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  This 
  rapid 
  increase 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  causes 
  which 
  

   are 
  mentioned 
  here 
  in 
  the 
  order 
  of 
  their 
  sequence 
  in 
  time 
  

   rather 
  than 
  in 
  that 
  of 
  their 
  relative 
  importance. 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  extension 
  of 
  railways 
  into 
  every 
  part 
  of 
  nearly 
  

   every 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  2290 
  counties 
  of 
  our 
  forty-four 
  states 
  and 
  

   territories, 
  and 
  the 
  consequent 
  lessening 
  of 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  

   the 
  delivery 
  of 
  food-products 
  at 
  a 
  distance, 
  has 
  had 
  

   its 
  influences. 
  Fresh 
  sea-fish 
  are 
  now 
  sold 
  in 
  cities 
  a 
  

   thousand 
  or 
  more 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  at 
  prices 
  lower 
  than 
  

   that 
  of 
  beef 
  or 
  mutton. 
  Within 
  three 
  years 
  the 
  fish 
  pro- 
  

   duction 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  has 
  been 
  doubled 
  at 
  least 
  

   by 
  the 
  improvements 
  in 
  the 
  transportation 
  systems 
  of 
  the 
  

   lower 
  Mississippi 
  Valley. 
  

  

  2. 
  Still 
  more 
  important 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  general 
  adoption 
  

   of 
  scientific 
  methods 
  of 
  preparation 
  and 
  transportation. 
  

   Great 
  freezing 
  houses 
  have 
  been 
  built 
  on 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  

   on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  cities 
  of 
  the 
  East, 
  and 
  

   refrigerator 
  cars 
  are 
  running 
  upon 
  all 
  the 
  trunk 
  lines 
  of 
  

   railway. 
  Columbia 
  salmon, 
  lake 
  white-fish, 
  cod, 
  bass, 
  

   Spanish 
  mackerel, 
  and 
  other 
  choice 
  fishes 
  are 
  frozen 
  stiff 
  

   and 
  packed 
  up 
  in 
  heaps 
  like 
  cordwood, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  had 
  at 
  

   any 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  Refrigerator 
  cars 
  carry 
  unfrozen 
  

   fish 
  from 
  sea 
  and 
  lake 
  inland. 
  Smelts 
  and 
  trout, 
  packed 
  

   in 
  snow 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  are 
  received 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  by 
  the 
  

   car-load 
  daily 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter. 
  Halibut 
  are 
  brought 
  

   from 
  the 
  distant 
  oceanic 
  banks 
  in 
  refrigerators 
  built 
  in 
  the 
  

   holds 
  of 
  the 
  vessels, 
  and 
  12,000,000 
  to 
  14,000,000 
  pounds 
  are 
  

   distributed, 
  packed 
  in 
  ice, 
  to 
  the 
  cities 
  of 
  the 
  interior. 
  

   Baltimore, 
  from 
  September 
  to 
  April, 
  sends 
  special 
  trains 
  

   laden 
  with 
  Chesapeake 
  oysters, 
  daily, 
  into 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  

   this 
  mollusk 
  is 
  a 
  food 
  for 
  all 
  classes, 
  not 
  a 
  luxury, 
  even 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  Mississippi. 
  

  

  The 
  Appert 
  process 
  of 
  packing 
  cooked 
  food 
  in 
  hermcti- 
  

  

  