The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-27
A Short Study In Statistics.


The fear was expressed the other day that
the vast emigration in progress towards the
western States would result, before long, in
crowding the country The maps will bave
to bear the responsibility Of whatever misap-
prehension exists as to the comparative size
of the various States. Men know, in q gen.
eral way, that Rhode Island, Delaware, and
Connecticut have small area in comparison
with the great States OF the West and South.
But in the examination of ALIASES they have
not taken into account the different scales,
and many fall into queer errors about the
size of States like Pennsylvania and Kansas,
or New York and Colorado. They look at
the county maps OF the smaller and older
States and bring these in iuxtaposition with
the maps Of thinly-setted communities,
which are drawn on much smaller scale.
A few comparisons will serve to remove
these misconceptions.
The area OF the States ranges from Rhode
Island with 1906 square miles to Texas
with 274,356. The area Of England, exclu-
siYe of Wales, is 50,952. That OF France,
including the coast islands and Corsica, Is
2O4,951. Take all the New England States
together, and their area is 63,357-say
1000 square miles more than old England,
but only 5000 more than the single State OF
Missouri. The area of France is only the
little matter Of 10000 square miles greater
than that Of the single State Of California,
and, as we have seen, is 10000 square miles
less than that of Texas. England and
France together are not equal to the Lone
Star State. .s.,1 j y .
Maine, with $4,000 square miles, com.
prises rather more than half OF The New
England States, but Maine is not equal to
Ohio, with its 39,964 square miles. Yet out
of the thirty-eight States there are twenty
with areas exceeding the area OF Ohio.s AL
the New England and Middle States to-
getber have a less area, MI, ,T97 square
miles, than California, with 1SS,9S1. II tc
these States are added Maryland, Virginia,
and North Carolina, the area OF these thlr-
teen States is yet less by more than 2,0OC
SQUARE miles than the area OF Texas alone
1t would take very nearly seven such
States as Ohio to equal Texas in territorial
extent, more than two to equal Kansas, and
nearly two to equal Nebraska. And yet II
would take more than five States OF the size
Of Massachusetts to make UP Ohio. Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois combined have an area
of 129,1S3 square miles, less by over $4,000
than California alone, and only 25,OOO
greater than Colorado alone. Nevada has
an area OF S1,530 square miles, and is al
most as large as the two States OF new
York and Pennsylvania put together. Ore
gon is 1000 square miles larger than the
two combined. Michigan would hold
seven States OF the size OF Massa-
chusetts, and Texas more than 200 OF
the size OF Rhode Island, five OF the size OF
New York, and three of the size Of Kan.
sas. All the New England States together
are almost 10000 square miles less in ex.
tent than Oregon, and are $4,000 miles less
than Minnesota. Minnesota is more than
double fine size of either Ohio, Indiana, or
Virginia, and is equal to New York and
South Carolina put together. So is Kansas.
Nebraska is equal in extent to Pennsylva.
MIA and all the New England States but
Maine. Texas alone comprises more than
one-eighth Of Sthe territory OF, the whole
Texas, California, Colorado, Oregon, Min
nesota, Kansas, and Nebraska are nearly
equal IN extent to all the rest combined'