Still We Grow by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 26, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 45.

Still We Grow.

By Editor

UNDER the above heading the Cincinnati Spokesman gives a few statistics which show the recent growth of the United States. We believe it has been proved to a demonstration that the two-horned beast of Rev. 13:11-18 represents the United States Government. It is there spoken of as "coming up," and no one can dispute the statement that in this particular it fully meets the demands of the prophecy. It is common to compare the present condition of the country with its condition one hundred years ago; but the following figures show that its growth at present is more rapid than ever before, and that it now presents a striking contrast with twenty-five years ago:—

Twenty-five years ago we were 30,000,000 of people; now, we are nearly 60,000,000. Then, we had 141 cities and towns of over 8,000 inhabitants; now, we have 286 of such cities and towns. Then, the total population of our cities was 5,000,000; now, it is about 12,000,000.

Our coal mines then produced 14,000,000 tons; now 85,000,000 tons, or six times as much.

The iron product amounted to 900,000 tons of ore; to-day it foots up over 8,000,000 a year—almost a nine-fold increase.

In 1860 our metal industries employed about 53,000 hands, consumed $100,000,000 worth of material, and turned out about $180,000,000 in annual products. To-day these industries employ 300,000 hands, consume $380,000,000 worth of material, and their annual product amounts to $660,000,000 a year.

In 1860 the wood industries employed 130,000 persons; to-day they employ 340,000, while the value of their annual product has trebled.

The woolen industry employed 600 persons then, and now employs 160,000; while our home mills, which produced goods of the value of $80,000,000 in 1860, now turn out an annual product worth $270,000,000.

Then there is cotton. In 1860 we imported 220,000,000 yards of cotton goods; in 1881 we only imported 70,000,000 yards.

In the meantime the number of hands employed in American cotton mills has increased to 200,000, and we export over 150,000,000 yards of cotton goods a year, instead of importing 227,000,000 yards as we used to do.

In the meantime we have nearly five times as many miles of railway, and double the number of farms, yielding more than double the number of bushels of cereals.

In 1860 we had 22,000,000 sheep; to-day we have over 40,000,000 of them; and whereas we then produced in this country 60,000,000 pounds of wool; now, we produce 240,000,000 pounds.

Finally the total of our exports has doubled. In 1860 it stood at $400,000,000, and now it stands at about $900,000,000.