New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-07


1920 it was in the Valley of Virginia sixteen
u,Iles north of Woodstock.
The census of 1880 discovered that the
centre of population, previously little nor'h
Of the thirty ninth parallel, had passed that
line and was trle to the south OF II, AT "a
point in the Allegheny Mountains nineteen
miles west of Nocrciicd, Virginia, the progress
westward since 1870 beng thirty mine miles,
This WAS the most decided southwark move
mrnt il has made in any decade, and Is cN-
blamed by the acquisition of Florida ana the
settlement of Alabama Mississippi Louisiana
and Arkansas. In the ensuing decade the
centre rccrosscd The tlirty-ninth parallel
moved ffty-ive miles westward anu was
found at n point sixteen miles south OF tl"rks-
burg. Virginia. Southern Michigan and Is
cousin and Northern Indiana and Illinois had
brcun to fiji up, and their population turned
the 5alance 10 the northward Ia 1880 it Was
still in Virginia, but close to the Ohio River
having moved ffty-live miles and being at II
poibt twenty-thrcc miles southeast Of Parkcrs-
burg Again it WAS so til Of the thirty ninth
parallel, hut only "a distance of about mile,
the DETECTION being explained by the anneXa-
ton of Texas BY 1860 it had reached point
twenty miles south of CEillicothc, Ohio, and
a little north Of the thrty-ninth parallel
having made the greatest progress eyer made
in decade, the distance from the last point
being cichty-one miles This remarkable
movement was caused By the settlement OF the
Pacific Coast-twelyc persons in san Fran
cisco. hy reason of their distance from the
pivotal point, oounterbalancinS forty persons
i'm Boston. The next step wac fofty-t"o
miles westward, and about twelve northward,
which brought the centre into Highland
County. Ohio about forty-eisht miles east
by north OF Cincinnati. II is believed that the
apparrnt northern movement during this de
cadc was caused Ivy detective enumeration Of
the colored population o.. the Southern States
at the ccns1, of 1870. In 1850 tie centre was
near The village of Tay louisville, Kentucky
about eight miles west by south OF Cincinnati
the westward progress being fitty-eight miles
and the DETECTION TO the south ab"ut eight
Tie census of 1890 will probably discover 1t
in Jennings County in Southeastern Indiana.
T. there is 10 great change in the rat" ct
western movement OF population, the central
point. still travelling. ~ il doubtless will, Oh
line closely corresponding to the thrty-nnlh
parallel of latitude, viii not cross the Mi>>S-
,ipp River until 1850, when it will he found
no, FIR from the month OF the Missouri. II Is
not Improbable however, that it will never
reach that stream. but viii remain nearly sta
fionary somewhere in southern Illinois. There
are large areas of country in the Far West unit
for hahitaion, save where deposits of the pre-
cjous metals are founG, and ojhcr considerable
areas where srazrg which supports bnt q scaniy
population, will always bc the chief industry.
The increase of population in the trans NlS"N-
s:ppi region may not, therefore, much more
than couutcIbalance the increase in the older
settled portion OF the country after The close
of the present century. In estimating the
changes and progress of the future We must
moi forget that, marvellous rs j. the growth OF
the New West. it is only a little more rapid than
that Of the great middle region between the
Ilud. on and the Mississippi. The State OF
New York, it must be remembered, added
700. 900 to her population between 1870 and
1850. Pennsylvania 10000, and Ohio
532, 900. The increase ia each Of these old
States would make Western State as popu-
lous as Nebraska.