Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-08

Il more powerful locomotives anu Cats,
freight traffic has increased by a much
lgreater percentage than the increase
lin the number Of cars and locomotives,
and likewise than the increase in mile
Iage On most of our roads we have
very nearly reached the limit of heav-
lier locomotives and larger cars, for as
these are increased in weight heavier
rails and heavier bridges are made
necessary. It is really a case Of recon
struction, and construction and re-
building year after year. Yet no road
\ in prosperous section seems to catch
up with its business The depot and
| the rolling stock and the roadbed built
for the present are behind the times
before they are completed. Great as
has been the growth of traffic during
| the last ten years. it must of necessity
be far exceeded by that of the next
Item, since population is increasing and
the volume of trade grows more rapid
lly than population.
To extend our railroad facilities by
the building of new mileage, by i'm
provement of track and terminal facil-
tiles, and by the increase of rolling
stock adequate to meet the actual
needs of the country during the next
ten years, would require as mini
mum an expenditure in that time Of
from s4,OOO,O0O, 900 to s5,0OO,oOO,0OO.
Taking Care OF Future Populations.
| To population Of about 900 900
we shall add during the next ten years
! 20, 0O0, 00O,0 900 Grover, giving us in 1916
Ia total of about ZOE, 0O0, 900 and by 1926
or twenty years hence, 49,, 100000 In
1881 or twenty-five years from now,
our population will be about las ,000,-
900. By 1886, or thirty years hence,
we will have in the United States, not
counting our insular possessions,
about 155, 100000 people, or double our
total population of 1900. Looking for
ward forty-four years to the middle of
this century, and the boys and younger
! men of today will be active business
men Of that period, we must count
| upon population Of 200,00O,OOO. AS
business grows SO much more rapidly
than population, as the output of near
| ly all manufactured and agricultural
products increases at an ever-acceler-
ating rate. and as modern machinery
and inventions make possible the
doubling and quadrupling Of mans
working capacity, 1t is not unreason-
able to say that the 200 700, 900 people
Of 1850 should exceed in potentiality
what 400,0O0,0O0 could accomplish to-
day. Have we room for such popu-
lation without overcrowding? Can we
accommodate these vast numbers and
still find ample land for the farmer
and natural resources suf1cient for the
worker in iron and steel and cotton
ando Their industries The briefest
study on this point will turn the most
confirmed pessimist into an optimist,
In area the United States covers g.
OOO, 900 square miles, with an average
of less than 26 persons to the mile.
Settled as densely as Frances, we
could accommodate 570,0OO,00O people:
as densely as Great Britain and Ire
land, we would have over 1000, 900, 900
people. Or compare our capabilities
with the density Of such states as
Ohio, Pennsyl yania, or all New Eng
land. In Pennsylvania the average
number Of people to the square mile
in 1900 was 14O. At this average for
the whole country we should have a
population of 42O 900, 0oo-and certain
" Pennsylvania is not overcrowded.
Ohio has 102 people to the square mile.
and New England an average OF 90.
On the basis Of Ohios average the
United States would have over 30O.-
600 900. and on the New England az