Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-01-10

Great Lakes and on the railroads the
movement Of natural products was beyond
all comparison. There was a gain of Is
per cent in the amount of iron ore ship
ped, a gain Of IS per cent in coal and a
similar gain in corn, wheat, live stock and
every other Important article, while the
freight charges averaged lower than for
my previous year.
The increase in exports occurs chiefly
in manufactured articles. Tke figures of
agricultural exports remain about the
same as in 1906, when they We're the
largest on record.
The year 1907 has been a record break
er in every respect, and there is no reason
or excuse for a financial depression.
The government. treasury was never in
better shape. The report of the United
States treasurer for Tune 80, 1870, show
ed an available cash balance of $15O,096,-
600 in the treasury at Washington; the
report for December II, 1907. shows an
available cash balance of S239, 762,300.
without counting $246, 2S4,455 deposited
i'll national banks and subject to the call
of the department. This makes a total
available balance of $5O6, DAG, 764.
Secretary Wilson in his recent annual
report showed us that the crops of the
farmers Of the United States for the year
1907 was beyond all comparison and had
a farm value Of S7,412, 100000 an in
crease Of 81 per cent in eight years.
In 1870 the value Of the farm animals
in the United States was 81, 554 ,9e0, 149;
in 1907 they are worth Sd 1913, 697 1858.
In 1870 our farmers had 2o,4S4,1oO
neat cattle; in 1907 they have y, 1896.
In 1870 they had SPAS, $50 horses; in
1907 they have 10, TAG, 5SS. =
In 1870 the wool clip was 152, 100000
pounds; in 1907 it was 2SS ,915,130
pounds.
The wheat crop in 1870 was 235 1884
100 bushels; in 1907 it was 735,26O,97O
bushels.
The corn crop in 1870 was 1,O94,255,-
091 bushels.
In 1870 the cotton crop was 3,114,952
bales; in 1907 it was 13,510,9s2 bales.
The cotton mills CT the United States
consumed S37, 900 bales of cotton in 1870
and 1927 900 bales in 1907.
In 1870 we exported 95S,55S,523
pounds of cotton; in 1907 we exported
4,51S,217 ,220 pounds.
The production of gold in 1870 was
$38,eOo, coo; in 1907 it was $685. Oo 900.
- LII LOW lue pEOouCllOu Cl SilNeI was
$1e,334,O00 in 1907 it was $37, 642,9 300.
In 1870 we produced 22O,951,29o tons
of ceal in 1907 we produced 5,312,7 49,
312 tons.
In 1870 we produced 1,655,179 tons of
pig iron in 1907 we produced 25,3O7, 191
tons.
In 1870 our furnaces had an output of
only $3.50 tons of steel in 1907 the out
put was 2o,023,947 tons.
In 1870 we produced no tin plate at
all. That item did not appear in the
statistics until 1890, when a total of q
236, 743 pounds is reported. In 1907 we
produced 1,1O5, 44e,oOO pounds. ea4 80
In 1870 we had n copper output of 49,
GOO tons; in 1907 it reached 4o2,637 tons.
In 1870 we operated 52,922 miles Of
railroad in 1907 we had 222,635 miles in
operation, and carried 49, us pas
sengers n 216,656, 1886 tons Of
freight. The statistics for freight and
passenger traffic do not 60 back of 1890,
when the railroads of the country carried
$40, 9,OS2 passengers and 79,192,9S5,-
125 tons of freight.
The average freight rate per mile in
1890 was 90 cents and in 1907 it was II
cents per ton.
There were 6S4. 704 tons of shipping on
the great lakes in 1870, which has in
creased to 2,439, 741 tons in 1907. The
amount Of freight passing through the
Sault Ste. Marie canal in 1870 was $780,
500 tons; in 1907 the total was Al ,09S,-
324 tons.
In 1870 we had 2S,492 postofices in
the country in 1900 we had 76,6SS. Since
that time, by the introduction of rural
free delivery, the number has been reduc-
ed to 62,65s.
There is no better thermometer of COM
merciaI and industrial activity han the
Postofice Department, for people do not
write letters when they have no business
to write about. The receipts of the de-
partment in 1870 for postage stamps
amounted to $19,722,222; in 1907 they
had increased to S167,932,7S3
In 1880 there were 4.S29 money order
offices in the United States. In 1907
there were 1880. In 1880 7,24O,537
domestic money orders were issued; in
1907 the number was 62,069, 1888. Those
issued in 1880 represented a value OF
500. :352. SIS: those issued in 1907 repre-
scented a value OF s479.650,342.
In 1870 the pay roll of teachers in pub
lie schools was S31,S32, 566. The pay roll
in 1907 was s177,562,9S1.
The number of students in the univer-
sites and colleges of the United States
in 1870 was % 1892. In 1892 the total
Ind increased to TO,S35-55,3O5 men and
15.53O women. In 1907 the attendance