The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-02-28
A SHORT STUDY IN STATISTICS.
NO IMMEDIATE DANGER OF ovERcRowD1Na
THE COUNTRY.

a wards the Western States would result, b.
fore long, in crosding the country. Th
" maps will have to bear the responsibility G
whatever misapprehensien exists as to th
comparative size of the various States
Men know, in a general way, that Rhod
Island, Delaware and Connecticut have
' small area in comparison with the grea
" States of the South and West. But in th
examination of aliases they have not takel
D into account the different scales, and man
$ fall into queer errors about the size 0
States like Pennsylvania and Kansas, o
s New Yorkand Colorado. They look at tn
country maps of the smaller and olde
States, and bring these in juxtapositiol
Z with the maps of thirty-nine settled com
munities,s which are drawn on smalle
scale. A few comparisons will serve to re
move the misconceptions.
The area of the States ranges from Rhode
Island with 1906 square miles to Texa.
with 274,356. The area of England, exclu
siYe of Wales, is 50,952 That of France
including the coast islands and Corsica, il
1 204, 951. Take all the New England States
together, and their area is SO, 357-say
II, 600 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 70, 00C
square miles less than that of Texas. Eng
land and France together are not equal to
the Lone Star State.
Maine, with $4,000 square miles, CON-
prises rather more than half of the New En-
gland States, but Maine is not equal to Ohio,
with its 80, 964 square miles. Yet out of
the thirty eight States, there are twenty
with areas exceeding the area of Ohio All
the New England and Middle States to-
il gether have a less area, 171,797 square
miles than California, with 18e,9sl. If to
these States are added Maryland, Virginia,
and North Carolina, the area of these thir-
teen States is yet less by moro than 1000
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
| it would take more than five States of the
size of Massachusetts to make up Ohio
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have an area of
/ 129. 1888 square miles, less by over $4,000
than California alone, and only $4,000
greater than Colorado alone. Nevada has
an area of 81, $50 square miles, and is almost
as large as the two States of New York and
Pennsylvania put together. Oregon is
1000 square miles larger than the two COM
bined. Michigan would hold seven States
of the size of Massachusetts, and Texas
more than 200 of the size of Rhode Island,
five of the size of New York and three of
skhessfze OF Kansas. AlluI rhe New Engt
land States together are almost $4,000
square miles less in extent than Oregon,
and are Is, 600 miles less in extent than
Minnesota. Minnesota is more than double
the size of either Ohio, Indiana or Virginia,
and is equal to New York and South Caro-
lima put together. So is Kansas. Nebras-
ka is equal in extent to Pennsylvania and
all the New England States but Maine.
Texas alone comprises more than one-eighth
of the territory of the whole. Texas, Cali
fornia, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, Kan
sas and Nebraska are nearly equal in extent
to all the rest combined.
Now we turn to the statistics of popula-
tion. We use the figures of the census of
1870. The relations Of the States viii be
seen in another light.
The population of the thirty eight States,
by the census, was 38, 1856, sos. In round
Plumbers the square miles of these States
foot up 100000. France, with an area
only about one-tenth as large, with an area
only about five-tenths that of single
State, had population, in 1872, of 36, 1922
921. The population of England, whose
extent is, as nearly as possible, that of
Alabama, was, in 1871, q, ,4s7, ,6sS. The
population of Texas, as compared with
that of France, was 818, $50, and that of
Alabama, 996, ,992, against the q, 600, 900 of
England. There are only fifteen States out
of the thirty-eight that had in 1870 q popu-
lation of million and over, though there
were fourteen that had a larger area than
England. and that supported a population
of over q, 900, 900.
The States towards which the tide of
emigration is now setting are Minnesota,
Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Colorado. 4
Their united area is $40, 900 square miles.
The population in 1870 was 1885, Al, VI
population which was trifie in excess Of
that of Missouri, though their area was ten
times as great. It was half million more
than the population of Massachusetts, and
the area of these combined States is to that
of Massachusetts, as ninety is to one. Were
these States as densely populated as Massa-
chusetts, they would have population
nearly five times as large as that which at
present dwells within the entire Union.
Were these States as densely populated as
Ohio, the number of persons dwelling with
in them would be AZ, 400, 900. With the
population they had in 1870, they were ex-
ceeded by four States, New York alone,
that had less than ons-twelfth of the area
of these States. had more than double the
population. Ohio, with only one-ffteenth
of their area, had population of third
larger. Pennsylvania had a population
twice as large, though its area was 575, 600
square miles less. If any one thinks Of
these older States as overcrowded. we sag-
gest that he take days ride on any rail-
running through Ohio, Pennsylvania or
New York. II be is not surprised at the
vast quantities of land that yet remain TO
Be used, it can only be because be is famil-
iar with the facts. II be has travelled
abroad he win better understand the capa-
city OF this country. and the Vastness Of the
mighty domain that il waiting to be peo-
pied.
Uncle Sam has yet room for all the vast
sthrongs that are turning 80 Us. He has
land enough and room enough to give Us
all 4 farm. m.-C Cinesnnasi Times.