Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-02-28
From the Boston Transcript
curiosities of Iha CensEs

While the leading reviews in Great Bri-
tain have contained many able and curious
articles relating TO the recent census of that
kingdom, the elaborate and valuable facts
contained in the compendium of the seventh
United States census, prepared by BIr. De
Bow and published by order of the Senate.
does not appear to excite the attention OF
writers of the class corresponding to those
whose labors abroad have elected so much
comment from the English public. With a
desire rather to direct the attention 10 De
Bows statistical view of the United States
than to furnish anything ike an extended
review of the work itself, we propose to treat
the returns in similar style TO that which the
British census received in the Household
Hords.
s1.lt sef ia. 1fszp ~ giss n efzstssrtsa
States in 1850, $50 had been created or alter
ed in the previous ten years: in "a tho fe.
males greatly predominate; in l55 the slaves.
and in the foreign born. In AL there
were few or no foreigners, and in 20. the ma
tive and foreign population were about equal.
In 1923 counties there were slaves; in 1872
no free colored persons. The number of
people to a dwelling in New York CITY aver
aged more than IL, in Boston nearly 9, in
New Orleans 6k, in Richmond about 8. 1t
is estimated that one-fourth part of the peo-
pie in the country reside ia villages, towns.
and cities.
In the year 1900, exclusive of the army
and navy, there were S8O6 persons in employ
ment of the Federal Government; in 1854 the
number was S5 456, a nine-fold increase-the
population having increased about live-fold.
The number of real estate owners in the
United States connot fall short of 100000.
or one in about 3-19 of the free males over 81
years of age. 1t is estimated that the direct
and indirect tax paid by each white person in
the country for all purposes amounts to S4 "a.
There are about 10000 Indians within the
territorial limits ofthe United States At the
close of the Revolutionary war, Gen. Knox
etimated the Indians in the thirteen States
to number about 5000 In 1850. of the
1897 POLITICAL newspapers published in the
United States. 855 were Whig and 742 Dem
ocratic papers. Over two-ffths ofth Nation
al Territory is drained by the Mississippi ami
its tributaries. The distance between the
cities Of New York and New Orleans Is more
than equal TO that separating London from
Constantinople, or Paris from St Petersburgh.
By the land route between New York and
Astoria the distances is equal to that between
New York and Bremen. BY the water route
the distance is as great as that between Gan.
ton and London.
The number of persons who live east OF
the Mississippi river, is twelve times greater
than the number Of those who live west
thereof. The non-slaveholding have tbir,l
greater population than the slave holding
States. Massachusetts, which was the first
State, according to its white population, in
1870, has now become the fourth-exactly
reversing the course of New York, which has
become the first from the fourth rank. Even
adding the present population of Maine to
that of Massachusetts,, would not alter the po-
sition of the latter ia its rank among the
States. 10 New England the females have
always exceeded the males in pumber. The
foreign vote Of the country Is estimated g bS
but one-twelfth of the whole. The total
number of families holding slaves in 1856
was only 347 ,525. 1t is estimated that only
one third of the whito population of the slave
States sustain the relation of slave owncrs
The state of New York has about one eighth
of the population Of the Union, Pennsylva.
MIA about one tenth, and Delaware about one
two hundred and sixty-third. There is ono
house to every six persons in the country
The Catholics have but one-eleventh as many
churches as the Methodists. The Methodist:
and Baptists together have more than one
half of all the churches, and the Episcopal
and Roman Catholic are about equal in mum.
Der. The average value of the church edi-
fees in the country is but S2,357 they viii
each seat 376 persons upon the averege.