The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-08-27
The Southern States and New England


The partial returns so far received from
the census indicate that the tendency of pop.
ulation toward the cities continues, though
the agricultural reginpsl,rc making better
showing Chan was anticipated. Another fact
Of great Importance seems to be established,
The Southern States have grown duriNg the
last ten years at more rapid rate than their
Northern critics had assumed The returns
are not complete, but there are many in,
enough, indeed, to allrl pretty sound ba.
sis for calculation of the States as whole
While South Carolina has shown no in
crease, other Southern Cunmunwealihs have
grown in population at rate which b ars
favorable comparison with s,me of the more
prosperous OF The Northern States North
Carolina. for instance, expects to show
gain Of nearly third since lS70-lrom
Nl,07l 1861 to about $4,000 Florida which
has attracted a considerable Northern immi-
grafton, and has steadily advanced in It's
trade and agricultural interests, has increas-
ed about 60 per cent Georgia has been
making healthy gain during the decade,
especially in its cities, Atlanta, for one,
ranking among the cities OF most RAPID
growth, Missouri has shared handsomely
in the growth which has marked Northern
States TO the west of the Mississippi River,
and the returns of is census as far as report
ed, indicate gain of Over 60O,O0 or more
than a third. Tennessee has also gone
ahead at a healthy though less rapid rate.
Kentucky estimates a gain of about one
third from the partial returns already IN.
Wost Virginia claims an increase of 60 per
cent, and Arkansas of over SO per cent.
Even Louisiana, which has had such direful
experience with yellow fever, shows in the
counties from which reports have thus far
been received gain Of 2l per cent, and
Texas has nearly doubled in population since
the last census
Some OF these estimates may be too large
Doubtless the hopes of their makers lead
them to base sanguine conclusions Oh returns
which do not justify them. 1t seems to he
established, however, that the South
ern States have shared much more
largely than some people had assumed in
the general growth of the Union in popula
lstion. Their proportion of the whole will
be.greater than certain Northern politician.
would wish it to be.
In the New England States there ha,
been = remarkable and suggestive growth q
the manufacturing communities, but The
general gain has not been great. Take Ia,
two States of Maine and New Hampshire
Neither of them has increased in population
alta rate which approaches the gain through
out the country. and Maine has scarce,
grown at all. Between 1850 and 1870 j
fell off 1854, and between 1870 and 1885,
there has probably been a gain of few
thousands. Returns from New Hampshire
are complete, and show al increase of '39, OF |
or only about nine per cent, and nearly two
thirds Of that has been in the six cities {,
the State. Every county, however, ha
gained slightly, if We except the rural coun
ty of Grafton.
Returns, complete and estimated, from Sc v
enteen States and one Territory show an ag
create population of over 2S,000,00O. Th,s
contain considerably more than half TIN
population of the Union. which is likely t
be somewhere about the $4,000 900 it wa
expected to reach,