AGRICULTURAL DISCONTENT 



705 



Urban Wealth 



Rural Wealth 



Percentage 

 of Urban- 



Total 

 Rural 



1850 

 i860 



1870 

 1880 

 1890 



$3,169,000,000 

 8,l8o,000,000 

 15,155,000,000 

 31,538,000,000 

 49,055,000,000 



$3,967,000,000 



7,980,000,000 



8,900,000,000 



12,104,000,000 



15,982,000,000 



Per cent 

 44 

 5i 

 63 



72 

 75 



56 

 49 

 37 

 28 



2 5 



What is to be said in explanation of the relatively greater 

 progress of the cities in wealth ? Has it been achieved by de- 

 priving the farmer of a portion of his earnings ? In reply to 

 these questions, it is to be observed that the unparalleled accumu- 

 lation of wealth that has marked the career of the United States 

 has for the most part taken place since the introduction of steam 

 as a motive power, and that prior thereto the disproportionate 

 distribution of wealth between city and country did not exist. 

 The following table shows the increase of steam power in the 

 United States since 1 840 : 



HORSE POWER OF STEAM IN THE UNITED STATES 



This table should be compared with the one given above show- 

 ing the distribution of wealth. Such a comparison renders it 

 unnecessary to argue that the swiftness with which wealth has 

 been produced and accumulated in the United States would have 

 been impossible in the absence of steam. In illustration of the 

 efficiency of steam as a wealth-producer in the industrial world 

 a single comparison will suffice. It is estimated that by con- 

 verting the energy stored up in coal into steam the productive 

 efficiency of labor is multiplied six hundred times. 



