Evening star., 1901-10-29
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
AND PRODUCTS OF THE
TERRITORY.
Total Aren Nearly One-Third That o
the United States-POpu1ntiOn
About One-Fifth.

The approaching centennial celebration OF
the Louisiana purchase has suggested to
the treasury bureau of statistics the COM
pilation of some data regarding the present
condition and productions of the territory
included within that purchase. This state
ment, which will be published in the Oc-
tober number of the Monthly Summary of
Commerce and Finance, shows that the
land area of the Louisiana purchase exceeds
that of the original thirteen states, being
sG4 944 square miles, against a total land
area of s2O,944 square miles in the original
thirteen states. The states and territories
which have been created In whole or in
part from its area number fourteen. and
their population in 1900 was 14,70S,616,
against a population of less than 100000 in
the territory at the time of its purchase.
Their total area is nearly one-third that of
the entire Union, and their population about
one-fifth that of the entire United States.
Agricultural Products.
They produced in 1890 164 100000 bushels
of wheat and in 1900 264 600 600 bushels, at
a value in 1900 of s152, 100000, their total
wheat production being over 30 per cent of
that of the entire United States. They pro-
duced SOB 100000 bushels of corn in 1890 and
,013, ,00O, 900 bushels In 1900, with a value in
1900 of s314, 100000, their total corn crop
per cent of the total corn crop of the United
States. OF oats they produced in 1900 311,-
00O 600 bushels, or 3S per cent of the total
product of the country, with valuation of
s71 ,O00000 Their production of barley in
1900 was valued at over s1O,O00,OO0, and of
rye over s., ,0000O while their production of
potatoes in 1900 amounted to over S23.OOO,O 900,
that of hay S130OO,000. and that of cotton
$50 900 900 in value. The total value of the
agricultural products of the states formed
from the Louisiana purchase including in
that category simply wheat, corn. oats,
barley, rye, hay, potatoes and cotton, was,
in 1890. s670.OO0,00o, and 1900 T55,OOO,OOO.
The wool product of these states amounted
to 81, 81 .357 pounds in 1894. and in 1900 to
100, 398 9S2, or 35 per cent of the total wool
product of the country. with an estimated
value of about s15,o000OO, or equal to the
cost of the entire area. The value of the
farm animals In these states in 1890 was
s712, 900. 900. and In 1900 100000. Add to
these easily measured farm products the
estimated value of the wool, the sugar, the
dairy and poultry products and the proper
ton of the live stock annually turned into
provisions and it may be safely estimated
that their agricultural products during
single year amount to one hundred times
the original cost of the area, or, in other
words, that It's cost is repaid by 1 per cent
of the agricultural productions of each re-
curing year.
Mineral Wealth.
The product Of the mines is also very
great. The coal produced in this area in
1899 amounted to %. 100000 tons. against
Il, 600, 600 in 1890; the iron ore to S.491, 600
tons in 1900. against 1,269,000 tons in 1890;
the silver product of 1899, $50, 800, 76S in
coming value. agains. s44, 799. .99S in 1890;
and gold, S37 .712, 400 in 1889, against $10,-
$50 900 in 1890.
Banking Statistics.
The prosperity shown by these figures is
further evidenced by the banking institu-
tions of the states formed from this terri
tory. Their capital stock amounted in 1900
to over $50 1000 900; their circulation, to
s36 500, 900 in 1900, against $15, 5,644 600 in
1890; their loans and discounts to $317 563
600 In 1900, against S269, Ole, 600 in 1880; and
their total resources, 81 O99, III 600 in 1900,
against $746,9O3. 900 in 1890; while a still
more gratifying evidence of the prosperity
of this section Is in the fact that individual
deposits in national banks in 1900 amounted
10 S329. .699, 900 against S216GO9,0O0 in 1890,
an increase of more than $110,OO0,0OO in in
dividual deposits during the decade.
Educational Conditions.
A study of educational conditions shows
equally rapid and gratifying development
The pupils enrolled in the public schools
in the states In question in 1890 numbered
1850. .495. and in 1899 3,161 .112; the teachers
employed numbered in 1890 S9,55S, and in
1890 102. .2O2; and the expenditures for public
schools in 1890 was $50. 2s4 ,752, and in 1899
$37. .1S5, ,SS1. The number of pupils in at
tendance at high schools in 1899 was 49,
SAT. with 4.937 teachers; at normal schools
Ii, ,S43 students, with Go teachers and at
higher educational institutions, 1929 stu
dents. with 1925 teachers The total fig
ures for schools and educational Institutions
in the fourteen states formed from the Lou
isiana purchase show: Teachers In 1890,
%, ,:,G5: in 1899, Ill $50; attendance in 1890
2610.541: in 1899, 1881 ,o51.
The number of newspapers and periodi-
Gals published IN this area in 1890 was
4,759. and in 1900, 5,61S; the number of
post offices in 1880, 12.919, and in 1900
16 22S: the miles; of railway in operation in
81 per cent of the total railway mileage of
the country.
Future Possibilities.
The power of this vast area, with its
agricultural and mineral wealth, to sus-
tain population much greater than that
which it now supports, is suggested by a
comparison of its area with the area and
population of the prosperous countries OF
Europe. The total area of the Louisiana
| face is .025 square miles. and is slight
ly less than that of the united kingdom
Netherlands, Belgium, Germany France
Spain. Italy, and Switzerland. whose total
area is SS5.97S square miles, with a present
population of 202, 1863 ,573, as against a pres
ent population of IA. 703, ,616 in the territory
under consideration, whose agricultural and
mineral possibilities fully equal those OF
the European states named.