Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-01-09

sa
The internal commerce for the year
was greater than ever before On the
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 % 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
any previous year.
The increase in exports occurs chiefly
in manufactured articles. The figures of
agricultural exports remain about the
same as in 1906, when they were 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 June 80, 1870 show
ed an available cash balance of S15O,096,
600 in the treasury at Washington the
report for December IA, 1907, shows an
available cash balance of $3.50, 49,, 300,
without counting S246, 2S4, 400 deposited
in national banks and subject to the call
of the department. THIS makes total
available balance of S5O6,O46. 1914
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
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 $1.554, $50, 149;
in 1907 they are worth S4,423, 697 ,Sa3.
In 1870 our farmers had 25,4S4.1 100
neat cattle; in 1907 they have T2,533,99
In 1870 they had S,24S,S0O horses; in
1907 they have 19;746,5S
In 1870 the wool clip was 152, 100000
pounds; in 1907 it was 29S,915,130
pounds.
The wheat crop in 1870 was 235.SS4,-
700 bushels; in 1907 it was 735 260,970
bushels.
The corn crop in 1870 was 1904 ,255,-
600 bushels; in 1907 it was 1927 49,
091 bushels
In 1870 the cotton crop was Z, 114,952
bales; in 1907 it was 13,510,9S2 bales.
The cotton mills of the United States
CONSUMED S57 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
S36,O0O,OOO; in 1907 it was $96,0OO0O0.
In 1870 the production of silver was
$16,334, 900; in 1907 it was S37 ,642, 800.
In 1870 we produced 220951 900 tons
of coal; in 1907 we produced 5,312, 49,
80 TONS
In 1870 we produced 1865, 179 tons of
pig iron in 1907 we produced 25,307, 191
tons.
In 1870 our furnaces had an output of
only 6S,750 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 p
236. 143 pounds is reported. In 1907 we
produced 1,105, 10000 pounds.
In 1870 we had copper output of 12,-
600 tons; in 1907 it reached 402, 637 tons.
In 1870 we operated 52,922 miles of
railroad in 1907 we had 222, $50 miles in
operation, and carried S15,774,11S pas
freight The statistics for freight and
passenger traffic do not go back of 1890, |
when the railroads of the country carried
$40, 439,0S2 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, III tons in 1907.\ The |
amount of freight passing through the |
Sault Ste. Marie canal in 1870 was &c.,
SO tons; in 1907 the total was fl 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 62659
There is no better thermometer of COM
mercial and il dustrial activity than the
Postoffice 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 SO, 722. 222; in 1907 they
had increased to S1G7, 1872. 1873.
In 1880 there were 4.S23 money order
offices in the United States. In 1907
there were 37,5O0 In 1880 7,240537
domestic money orders were issued; in
1907 the number was 5000, 1873. Those
issued in 1880 represented a value of
500. 3D., 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 S3I. S32.366. The pay roll
in 1907 was Sill, 562,9S1.
The number of students in The univer
stiles and colleges of the United States
IN 1870 was 1882 In 1892 the total
had increased to 7O,S35-55,305 men and
1880 women. In 1907 the attendance
was more than doubled, being 80, 161 men
and 34,243 women, a total of 126,404.
In 1870 5.S71 newspapers were pub
lished in the United States, and in 1907
there were p, 735.
The average daily attendance in the
pubIic schools of the United States in
1870 was 4,O77 ,347; the average daily
attendance in 1905, which is the latest
year for which we have statistics, was
II ,4S1,531.
The total expenditures for public
schools in the United States in 1870 was
se3:3 :39s6 $50; the total for 1905 was S291,-
GIG. 66O.
The increase in the cost of food since
1870 has been about % per cent. The
increase in the cost of food during the
last fifteen years has been IA per cent. !