New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-30
OUR FOREIGN POPULATION.
DISTRIBUTION OF ITS PRINCIPAL ELE-
MFNTS


INFLUX OF CANADIANS.
lPRoA A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, Dec. A.-ln recent letter
spoke OF the added interest given TO the Census report
by tinted maps presenting TO the eye Information "no
could otherwise be gathered only by long ana pains
taking research through hundreds OF pages OF 'apueu
figures described that letter the map Illustrating
the density OF population throughout tho country vi
scarcely inferior Interest series OF showing the
distribution and density OF the f0reignDorD population
and OF its chief elements-he German. lrisl Engish
and Welsh. scandinavian, British American ana Cnl-
pese or the thirty-eght and half millions OF people
whom the census-takers found within our borders III the
month OF June, 1870 five and Onehalf millions repoftou
themselves OF foreign BIRTH To give the exact hgures
b66729 Of our people foregnborn The census noe'
not stop here however but it goes into the genealosy
OF the native population. and discovers that
97sisI5 have both parents foreign, and that looZS'
have foreign father, and 10,l066G foreign hotner''
These figures will doubt surprise many peoPe VIM
live in quiet hooks and where the foreigner mas
not found his way unless 1t be as stray German uso
teacher or an Ishman OF all work. but they VIII scarcely
astonsh those who familiar with the population Vi
the cities and towns OF the North and West and VINO
have travelled much along the great railway lines They
present striking tests for essaysts and other theOrzes
on the future American race, which Will no doubt Oe
utilized. They seem to Imply that our orlgai
stock is fast losing its yrty and that 1t Is desuhed 10
bemeasuraby lost in the great current OF more vigorous
and productive races that sets steadily 10 our
shores from Central and Northern Europe anu
from tho British Islands, and which, noWlDS
westward from the eastern seaboard Is last perhehE
rho whole North Thus far the American eloment, by
its superior INTELLIGENCE has I'm manner ABSORBED or
controlled these various and Heterogeneous Inateras
infusing them with its enterprise and It's theories o oc
sefgovernment and education but how long can we Dc
sure that this Will be the casef What Is the American
race Of the future, compounded OF all these elements 10
be like What pecuares, good and bad, VIII each ee-
ment contributed Will the rshnan give Us his tmiftess
ness along with his fine enthusiasm. and the German MS
etOidity with his patient industry and economy Whae
is TO become the negro, and what part Is the emma
man to playi These few of the many questions
that present themselves after glance at these curious
census maps.
In the tables OF figures the birthpaces OF the foreign
population is given with great PARTICULARLY OF detail
All the little German States appear, with the quota each
has furnished u.s. and OF the more important po
tical divisions of Europe separately classified Ihe
South American States are grouped together 30 are INC
West India Islands and the Central American STATES.
Africa is given but single column In the taDe' anu
ASIA except China, India and Turkey, 10 allotted the
same space Among the curiosltes OF the table Is the
statement that we have 8 Greenlanders among us,
Indians born in Malta how their parents got there
is the wonder negroes born in Sweden and In kus-
STA chs whites Africa and 263s persons VINO nave
no native country, having been born at sea Inc maps
cannot OF course separate notice of all the lesser
springs which have helped to swell the stream OF
emigration, but can only show its chief fountains.
In t first man Of the SERIES however which represents
the total foreign element without distinction Of nation
ov all of course are taken account Of. This map shows
the density OF the combined foreign population by pur
nile tints OF five different shades the highest indicating
sections where there fewer than two foreigners 10
the square me the darkest where there are over 20
Ia. - thaa safanar
of the shades In the North almost tn9
south being blank except for few small ana lsOlaeu
spots in different states, aud long strip IN IeNas 10
SOuthener this map must be parriculafy lhsIuetVe,n
not very satisfactory II the events OF the past zen years
have not fully convinced him that the institution OF
Slavery aDhOrrent to the moral sense OF the e1sd
world, this map ought 10 ia7e IL plln' tne
barren desert, it could not nave been more com
pletely stunned by the emigrants OF all nations.
Cheap lands and genial climate and opportuniiessfor
profitable business anon The8 nreferred TO take
a,,' nccs in the crowded East or to struggle with
nature the pralres ana In the forests o. tue west
The law Of distribution of foreign Immigration In the
North appears from study OF the map 10 be his: IL
groups itself densey in the commercial ceners ana the
manufacturing aud mining districts on the ist follows
tie chief lines OF railroad through the Middle States.
spreads itself pretty evenly throughout the peOpied
region Of the West with marked preferences however,
fr the vicinity great rivers and lakes IL does not
take kindly districts or 90 soils of small fer
tity and preters forest TO prairie Thus the heavily
tim6ered r. .dons OF Michigan aud Wisconsin have
larger foreign population than the prareS OF ihddha
and Illinois. ,,,
are the maps exhibiting the distribution OF the different
natonalitcs. comparison OF these shows that race
the European in what part OF our broad land ne shall
seek his fortune The Irish, who number 1,S55ST, are
massed in greatest numbers Massachusetts,, Conneet
cut, and the vicinity OF NeW-1Ork CITY. I1ey are
fond of The excitenents OF towns Tley are not worth
much as pioneers seldom going in the OF civilization
but always following IN It's rear Nearly every great
city is nucleus Tor them, from which they spread
small extenG u adjacent country The largest stretch
OF country which they have peOped IN cOllslueraOle
numbers extends from Syracuse To Buffalo. Here their
leusl 1.
M extensive district IN Northern Illinois, ana another in
Eorth-E lstern OhIO where they number from to
the square mile.
The Germans. whose aggregate numbers 16oO,4lo
show fOudDess for the cities well the Irish, but
they take much kindly TO the country. While
generally distributed in small numbers throughout the
HOrth they ex Ot curious tendencies to aggregate in
hood OF NewIOrk aud in Central New-Jersey Ike the
Irsh bur they have given all New-Engi gland the g0-Dy
except Western Connecticut Very few Oe found
they abonnd La Pennsylvania they number from three
to sX he mile between the susduehanna and Della
Rivers, but the only dense settlement they nave
made is ia Erie County. In going westward hud that
their first riculturI setlements of noticeable extent
the south shore OF Lake Erie west OF Cleveland,
aud around Cincinnati both sides OF the Ohio River.
Ia the latter section Erie, Buffalo, and around
New York. they number over 10 TO the square mile. In
smaller numbers they fringe the shores the Ohio nearly
ali the way from Pittsburgh to Cairo. Their densest
settlement west OF Cincinnati Is IN the eoln-
ties lying along Lake Michigan In Wis
cCnsn, including Milwaukee and the towns OF Sheboygan
and ManitowOc ana extending westward to WATERFOWL.
settlement Of less density. This originally heavily
tmDered region, and its climate Is very bioak and rgOr
GUS The presence the Germans here such numbers
not easy to explain unless their gregaIOus tendencies
drew them about early settlements There are two
other sections the West where the
nOtceably strong. One extends along tue of
the Mississippi from Dubuque to Keokuk, where it
the eastern side and runs south little further
Quincy, Ill. II may be that this is explained by the
oyeO the Germans Tor the Rhine, which the swift
flowing waters OF the upper Mississippi must bring 10
their remembrance. The other section lies around ST.
Louis, Illinois wen Missouri. Like other foreign
ers the Germans have stunned the South. TBere
few Of them engaged in trade IN the principal
Southern cities but the only agricultural settlements
they made Ia Texas where thcre is broad belt
running westward FROM Galveston in which tboy
Der from 20 three 10 the square mile
The fourth map OF the series shows the distribution Of
H.. nnD Mnl.n lr-. mo.