What An Old Almanac Tells

The American almanac for 1833 was resurrected from the midst of some old pamphlets one day this week, and the many facts contained in it give some idea of life in this country two years before the founding of the Argus. At that date, George 13. Porter was governor of the territory of Michigan at a salary of $2,000, Stevens T. Mason was secretary of the state at a salary of $1,000. The territory, accordingto the census of 1830 had a population of 31,629, of whom 32 were slaves and 261 free colored people. There were only five blind persons in the whole territory, and only fifteen who were deaf and dumb. Men predominated, the white population consisting of 18,168 males and 13,178 females, and the settlers were mostly young. There were only 139 people in the whole territory over 70 years of age. That many can be found in Ann Arbor today. There were 4,389 young men between twenty and thirty, and only 2,540 young ladies of these ages for them to pair with. Families must have averaged larger in the territory than now, for although the married and unmarried women of over twenty numbered only 5,245, the number of children under fifteen was 13,729. It cost something to wriie letters to distant friends in those days. To send ■i letter over 400 miles cost 25 cents. If the letter was composed of more than one piece of paper, the rates increased, so that a letter consisting of two pieces of paper cost 50 cents, and of four pieces$l. Letters consisting of one piece of paper were carried under thirty miles forsix cents. Postmasters, however, were entitled to have their letters carried free. The college having the largest number of students in the United States at that time was Yale, which had 15 instructors and 346 students. Harvard had 24 instructors and 236 students, and was second in size. Michigan University, which now holds the first rank, had not then been organized. Ttie largest library was owned by Harvard and consisted of 35,000 volumes, a number which would be consul ered insignificant today. The second largest library was owned by St. Mary's college, Baltimore, and contained 10,000 volumes. In 1830 the expenses of the general government were $24,585,281.55, of which $11,355,748.22 was paid on the public debt. The public debt on Jan. 1, 1832, amounted to 24,282,879.24. Unfortunately the expenses of the Michigan territorial government are not given, but that of all the states is given in detail. For instance, the legislative expenses of New York were $75,006.00. The expenses of the Erie canal borne by the state were $1,276,965.44, while the tolls from the canal amounted to $1,202,531.31. The other cost of the state government outsideof the canal was $471,022.01. At that date the United States did :he carrying trade of the world. The imports for the year ending Oct. 1, 1830, in American vessels amounted to !66,035,739 and in foreign vessels, to only $4,871,181. The exports carried in American vessels amouiited to $63,882,718, and in foreign vessels to $9,966,790. The American tonnage which entered the ports of this country f rom foreign countries amouuied to 967,227, while the foreign tonnage amounted to 181,900. Hovv these figures have changed as a result of the war tariff ! In that year the various states had three ways of electing presidential eleetors. Maryland elected by distriets, Delaware, South Carolina, and Liouisiaiia elected by the legislatures, and the rest of the states elected them on a general ticket.