Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-04-19
Population from Abroad.

The population Of the United States
was increased shout one per cent. last year
by immigration abroad. Statistics are not
not at hand for other ports than New York,
but the total number of arrivals was prob
able something over half million. About
440, 900 immigrants arrived at this port,
or nearlv nine tenths of the whole num-
Der. The general character of the ar
rivals is said to be better than the average
of the previous years On the whole there
is no doubt that the addition to our popd-
lationis Of real value. Considerably more
than one third of the immigrants landing
at Castle Garden were Germans, very
large proportion of whom were industrious
and frugal agricultural laoorers, seeking
homes in the West This class as whole,
contributes an orderly and law abiding
element which is readily and rapidly as
simulated. The Irish come next in order
of numbers, but were only about one-third
as numerous as the Germans. They
furnish a valuable working force, though
they are rather addicted to congregatlng
In the cities. The English come next to
the lrlsh in numbers, and, Notwithstanding
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
9 ready assimilation with the descendants
of their own ancestors. Sweden has con
tributed more than 50, 900 TO the arrivals,
and Norway has added about II, 000. 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 IA, 900 Of whom arrived
at Castle Garden during The year past.
They are very apt TO herd together In tie
large cities and recruit the lowest ranks
of tie laboring population. This is due
In some measure TO 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, all told, but San Francisco and
the Pacific coast are yet to be heard from.
Not only has the addition to our popula-
tion from abroad been valuable In itself,
but with it has come a moderate accession
of accumulated capital. The amount 0f
this cannot be ascertaIned, 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. Ii Is estimatedthat they paid
IS coo, 900 last year for railroad Iranspor-
tation after leaving Castle Garden, and the
Superintendent believes that the total
amount of cash brought with them was not
less than Sll, 200. 600. THIS Is probably
a very low estIIxate. The destination of
the immigrant is no less interesting than
their origin. They still flock in large
numbers TO the Northwest, where MANY
settle on farms and and 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 a source of trouble
probably form no larger proportion of the
Whole than thst of natives of foreigs
pareptage who find The same level. The
capacity of the Southern States for alb
sorbing foreign immigrants has not yet
been fairy tested, though many are seek
ing the vast unsettled areas of Texas, anc
tie 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 flow OF
population from abroad which has been
going on during the 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 o,619, 943
foreigners 10 a population of 30, los, 7S3
OF less than one eighth of the whole.
The increase of population for the pre-
cediDg 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
which 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 a Ma
tion in the increase to our population
that comes from over the sea.-N y.
Times.