Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-04

increase was ten4fold.
The present territory of the country
will be amply able to take care or tnat
immense number of people, NO one
regards Maryland as an overcrowoeu
state. but IL the density of ats popuia-
ton were extended all over the coun-
try there would be the 8S5, 100000 peo-
pie predicted for the year 2000. Ii the
density of the New England states ana
the states of the North Atlantic group
north of the Potomac were extended
the country would have nearer 400. 0.OOo,-
900. The predicted population OF ninety
years hence would give 12S persons TO
the square mile, leaving five acres to
each person.
To carry the illustration little
farther, If the whole country had as
many people to it's size as Rhode
Island it would have a population of a
billion and a quarter. The basis OF
Massachusetts, population would carry
it beyond the billion mark. II all the
states were In Pennsylvania class the
total would be 420,000,000.
There is no doubt of the ability of
the country to take care of its full
quota of citizens, even IL the mathe-
matician is Understanding the mark.
OF course these figures are made upon
the basis that all of the territory of
the country will be inhabited. That
cannot be hoped for. because much of
the great mountain ranges can never
be made habitable. Population is not
evenly distributed now, and 1t will
never be. The same reasons which
have caused the building of the me-
tropolis of Manhattan will continue to
operate. New York will grow enor-
mously. other great cities will expand
and new great cities will arise.
But, for the sake OF a graphic pic
ture of our great destiny. let 1t be as
sumed that the cities of today will in
crease in accordance with the ratio
which will govern the population of the
whole country. New York will in nine
ty years be the biggest city In the
world, with 100000 people. To at
tain this, its growth will be much
slower in the coming nine decades than
it has been In the past. Chicago will
be there with eight million, twice as
great as the New York of today. Phil
adelphia will have six million, and will
be as large as the London of 1908.
Cleveland, Buffalo. San Francisco, Gin
cinnati and Pittsburg will be over the
two-million mark and the mil
lionaires" will include New Orleans,
Detroit Milwaukee, Washington.
Newark, Louisville Minneapolis and
st. Paul. Richmond, Atlanta and
Memphis will be as large as the St.
Louis of today, and Omaha will be big
ger than Boston Is now. The town of
20.Cc) now will have a hundred thou
sand then.
This is hint of the destiny which
is surely ahead Of this richest and
newest Of countries The accomplish
ment of the year 1000 will be the result
of all the years that lie in between
now and then. The growth is going
on now, the growing pains are evi-
dence of 1t. The older nations, those
already grown up, have even now a
much greater contract in caring for
their people than the United States
will have when all of these predictions
are realized. If everybody in the
United States and Mexico were to be
forcibly removed to the state of Ohio
the Buckeye state would be no more
crowded than is the habitable portion
of Japan today.
That conditions of life will change
to meet the responsibility of the great
growth of the country is inevitable.
From movements now under way 1t is
possible to foresee some of these
changes. The arid deserts of the great
west will be turned into wonderfully
fertile fields and gardens. Irrigation
and the science of dry farming will re-
claim every possible square inch of
soil, and the desert will be pushed
back to the very feet of the bare rocks
of the mountain sides.
The swamp lands of the country will
be drained and turned into productive
fields. The Everglades of southern
Florida will be transformed froms an