Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-06-11
The Unlimited Possibilities
America.

uHtll we learn 10 tnlnk IN billions
we cannot measure the meaning of
the material development of the
United States during the last quar-
ter Of century; much less can we
mentally grasp the potentialities
which the coming years have in store
for us. Our progress, however. has
only been the pioneering work of
clearing the wilderness. of blowing
and planting amid the stumps and
drain swamps. What we have been
doing is like sowing by hand and
gathering our harvest with the old
sickle as compared with what we are
row preparing to do. In our pio-
neering work we have had to disre-
gard permanency to meet the imme-
date needs of the hour. We have
had to make haste even though 1t
meant some waste. However. like the
pioneer who built his rude log hut
and titled the stump-ridden soil un-
til increasing gains made possible
the building of better home and
the clearing of his land in order to
utilize labor-saving implements. we
had to pursue similar methods in our
national development until now.
when we have entered upon period
where scientific farming will take,
the place Of the old soi)-dastroying
farming and where scientific skill in
manufacturing will mean changes as
radical as those which mark the diff
ference In farming methods. All
that we have done in this work OF
material upbuilding has been the
perfectly logical working out of con-
ditfons which have surrounded US.
Now a point has been reached
where It can be seen that all that
has gone before Is but the prepara-
tion for the real work Of national
growth-growth In agriculture, in
manufacturing. in mining. and in
all of the varied interests of the
country. ASA pe
Having an area 80 per cent as
large as that of all Europe, we have
no such vast, almost uninhabitable
regions as are to be found In por-
lions Of Europe. Nowhere Is all our
land as the winters 50 rigorous as to
make the development of the coun-
try impossible. While we have $751;
100000 population against Europe'sI
400.00o.000. we have eight times asI
much coal area: we have far more
iron ore; we have a cotton crop
worth annually $s00,00o,ooo, while
Europe has none: we have wheat
and corn averaging annually about
3, 400.000.000 bushels. against Eu-
ropes 2.2OO.0OO,OOO bushels: we
have 225.0O0 miles of railroad,
against $4,000 miles for all OF
Europe; we are making almost as
much pig iron as Europe, and min
ing over 60 per cent as much coal.
What we are doing. however, is not
so striking or remarkable as are the
limitless potentialities which will
enable us to do in the future far
times more-than all
Of Europe is doing.
! The increase in the value OF farm
property. which between 1900 and
1905 amounted to nearly $4,000
900, 900. or but little less than ten
times the aggregate capital of all the
banks in the United States, |
finds its explanation in the value Of
farm products. Between 1870 and
1897 the value of farm products
had risen from less than $4,000
100000 to $7.40O.000,O00 the val
lie in the latter year being three and
a half times as great as that In the
former. although during the same
time the number of people engaged
In agriculture had not quite dou-
bled. The total number engaged in
agriculture in 1870 was $500, 900.
md the tota, number at present is
100000. This remarkable change
5 shown in the fact that the value
" agricultural products per capita
or all engaged in agriculture, which
vas 1855 in 1880. has been steadily
Using until In 1907 1t was over $500
lar m uita