Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-12-22
Bully &tnntbff JOurnal.
Augusta, Wednesday Morning. Dec. 22.


The Maine Census.
The census of the State shows that the
tide of population has turned. The CEN
sus of 1870 showed decrease in the num-
Der Of inhabitants; that of 1880 presents
a gain OF 22.030 in the last decade This
is small gain in comparison with many
other States, but it is better than loss.
1t is encouraging to State which has few
allurements for European immigrants. and
has been compelled to Withstand a heavy
drain upon its native born by the tempta-
tions Of mining in the Pacific States. cheap
Western lands. and life in the large cities
and manufacturing centres.
We find that the largest gain in any
county is in Aroostook. This fine county.
the most northerly in the State. the last
almost to attract attention to its capabili-
ties, has made handsome increase in in
habitants within the last ten years. This
gain is due largely to the superiority Of
the county as an agricultural region. with
liberal inducements to people to come in
and settle Little was known about the
county and less thought Of it until twenty
years ago, when the editors Of the State
went there TO reconnoitre and reported ia
vorably upon the land and the opportuni-
ty for men and women with strong and
willing hands to make for themselves
good hsmes and farms with but moder-
ate outlay. The county took start then
and has continued to grow and prosper
ever since.
The next county in point of increase is
Androscoggin. Here it is not farming but
manufacturing which has made the gam.
The mills on the Androscoggin have
grown in number and enlarged their ca
pacity. requiring more hands, and obtain
ing more Lewiston takes rank among
our largest cities and Auburn is following
the example of her sister city in swelling
the census returns.
After these counties we find Cumber-
land. Hancock, Knox. Piscataquis, Saga
dahoc, Washington and York, showing
small gains. generally on account of some
local industry or business. 1t seems to be
the fact that wherever manufacturing in
dustries have been established there we
have gains in population. Farming has
not been found so profitable in most cases
--Aroostook being an exception-as to
hold even the native increase to the soil.
There is an improvement latterly in the
public feeling toward farming, which il it
continues, as we trust it will, will do
much for the keeping of our sons and
daughters ut home and attaching them to
this important interest and means of get
ting livelihood.
The counties which return decrease of
population are Franklin, Kennebec. Lin
coin, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, Waldo,
The decay Of the numbering business is
undoubtedly at the bottom of the loss
which most of these counties show. A
few years ago this State was famous as the
Pine Tree State. It was almost q wilder
ness of pines, the cutting and manufacture
of which gave a pleasant and profitable
employment to the greater part of the
population. Now the pines are almost en-
tircly stripped from the State, and the
numbering business is so curtailed that it
does not occupy one eone-hundredth part of
the labor as formerly. That great lum-
bering county, Penobscot, has the greatest
loss in population, due unquestionably to
the decrease of the lumber business. The
problem before this and some other coun-
ties is to change their capital over into new
manufacturing industries so as to utilize
their water power for other purposes than
the preparing of lumber for market. In
some localities this has already been done
successfully and in many others efforts are
tending in that direction. The numbering
business is playing out. and something else
must come in to take its place, or it is in
evitable that there will be shrinkage of
population in places where numbering has
been the chief means Of support.
The Chicago Inter- Ocean having been
asked by correspondent il it is in favor
of civi! service reform replies as follows :;