Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-05-04

The population Of the United States
was increased about one per cent. last year
by immigration abroad. Statistics are not
not at hand tor other ports than New York,
but the total number OF arrivals was prob
able something over half q million. About
440, 900 Immigrants arrived ct this port,
or nearly nine tenths OF the whole num-
Der. The general character of the ar
rivals 10 said to bs better than the average
OF the previous years On the whole there
Ia no doubt that the addition to our popd-
lation is Of real value. Considerably more
than one third of the immigrants landing
mt Castle Garden were Germans. N very
large proportion OF whom were industrious
and frugal agricultural laoorers, seeking
homes in the West This class as q whole,
contributes au orderly and law abiding
element which iB readily and rapidly as
simulated. The Irish come next in order
of numbers, but were only about one-third
as numerous a. the Germans. They
furnish q valuable working force, though
they are rather addicted TO conRregatIDg
In the cities. The English come next 10
the irish in numbers. and, notwithstanding
their attachment to inherited ideas, they
almost invariably become good citizens OF
our free Republic. Those who come over
for the purpose of establishing themselves
in colonies are, indeed, OF a rather superior
class, and the fact that they are Of the
same blood with the founders OF the first
colonies on these shores gives promise OF
q ready assimilation with the descendants
of their own ancestors. Sweden has con
tributed more than So, 900 10 the arrivals,
and Norway hiss added about IA 600. They
are for the most part an industrious and
peaceable people, and much the same may
be said OF the Scotch and Welsh. The
most undesirable of our immigrants IN re-
cent years have come from the South of
Europe, and Of these the Italians are most
numerous, nearly il 600 of whom arrived
at Castle Garden during the year past
They are very apt TO herd together In the
large cities and recruit the lowest ranks
OF tie laboring population. Thus is due
In some wmeasure 10 the fact that the
immigration OF criminals and paupers and
worthless people generally from Italy has
been rather encouraged Of late. The
hordes OF Asia poured in upon our East
ern shore TO the number of something less
than 400, NIL told, but San Francisco and
the PAclflc coast are yet TO be heard from.
Not only has the addition to our popula-
ton from abroad been valuable In itself,
but with Ii has come q moderate accession
OF accumulated capital. The amount 0f
this cannot be ascertalned, as the immi-
grants are under no obligation TO tell how
much they have, and most of them make
their exchanges on the other side before
embarklng. 1t Id estimated that they paid
S5 COO, 900 last year for railroad transpor-
tation after leaving Castle Garden, and the
superintendent believes that the total
amount of cash brought with them was not
less than $ll, 900. 600. This ls probably
a very low estimate. The destination OF
the immigrant is no less interesting than
their origin. They still nock in large
numbers to the Northwest, where many
settle on farms and aid in developing the
untouched resources OF the land, thereby
aiding in the most affective manner 10 In
crease the production Of wealth as well as
the population OF our country. Others
seek mining and manufacturing districts
on account OF the characters OF their pre-
vious industrial experience. Those who
sink TO the bottom OF the social strata In
the cities and become q source OF trouble
probably form no larger proportion OF the
whole than that OF natives OF foreign
parentage who nnd the same level The
capacity Of the Southern States for alb
sorbing foreign immigrants has not yet
been fairly tested, though many are seek
ing the vast unsettled areas OF Texas, and
thS current is gradually percolatinG into
other parts Of that section Of the country.
There Is certainly nothing alarming even
to the most timid in the great f0w Of
population from abroad which has been
going on during tho last two years.
Though unprecedented in absolute volume
1t bears constantly decreasing proportion
to the entire population. According to
the census of 1880 We had then 6,e7s, 94S
foreigners In q population OF 30, loo, 7SS.
or less than one eighth OF the whole.
The Increase of population for the pre-
ceding decade was about thirty per cent.
or an average Of three per cent. year, and
even in 1881 the accession from abroad
was only about one per cent. Considering
this fact and the rapid transformation
whica is constantly going on, as well as
the general good quality Of nine-tenths OF
the immigration, there is certainly very
large percentage of gain for uS as N a.
ton In the increase to our population
that comes from over the sea.-N T.
Times.