Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-10
wH.rwELRARH IRON THE CENSUS

WnAx -
We take pleasure in laying before
the public the census returns OF Ne
braska for 1874. Although the BEE
anC other journals have from time
to time published the scattering re-
turns of various counties, this is the
first official publication OF the re-
turns for the entire State over the
certificate of the Secretary of State.
While the census of 1874 is neces-
ssarily imperfect in many respects,
it furnishes many valuable lessons
for our guidance. First and fore
most, we are by it placed in posses
sion of the relative growth OF the
various sections of the State; 1t
enables us to arrive at . more intel
ligent and accurate conception OF
the tidal wave of population to
Central and Western Nebraska.
In the second place it will most
effectually dispel all the specula-
tons about contingent Congress
men. Our total population as per CEN
sus, is 222,392. Seven counties, Daw-
son, Phelps, Chase, Dundy, Hitch
cock, Kountz, and Holt, have not re-
ported. Estimating their population
at $500, the total population of Ne
braska could not exceed 22o,OOO.
Now if we add 5000 to this figure
for the immigration of the present
spring and summer, we reach a
grand total of 25O, 900. The basis of
congressional representation is
a fraction Over 134,6OO in
habitants for each Congressman.
1t would, therefore, take a popula-
ton of at least 269 600 in order to
entitle Nebraska to a second MEM
Der. While We shall, doubtless,
reach these figures in 1875, it
would be very difficult to induce
Congress to give Nebraska an addi-
tional representative in the Forty
Fourth Congress. And now let us
examine some of the peculiar Tea
lures of the census: Douglas still
remains the leading county in the
State, but her population Is now
only one-tenth of the entire
population of the State, while in
1870 she contained one-sixth.
Douglas and the five river counties
below Douglas, namely: Sarpy,
Cass, Otoe, Nemaha and Richard
son, contain Il 1913 inhabitants, or
Just one-third of the entire State
population, while all the river
counties from Kansas to the Dakota
line contain a population of SO, 7S4.
The adjoining tier, namely:
Wayne, Cunning, Dodge, Saunders,
Lancaster, johnson and Pawnee,
contain 43, 555 inhabitants, Of nearly
one-fifth of the State population.
These counties combined with the
river counties contain 1926 in
habitants, or over five-eights of the
total State population.
The Central tier of counties, Gage,
Saline, Seward, Butler, Colfax,
Platte, Antelope, Stanton and Pierce
contain "a, 941 inhabitants, or some-
thing over one-seventh of the pop
ulation. All the other counties west
of this tier contain 81. 16l people, or
something less than one-fOurth of
the population. The Central tier
and the entire west combined, mus
ter s9,O6l, or 673 inhabitants less
than the twelve river counties.
Now let u look ut the old division
north and south of the Platte, and
wefind that the counties north Ofthe
Platte contain S1,724 inhabitants,
or but very little more than one
third which would seems to indi-
cate that immigration in the past
three years has been directed main
ly to the country south of the Platte.
Whether the South al maintain
this unequal preponderance remains
however to be seen. The division
of the State into North and South
Platte, is rapidly being oblitera-
ted by railroads and bridges. The
old antagonism between these C
tons is gradually being supplanted
by a sectional division East and
West