The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-09-28
Growth Of the Union,

sus, Zen. Francis A. Walker, contrib
utes an article to the October Century
under the above caption. FThe writer's
studies and labors in experimenting
the last two census reports have direct
ed his attention continuously and par
ticularly to the marvellous growth of
the country, rs shown in every depart
ment and In every direction in the ten
successive census reports. In this
| article Gen. Walker invites attention
to the condition of the country at each
successive generation or interval of
thirty years, beginning with 1870 and
ending with 1880 leaving the census
figures, for the most part, to tell their
| own story.
The United States In 1880 comprised
a tract Of about 5000 square miles,
laying between the Atlantic, the Miss
issippi, Canada and the Gulf Its
population was 3,929,2 ,2li, being about
8 inhabitants to the square mile of
the territory Of that date, about 1.3 in
hahita nts to the mile of the territory
of to day. This population was almost
wholly on this side OF the Alleghenies.
About 125.0o0 pioneers were to be
found In Kentucky and Tennessee,
and IA 900 in the Ohio valley. There
were then but six cities with popula
ton of 5000 or more, and their aggre-
gate population was one-thirtieth of
that of the country, or about equal to
that of Newark of to-day. The census
of 1920 shows territory extending to
the Pacific comprising 2,0O0, 600 square
miles and having 8 .633 1922 inhabitants.
The area of settled territory has
doubled, and the great Mississippi val
ley has alread a population of 2, 900, 900.
About one.twentieth of the population
lives in the thirteen cities, having 900
or more Inhabitants and an aggregate
population little less than that of
Chicago Of to-day. The population
had smaller admixture of persons of
foreign birth than ever before or since.
and the wealth of the country was dis
trihuted among the many.
The seventh census, taking In 1850,
shows territory swollen by acquisi-
tions from Mexico to nearly 100000
square miles, and containing a popu-
lation Of %. .O67 ,262, or about ~ people
to the square mile. Only about one
third of this domain was settled, max.
ing the average density in the popu-
lated region to be 2s.7 to the square
mile. A most striking fact shown by
the census is the increase of city popu-
lation. The thirteen cities of 1920,
with 5000 or more inhabitants, have in
1860 become eighty five, with an aggre-
gate population of nearly 5000, 900.
Instead of one-twentieth, one-eighth
of the population reside In cities of
this grade, and for the first time the
census records a city of 500, 900 inhabi-
tants. BY 1880 our territory had been
increased by the cession OF $4,000
square miles by Mexico and 577, 900 by
Russia, and our population had grown
to over 80, 1878 The eighty five
cities of 8, 900 inhabitants had increased
to 2S5, with an aggregate population of
II, ,30S, ,645, or 22,5 per cent. ofthe total
population fthe country. Four-fifths
of the population now inhabit that
vast region west of the Alleghenies,
which at the first census returned less
than 10000. This increase in popula-
ton, great as it is, falls far behind the
material development of resources and
wealth which has marked this ninety
years Of phenomenal national growth.
This material growth cannot be shown
within the limits of magazine or
newspaper article, but 1t is set forth
in the great tones in which the mines
of census Information are buried.