"breathing places" might be provided for the people, who otherwise would be kept shut up within four walls. Money has been profitably expended in the establishment of public libraries. Millions. of dollars have been given in endowing the University of Chicago, Leland Stanford, Jr. University, in California, and numbers of other colleges in all sections of the land. Immense bequests have been made for the education of the negro and the Indian, such as those of Daniel Hand, John F. Slater, and George Peabody. These bountiful gifts, providing permanent benefits to the people, are among the new and wonderful conditions of our times.

727. Temperance. Among the various charitable organizations are Homes for Inebriates, and Missions for the rescue of those addicted to the habit of strong drink. The evils resulting from drunkenness have been more recognized as evils during the last fifty years than ever before. A hundred years ago it was the custom to have a "social glass" on nearly all occasions. Since the organization of the "Washingtonian Temperance Society" in 1840, much has been done to diminish intemperance, and the opposition to the use of intoxicating drinks has grown stronger and stronger. Temperance people are very much divided on the question as to the legal steps that should be taken, and "prohibition," "local option," "high license," and "restriction of liquor limits," are words that are often heard as the subject is discussed. Meanwhile education concerning the evil effects of strong drink is being persistently furthered. Laws requiring scientific temperance instruction to be given to the pupils in the public schools have been adopted by the legislatures of forty States, and by Congress for all schools under its control.

728. Inventions. The development of the country has been greatly aided by the numerous inventions that enterprising Americans have perfected. Five hundred and fifty thousand patents have been granted during the last sixty years, about twenty thousand of these in the year 1894. Some of the most important have already been described, as the cotton-gin (¶ 397), the steamboat (¶ 456), and the telegraph (¶ 486). The whole system of agriculture has been changed by the machinery which has been invented within sixty years. In 1834 Cyrus H. McCormick succeeded in perfecting a reaping-machine,

an instrument which had been desired for

a long time. This machine, which was propelled by horses (later by steam), mowed the grain, and, by a later improvement, bound it into sheaves. Horse-rakes and horse-threshers have also been invented, and thereby farm labor, which previously had been performed almost entirely by hand, has been greatly lightened.

The first sewing-machine was invented by Elias Howe in 1845. Two years later, R. M. Hoe perfected his cylinder printing-press. This invention has revolu

tionized the whole business of printing, and has made. possible the issuing of hundreds of thousands of newspapers, cut, printed, and folded, from the same press. Charles Goodyear discovered, in 1839, the method of "vulcanizing" Indiarubber, so as to make it hard, and able to withstand the rough usage which rubber goods must receive.

The adaptation of electricity, which began when Benjamin Franklin proved that it was identical with lightning, has been continued, until we have to-day the telegraph, the telephone, invented by A. G. Bell, in 1877, the electric light for street and house, the electric car for the street railway, and the phonograph, or "talking-machine," invented by Thomas A. Edison, besides the numberless other uses. to which this wonderful power has already been applied.

Thomas A. Edison.

(Copyright, by

W. K. L. Dickson.)

A mere mention of a few of the other important inventions will be all that can be given. The grain elevator, the steam dredge, machines for the manufacture of nails, the revolver, the screw-propeller, the safe, the breech-loading gun, the type-writer, the type

setting machine, and the bicycle are well known. The development of photography, especially during the last few years, has been remarkable. Thousands of minor patents have been issued, which add to the comfort, convenience, and happiness of the people.

CHAPTER LXXXII.

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

729. Territorial Growth. By the treaty of peace with Great Britain in 1783 (¶ 367), the boundaries of the United States were defined. They were the Atlantic on the east, and the Mississippi on the west, the northern line of Florida on the south, and the Great Lakes and Canada on the north. This extent of territory remained unchanged until the year 1803 (¶ 426). By the purchase of Louisiana, the United States came into possession of that immense tract of territory which is bounded upon the east by the Mississippi throughout its whole extent, and which extends northward to latitude 49°, westward to the Rocky Mountains, and to the south as far as the Gulf of Mexico.

Our next

After the

497), the

In 1819 we secured the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic to Louisiana, by the Florida treaty (T 446). accession was the annexation of Texas in 1845 (¶ 484). war with Mexico, by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ( two provinces of New Mexico and California were added to the United States. The Gadsden purchase in 1853 definitely fixed our southwestern boundary. By right of discovery in 1792, by exploration in 1805-6, by actual settlement in 1811, by purchase of French claims in 1803, and of Spanish claims in 1819, Oregon belonged to the United States. By the treaty with Great Britain in 1846 (1485), that country yielded to us all her claims south of latitude 49°. In 1867 our latest addition was made by the purchase of Alaska from Russia (¶ 652).

The United States to-day, embracing about 3,600,000 square miles, may be considered as composed of four nearly equal divisions. The first part, a little less than a quarter of the whole,

includes the original territory east of the Mississippi River, together with Florida; the second quarter, of about 900,000 square miles, embraces the province of Louisiana; the third quarter consists of the original Texas, about 300,000 square miles, and the Mexican cessions of about 600,000 more; and the fourth quarter includes the Oregon country, about 300,000 square miles, and Alaska, about 600,000 more.

730. Growth of Population. While the territory of the United States has become more than four times what it was in 1789, the population has increased four times four. The causes of this remarkable increase are not hard to find. The natural advantages of the country are united to certain peculiar characteristics of the government and the people, and, therefore, offer exceptional advantages to the people of other countries. The freedom which the United States promises, and the absence of all forms of caste, invite immigration. The opportunity is afforded to rise to any position of honor; the possibility is presented for every one to overcome any difficulties which might oppress him; and hard work and energy are alone needed to enable a citizen of the United States to make a name for himself.

On the 4th of July, 1851, the corner-stone of a vast extension to the national Capitol at Washington was laid by the President with appropriate ceremonies. On that occasion, Daniel Webster was the orator of the day. The table (next page) shows the statement which he made relative to the progress of our country since 1793. In order to present the continuation of this progress the last column is added, showing the statistics in 1896, so far as known.

731. Present Population. — The aggregate population of the United States is about seventy-one millions. The average population per square mile is nearly twenty for the entire area. The greatest average per square mile is in Rhode Island, which has nearly three hundred. If the entire country had a population as dense as Rhode Island now has, it would contain over a thousand millions, or twothirds the present population of the globe. The population of the United States has doubled, on the average, every twenty-five years, and is to-day sixteen times what it was a hundred years ago. The number of people in the United States must be increased sixfold before the number per square mile will equal that of Europe to-day.

732. Present Extent. The entire extent of our country at the present time is 3,602,990 square miles. This area is about the same as that of all Europe. It is nearly the size of China. It is more than half as large as the whole of South America. It is nearly thirty times the size of Great Britain and Ireland, eighteen times as large as France, and twenty times the size of Spain. Any one of twenty-four States has a greater area than England. Four States and three Territories are each larger than Italy, Montana is larger than Norway, California than Japan, and Texas than either AustriaHungary, the German Empire, France, or Spain, and Alaska Territory than the German Empire, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and Denmark combined.

733. Natural Advantages. The advantages which give the United States its pre-eminence are of two kinds. The natural advantages of the country equal, and perhaps surpass, those of any other region on the earth's surface. The soil is not only excepționally good in many portions of the country, but it is capable of raising a great variety of products. The ground contains under its surface a large amount of metallic ores and an almost inexhaustible stock of coal. The climate is very varied, so that the United States is capable of producing, and in fact does produce, nearly everything which the people can desire.