THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
AMERICANS, if they are not already the richest people in the world, will soon be prepared to compete for that honor. They are fast gaining the race, and will soon pass France and England. No country has become rich as rapidly as this during the past twenty years. The last three United States censuses give the total (not assessed) valuations of real and personal estate, exclusive of government property, in all the States and Territories, as follows: 1850, $7,132,780,258; 1860, $16,159,616,068; 1870, $30,068,518,507. Between 1850 and 1860 the wealth of the United States more than doubled. Had the gain continued at the same pace since 1870, the coming census would put us far ahead of France, even allowing her to count in the national property, which we omit. But the known shrinkage of values in the United States for the past few years forbids us to expect confidently that this country will take the lead in 1880. But if she does not occupy that rank next year, she will surely do so at a time not remote.—New York Journal of Commerce.