Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-27
GROWTH OF THE MIDDLE WEST

GROWTH OF THE MIDDLE WEST.
The people of the middle west know
that they live in the best, most pro
ductive and grandest part of the
whole territory embraced by the
United States government, but not
many of them are aware of the fact
that the belt of fifteen states of which
Iowa is the center has made such
a growth in the past twenty years
that the group of states is entitled
to more than one half the material
progress of the country as a whole
This Is, nevertheless, fact, and it
is one of the most interesting fea-
lures of modern progress. The
country that was, generation ago.
called "the west" when that word
meant to fasteners all that is wild
and woolly' is now filled with
schools, colleges, churches, factories
and splendid agriculture communi-
ties.
In the section referred to are the
states of OHIO, Kentucky, Michigan,
Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Mime
sofa, Iowa. Missouri, Arkansas, Texas,
Kansas. Nebraska. North Dakota, and
South Dakota. These states are Sc
lected because they are directly trib-
utary to Chicago, the great central
market, and are known as the states
of the middle west and the south
west. They are all agriculture states,
but their growth and prosperity are
not confined to agriculture by any
means. In 1880 the great manufac-
turing states of New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey
turned out nfty-three per cent of
the finished products Of manufacture
in the Uniteo States. In 1900 these
states produced only forty-three per
cent Of the manufactures, while the
middle west, which has produced only
thirty per cent in 1880, furnished thir-
/ ty-seven per cent Since 1900 the
growth of the section in this partic-
ular has been even more remarkable
than before, the exact figures, how
ever, being unattainable.
These facts are brought out admir-
ably in magazine published by the
Chicago Commercial association,
whose prime object is to advertise
Chicago and the middle west to the
world at large. This magazine says !:
''In natural advancement, the mid
! die west makes most marvellous
! showing. In the two decades from
1880 to 1900, the value of farm lands
!! in the fifteen states underwent an in
crease of $3.50 100000. or 70 per cent
!; of the total increase of the United
States.
i "In the value of domestic animals
there was an increase of $1,547327,
i 1877, or 81 per cent of the total in.
crease of the United States.
4 "In the value of farm products, the
increase was $919,430,s63, or 81 per
cent of the entire increase of the
United States.
"In the banking field most re
markable showing is also made by
:. the fifteen states. In 1904 the bank
ing capital reached total of $513 800.
900, or 81 per cent of the entire bank
ing capital of the Unite States. The
! individual deposits of the same yea1
were $2,717,000, 900 or % per cent OF
all the money deposited in the banks
of the United States. In the light Of
the fact that most of the chief money
: centers of the United States are 10
: Icated in the east-such as New
York, the financial center of the
world, together with Boston, Philadel
phia, Pittsburg, and other cities - the
: above statement of facts becomes al
, most incomprehensible to the average
mind
| "In the various lines of general
J, trading, commonly classed as mer
chandising, no statistics are available
but it is clear enough that the in
crease has been as great as in the
| lines quoted. 1t is not difficult, there
: }N hof a nrpio oil
, ter of the American continent is
, changing, or has changed, to the mid
! die west. The star of empire is nc
, Flonger a moving planet, guiding in
dustrious people to the "far west.
1t is a fixed luminary shining eter
nally upon nearly 4O,000,0O0 of the
most prosperous, the most enlightened
people in the world"
#
A LOGICAL sUGGEsTIoN.