The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-05-07
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUR.
CHASE.

out OF its first century as part OF
the United States, is story the equal
Of which il not recorded in the
worlds history. When Jefferson ig
nored all precedent and even lifted
his office above the constitution in
making that purchase, the anti-expan
tionists of that day were wont to call
the Territory of Louisiana an arid
wilderness which won Id admit of no
development. And perhaps it is not
strange that they SO regarded it, for
few had penetrated beyond the great
river, and the mighty plain that
stretched away toward the setting
sun gave little promise of the garden
land that was to be, The ar "a of the
region purchased is 875, 600 square
miles, or somewhat larger than that of
the thirteen original States. But as
the mind more readily comprehends
areas when stated in minor divisions
it is easier to conceive of the vastness
of this region by thinking of it as
embracing 560,000,0 900 square acres
within it's boundaries.
Thes, are the acres which, once con
sidered a desert, have become major
part of the worlds granary and whose
products have crossed the sea, to feed
the nations of Europe and Asia.
Writing of the Loui siana Purchase
in the World Work, Mr.. Charles M.
Harvey gives some interesting statis-
tics concerning its development. Its
population of 50,0 in 1903 had ex-
panded to IA, 70S, GIG in 1900, or nearly
three times the population of the en-
tire United States in 1900, and the
State of Missouri alone has more in
habitants than wera in the whole of
the thirteen original States at the
close of the Revolution. In 1900 the
States and Territories of the purchase
produced 1854. 600, 600 bushels of wheat
valued at$152, O00, 600 and 1, 013, 600. 600,
bushels of corn, each about half the
amount raised in th3 whole United
States. The oat crop for 1900 was
thirty eight per cent. of the entire
country's crop, and the wheat, corn,
oats, rye, barley, cotton, hay and
potatoes produced in this region dur
ing the same year brought $755, 900, 900,
or fifty and one. third times as much
as was paid for the whole territory
ninety seven years before. And this
is not the limit. for in 1902 the
country's wheat crop had increased to
670. 900, 600 bu shells and much more
than one-half of it was grown ON the
Louisiana Purchase.
The purchase has third of all the
hor ses and mules on the farms of the
United States, forty two per cent. of
the cattle, thirty four per cent. of the
hogs and thirty one per cant of the
sheep in the entire union. But grain
and cattle raising are not the only in
dustries of which the Purchase eau
boast, for its mines are among the
richest in the world. Colorado alone
produced 1913 900 600 in gold in 1909,
or more than the entire territory of
the present United States produced
from the discovery of the continent
until 1913. Colorado has produced
$30S, 900, 900 of gold, 1872, 600, 900 of
silver, SIG, 900, 600 of lead and SIG, :
900, 600 of copper or 1912, 600, 900 of
these four metals Montana has pro-
duced much more than 81, 600, 600, 900
of various metals during the past forty
years.
While considering the vast mineral
and agricultural wealth of the Pur-
chase it must not be forgotten that it's
cities are rapidly becoming veritable
hives of the manufacturing industries
and that st. Louis, fur trading post
on the far frontier century ago in
1900 ranked fourth among the cities
of the country in the gross value of
its manufactured products, leading
Boston in the race. A single year S
manufactures of st. Louis alone would
pay Jefferson's price for the whole
territory fifteen times over. During
the century that has passed since the
acquisition of that territory the indus
trial and political centers, as we'll as
the center of population, has steadil y
moved onward toward the Louisiana
Purchase. In 1900 the centers of pro-
duction of wheat, of oats and of the
country's aggregate cereal crop were
all In Iowa, the corn center was in
Illinois near the borders of the terri
tory, The geographical center of the
contiguous parts of the United States
is in Kansas, the center of population,
which was few miles west of Balti-
more in 1901, was near Columbus,
Indiana, in 1900 and close behind il
was the center of manufactures
which was near to Mansfield, Ohio, in
the same year.
Writing OF the influence Of the
Purchase politically, and the general
westward trend of political power in
the country, Mr.. Harvey calls atten'
ton to the fact that excepting Grover
o-o~xx DraasIan% xrha ho.