The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-05-27
WE ARE GROWING SOME.

opportunity Oh HOlhluS Uul.
WE ARE GROWING So8iE.
Our good Old United States is do
ing something these days in the mat
ter OF growth and development. The
figures thai are given out ny The
Washington Post are certainly starti-
ing, and it Is worth while to pause
for a III III the onward growtl.
TO see just about how far We have
gone in the great stride. May people
have been so taken up with their own
betterment that they have lost track
of the nations development, and
now that it has been placed together
in a formal table its perusal VIII be
interesting. The Post says
" The tremendous strides this
country is making in every direction
of growth constitute the United
States the wonder of the world. The
great possibilities before us open up
wide speculation as to what the flu
ture may have in store. Ac 'ording
to the report of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor the developed
water power of the United States is
5,357,0O0 horsepower and the num-
Der of wheels it turns is 52,327. The
undeveloped water power IS ~believed
to he equal to that already developed,
and what has been developed is cap
able of infinite expansion. Tne esti-
mated coal supply is 3,135,7OS nu3,-
600 long tons, while the highest pro-
duction in any one year was but
100000, 900 tons. At the present
rate of consumption the supply will
last 1910 years, SO we need not fear
a coal famine for some generations
yet.
The available iron ore is esti-
mated at 4,785, 000,0 long tons,
while we mine only about $1,000
900 tons a year. AT that rate we
have iron ore enough to last for a
hundred years yet, and by that time
ingenuity and discovery vii. be able
to find something to take Us pace.
In 1907 we produced nearly one-half
of the worlds production of pig iron,
and at the rate our production is in
creasing it Will not be many years
until We equal all the rs. OF the
world in this line. The United es
owns 754,895, 900 acres OF land that
is yet to be brought under cu.tiva.
ton.
In 1897 the farm wealth of the
country was $4,25O,OOO. 900, and in
1907 this had been increased to ST.
412, 00O, 900. The last three years
have shown a great change in crop
values. For instance, in 1906 cot
ton led with a value of $722.Ol0,OOO
the next year hay forged ahead with
$744,OO0.0 900, and in 1908 corn took
the lead with the enormous value OF
$1,616,O00,O00.. At one time ex-
ports of manufactured products were
but a small per cent of the total ex-
ports. but in 1908 they amounted to
about Al per cent OF the total.
Perhaps the best test OF our r,1si.
nes growth is shown by tie receipts
of the Postoi'cc department from
the sale Of stamps. in 1920 the re
ceipts were about $1,000 600; ny
1850 they increased to $4,000 900,
in 1870 to $33,OOO,000, in 1900 to
$1O2. 100000. and in 1908 to $751;
100000. The figures show in 1907
THE number of letters and oost cards
sent through the postal system OF
the United States was 6,466,O0O,0 lo
as against 1898. 100000 in the Ger
man empire. 3,359,0O0,OO0 in The
United Kingdom, 1,119,O00,O0 III
France, and l,067,OO0,OO in Aust,
ria-Hungary. The telegraph mes.
sages sent in the United States il
1907 reached the enormous numbe'
of $4,000. 100000. In this connectior
it must be remembered that the tele
phone is a large competitor of the
telegraph. especially for long com
mercial messages land it is growing
in favor each year. In nearly ever,
step of the worlds progress during
the last hundred years the United
States has been the pioneer
The middle and western newspa
pers are not losing any time in goin: