Borealis, on the east by infinite chaos, on the south by the procession
of the Equinoxes, and on the west by the day of judgment.' This indeed
is extravagant language, but that fellow possessed the American spirit
which recognizes no limit to the possibilities of our future.

"I recognize that this is no occasion for state boasting. Each state,
territory and American possession is unselfishly interested in the
success of this Exposition. However, in connection with what New York is
expected to do for this grand enterprise, you will pardon, I know, this
very brief reference I make to New York's supremacy in population, in
wealth, in manufactures and in commerce. I think it less than twenty
years ago that New York was ahead in agricultural productions, too.
Agricultural supremacy has been tending westward for nearly a half
century, however, and we cheerfully surrender to your broad prairies.
Iowa, Ohio and Illinois now outrank us in farm industry, the first once
a part of the Louisiana tract and the other two cut from the Northwest
Territory.

"An Eastern farmer on his first visit to the west asked his Western
brother how it was that 'he could plow such straight furrows over such
enormous fields.' 'That's easy,' said the native, 'we follow the
parallels of latitude and the meridians of longitude.' That reply was
significant. It demonstrates quite fully where agriculture is king in
the United States.

"The end of the great strides that you are making here in the west is
not in sight. Some day your population will be as dense as ours. Slowly,
but steadily, the center of population is creeping westward and by
another decade or so it will most likely cross the great Father of
Waters and move across the land which Jefferson's genius gave to the