Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1898 — How John Bull’s Purse Has Filled. [ARTICLE]

How John Bull’s Purse Has Filled.

Those good old times that people speak so regretfully about must have existed at a very remote period of our history If the statistics of John Bull's wealth are to be trusted. In the year 1600 it is calculated that each man. woman and child would have had just £22 if all the wealth of the country were equally divided among the 4,500,000 that lived in tills island. In 1680 this sum was more than doubled, each person’s share being £46. 1750 it had risen to £7l, and in 1800 it reached the splendid figure of £l6O. The great wars of the early part of the century then began to tell on the money bags, so each Individual's share fell In 1822 to £l2O. But soon after it began to rise again, and it lias gone steadily upward ever since. In 1833 the amount was £144, in 1865 it reached an even £2OO, by 1875 It had gone up to £260, and by 1885 to £270. At present It may lx* set down at £350, though authorities differ. Thus, for every £1 owned by the Briton of the year 1600, the Briton of the present day owns £l4. And taking the total wealth of the country, It is 120 times ns much now as it was three centuries ago.—Golden Penny. There are 350 miles of street railway* in St. Ix>uls now. and they carry 100.000,000 passengers per year.