The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-06
A Short Study in Statistics.

| The fear was expressed the other day
that the vast emigration in progress to-
ward the Western States would result,
before long, in crowding the country.
The maps will have to bear the respon-.
sibility of whatever misapprehension ex-
lists as to the comparative size of the va,
rious States. Men know, in a general,
way, that Rhode Island, Delaware and
Connecticut have a small area in COM,
parison with the great States ofthe 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 juxtaposition with the,
maps of thinly-settled 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, 1856. The area of Eng
land, exclusive of Wales, is so, ,952. That
of France, including the coast island and
Corsica, is 204,951. Take all the New
England States together, and their area
is 68,357-say 1900 more square miles
than old England, but only 5000 more
than the single State of Missouri. The
area of France is only the little matter
of 900 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. ~,
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 3S States, there are twen-
ty with areas exceeding the area Of Ohio.
All the New England and Middle States
together have less area, III, ,797 square
miles, than California, with 188,981. If
to these States are added Maryland, Vir- 3
ginia and North Carolina, the area Of
these thirteen States is yet less by more
than 1000 square miles, than the area
of Texas alone.
1t would take very nearly seven such
States as Ohio to equal Texas in terri
torial 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 aud Hi
nois combined have an area of 129, 1873
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 tHo
combined. 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 the size of Kansas. ALI tho
New England States together are almost
10000 square miles less in extent than
Oregon, and are fifteen thousand miles
less than Minnesota. Minnesota is more
than double the size of either Ohio, In-j-
diana or Virginia, and is equal to New
York and South Carolina put together.
So is Kansas. Nebraska is equal in ex-
tent to Pennsylvania, and all the New
England States but Maine. Texas alone
comprises more than one.eighth of the
territory of the whole. Texas, Califor-
MIA, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, Kan-s.
sas and Nebraska are nearly equal in ex-
tent to all the rest combined.
Now we turn to the statistics of popu-,
lation-we use the figures of the census
of1870. The relation of the States will
be seen in another light.
The population Of the thirty-eight
States, by that census, was 38,155, sos.
In round numbers, the square miles of
these States footup two millions. France,
with an area only abont one tenth as
large, with an area only about fve.sey-
enths that of single State, had popu-
lation, in 1872, of 36,102,921. The pop
ulation of England, whose extent is, az
nearly as possible, that of Alabama, was, :
in 1871, 21, ,4S7, ,68S. The population of
Texas, as compared with that of France,
was 8l8, ,579, and that of Alabama, $685.
992, against the 2l,000,000 of England.
There were only Is States out of the 3S
that had in 1870 a population of a mill
ion and over, thoug gh there were IA that
had a larger area than England, that
supported population of over q, 900, 900.
The States towards which the tide of
emigration is now setting are Minnesota,
Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, and Colorado.
Their united area is 620, 900 square miles.
Their population in 1870 was 1,985,541,
a population which was a triae in excess
Of that of Missouri, though their area
was ten times as great. 1t was half a
million more than the population of
Massachusetts, and the area ofthese COM
bined States is to that of Massachusetts,
as ninety is to one. Were these States as
densely populated as Massachusetts,, they
would have q 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 within
them would be 42,400,00O. With the
population they had in 1870, they were
exceeded by four States. New York
alone, that had less than one.twelfth Of
the area of these States, had more than
double the population. Ohio with only
one-ffteenth Of their area, had popu-
lation a third larger. Pennsylvania had
population nearly twice as large,
though its area was 575, 900 square miles
less. If any one thinks of these older
States as overcrowded, we suggest that
he take days ride on any railroad rum
ming through Ohio, Pennsylvania or New
York. If he is not surprised at the vast
quantities of land that yet remain to be
used, it can only be because he is famil-
lar with the facts. IF he had travelled
abroad he will better understand the ca
pacity of this country, and the vastness
of the mighty domain that is waiting 10
be peopled.
Uncle Sam has yet room for all the
vast throngs that are turning to US. He
has land enough and room enough to
give us all farm.
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