Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-03-26

Shiawassee, Clinton, IOnia, Kent and
Ottawa. The greatest gain was in Kent,
4o15 per cent; the smallest in Genesee,
10 per cent; and the gain of the entire
tier, 7O,Oo2, or little more than 80 per
cent. The total population of these eight
counties in 1860 was 151,744 i'm 1870.
24O,344; in 1880, 31O,396.
10 recapitulate: i'm these four tiers of
counties, the gain for the southern tier
Is 61s per cent, against 271a from 1860 to
1870; for the second tier the gain is 2O2S
per cent, against al q from 1860 to 1870:
for the third tier the gain is 16 per cent,
against 5O5s from 1860 to 1870; for the
fourth tier, the gain is 20 per cent,
against 81 from 1860 to 1870. For the
entire four tiers of counties the gain
from 1870 to 1880 has been only Is per
cent, or less than One-half the ratio of
gain for the whole state.
This comparison has been carried far
enough to prove that while i'm these four
tiers of counties the gain has been less
than Is per cent. it has exceeded so per
cent. in the remainder of the state.
GROWTH OF NORTHERN COUNTIES.
Nearly all the counties north of the
lOul tlCl oliOW
crease. This is especially marked in the
Saginaw valley and the counties lying
on the shores of lake Huron. To illus
trate by the five counties of Bay, Saginaw,
TuScOla, Sanilac, and Huron: They had
in 1870 a population of 92,312; in 1880
169,345; gain of 1908 or 831a per cent
The interior counties of GratiOt, Mont
calm, MecOsta, Isabella. and Midland
had i'm 1870 population of 3S.479; in
1880, SSH, gain of 1852, or l29 pei
cent.
The counties of MuskegOn, Oceana
NewaygO, Mason, Lake, and OScOda, had
in 1870 population of 1874; in 1880
77,O46; a gain of Al, 1872, or 118 per cent.
These comparisons prove that Oul
heavy increase in population has occur
rcd in the the tiers of counties bounded
| by Huron and Sanilac on the east, Mus
kegOn, Oceana, and Mason On the west,
their aggregate increase reaching l69,
397, or considerably more than One-third
of the entire increased population of the
state.
GAINS IN NEW COUNTIES.
Some of the smaller counties show still
larger gains, as 0gemaw about 1.500 pei
cent; Glare, 1900; Missaukee, 1900; Kal
kaska, 700; Lake, OSceOla, and Wexford
500; Chippewa, $50; Alpena, Antrim
CharlevOix, ChebOygan and Delta cooper
cent.
The only county showing loss is On
tOnagOn, which has $3.50 in 1880 against
2.845 i'm 1870.
An interesting feature of the census il
the rapid movement of the center of pop
ulatiOn from the south to the north. As
previously stated in 1860, the two south
ern tiers of counties had Alb more thar
One-half the population of the state. In
1870 the center of population on line
drawn east and west through the state
was near the city of Mason. In 1880 the
population south of the north line of thu
third tier, which comprises the counties
bounded east by MacOmb and west by
Allegan, has only 800, 1893 inhabitants
against 831,942 north of that line. In
cluded i'm this tier are nine towns i'm Oak
land and MacOmb counties against foul
towns south of the line in st. Clair, 81
that the true figures would give even {
little larger prepODderance to the north
ern portion of the state
| THE NEXT APPORTIONMENT.
In the matter of legislative appOrtion
ment. could it be fairly made without
reference to county lines, it would give
majority of two votes i'm The hOuse ant
twO in the senate, north OF the state capi
tol building.
As Michigan will probably have L rep
reSentativeS in congress for the next de-
cade, more than half of the population
| for these members will be north Of thu
capitol of the state.
| THE PROBABLE GAIN
of population in the four southern tiers
of counties for the next 10 years viii
not exceed One-fOurth of the gain Of the
whole state. Estimating the population
of 1890 at 100000, over 100000 of thai
population will be north of the nOrtl
line of Ingham county. Michigan in the
next 10 years will probably pass Ken
lucky and Massachusetts in population
and be passed in turn by Texas, making
her eighth in the rank of states instead OF
ninth as now, with little probability OF
ever rising above that point.
STIMULUS OF RAILROADS.
The rapid increase of railroads now
under way i'm the northern portion of the
state will cause that region to grow very
rapidly during the coming 10 years. The
speedy completion of the Grand Rapids &
Indiana and the Jackson, Lansing &
Saginaw railroads to the straits of Mack
mac, with the Mackinac & Marquette
railroad in the upper peninsula, and the
probable railroad from Sault Ste. Marie
to a junction with the Northern Pacific
will bring thousands of sturdy immi-
grants to settle within our borders, who
would otherwise 60 to the far west. The
experience of the last winter in a tim.
berless country like Dakota and western
Minnesota, where fuel was so scarce thai
in some towns the people had to huddlt
i'm their beds and around the few stoves
which could be supplied with fuel, OF
else freeze to death, will incline thu
future tide of immigration. to our we'll
wooded and watered northern counties,
where land is cheap and fertile, and
deaths by starvation or cold are un.
known.
The present position of Michigan and
her future prospects may well awaken
proud emotions in the heart of every
patriotic citizen. In the grand
galaxy of states she is the only one east
of the Mississippi which gains two rep
resentatives in congress according to the
appOrtiOnment bill adopted by the last
house.