything which the family needed. In 17S7 a typical farmer wrote: At this time my farm gave me and my whole family a good living on the produce of 1t. and left me, one year with another, 150 silver dollars. For I never spent more than $10 a year, which was for 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 ab- sence of the goods which are now com mon and on which our national pros perity so largely depends. In the south practically no cotton was raised. In the north the manufacturing estab- lishments were represented by few paper mills, an iron foundry or two and a factory for making cooked hats. There was then no surplus of 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 lucra- tive source or IflO0Hle LOT IHOSe cHBdBeu in 1t. For mere trifes they secured from the Indians the finest skins and sent them to Europe.
 It was necessary to secure large pro- fits on articles exported and to pay large prices for imports. as the ves- sells sailing to Europe were small and the passage slow. One month was a remarkab bly, short time for trip either way The massage seems usually tO have consumed eight to ten weeks. Travelling in America was even slower. The fastest made was by packet sloop, if 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 ac- count of this uncertainty passengers generally preferred the stage coaches. In these a trip could be made from Boston to New York in six to nine days