"Representatives of half a dozen different nations met in the smoking room of an ocean liner sometime ago. It was suggested that each nation be toasted. An Englishman paid a glowing tribute to his country. A Frenchman lauded his nation and a Russian eulogized the land of the Czar. Then an American arose and said: 'Here is to the United States, bounded on the north by the North Pole, on the east by the rising sun, on the south by the South Pole, and on the west by the setting sun.' As he finished another American present requested that he be permitted to attempt an improvement on the toast given by his countryman, which request was granted. He then toasted the United States in this fashion: 'Here's to the United States, bounded on the north by the Aurora 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 republic. New York will be more powerful by reason of your greatness. Your increasing productions will contribute to our commercial prestige more and more as the years roll on to make our metropolis continue to be the greatest seaport on this continent for all time.