The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-07
Center of.PopnIntIon.

For several weeks an expert Zeal
culator" has been at work i'll the
census office figuring out the loca-
ton Of the center OF population
of the United States. 1t is not
an easy task. as one can imagine who
gives the matter Il little thought.
The whole territory is divided mp
into small squares, and the popula-
tion ascertained for each square.
This is arrived at'by. consulting The
population of each civil district,
towship or ward. The squares are
made 10 balance against each other
until a common center is Ascertain
ed. An-eXpert calculator has been
engaged more than month in this
work, and another month will he re-
CURED before the true "center' is
knOTn. Tic work has progressed
far enough, however, TO show that
the center Will be very near. Cincin-
natl, certainly not over four or FIVE
miles from the business center of
the city. A few weeks ago it was
thought that the center would make
a final Handing upon the hills
which encircle Cincinnati to the
northward, but progressive calcutta
tons now indicate rhat il will cross
the Ohio river and establish itself on
the south side. This is owing TO
the unexpected increase of pop
ulation in tile South, which will
cause the "center7 to shift further
southwark than heretofore.
In the year 1900 the ccnters of the
population was not far west Of Bal
timore. In 1910 it was very near
ITarper's Ferry. Each successive
censes has thrown it further west
ward, at the rate of from five 10 six
miles with eaelI Succeeding census.
In 1870, the center was about fifty
miles east OF Cincinnati, or rather, u
little north of east. Between 1870
and 1886. the increase in tic west
has driven ii westward at about the
usual pace, and the increase in the
Southern states has drawn it in that
direction about eight miles. These
two causes acting together VIII, il
is Thought, cause the present Cen
teri to BE located about one. or two
miles south of the Ohio river. i'm
mediately beck'of CoVingtoD, Ky.
The location of the center Of nopu-
lation on the south side of the, Ohio
river may not strike some people IA
Yorably, indicating as il does uaf
the path of empire has taken n sud-
den southern twist, detecting TO
the southwark to an unusual do.
gree, but this is probably only
temporary. The census of 1870,
as is now known, was detective
in the Southern states, and the in
crease Of population in that locality
for the past ten years was more APP
parent than real The defective
census of 1870 eausednfhe centre of
population.t TO take a more northern
course than the subsequent census
has shown to be accurate. Conse-
quentlys its next jump is little
south of west. The next census
will probably carry it over into In
diana, about fifty miles west of Gin
cinnati. near the line of the Ohio &
Mississippi railway. Hereafter the
movement westward will be slower
than heretofore. as the best portion
of the West is already occupied.
The chances, therefore, are that,
after the present decade, the center
of population will remain in the
southern portion of Indiana for the
next thirty years ~
By studying the physical confor-
nation OF the country, and its
adaptibility to settlement, and the
support of life, and taking previous
centres a. q basis OF comparison, it