America’s Material Progress
The following paragraph shows that this country is accelerating its already immense and rapid strides in the direction of material prosperity and greatness. The facts are taken from the last report of the Special Commissioner of the revenue: The progress of material strength in all branches of industry was very great last year. About five thousand miles of railway were constructed. They opened up 150,000 square miles of country, which had not been before within a convenient reach of railway communication, much of which was entirely new country. Thirteen thousand miles have been constructed since the close of the war, opening up 390,000 square miles of new country. Seven thousand miles of new telegraph-wire were put up in 1869, and 20,000 miles have been put up since 1865.