Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-07
Interesting Census Developments.

An exchange mas bakcu Tic IOuu1C w
examine carefully the figures of the late
census to ascertain how the 80, 1855, 1888
souls in the United States are distributed,
and how the various States and sections
compare with each other in density of
population. 1t is shown by these fig
ures that this whole number Of people
are distributed over $780, 70 square
miles of land surface, exclusive of water
and of sundry unorganized portions, iu-
Guiding Indian Territory therein, and
consist of 9,945, 916 families, occupying
s,955,812 dwellings. This is 3.43 per
sons and 3.02 dwellings to the square
mile; it IS also 8. 04 persons to a family
5 so persons to a dwelling, 3701 acres to
each person, and 1856 SO acres to a fami-
ly. These figures show that, on an aver
age, each family has more than one
fourth of square mile to turn around
in and 1856 acres of land; also, that each
person can swing his arms in 36 acres.
This would be the case were the popu-
lation equally distributed, but it is not.
For instance, the District OF Columbia
leads in density of population, its so
square miles having 28,678 dwellings,
"a 1896 families and III, persons, or
2, $50 to the mile, and O22 acres per
head. This exceeds Belgium, which
does not have more than 500 persons per
mile. Rhode Island and Massachusetts,
stand next in density, with 254 81 and
221. rs persons per mile; then there is a
long descent to 1918 in New Jersey,
1913 90 in Connecticut, and 106.74 in New
York. Pennsylvania and Maryland
stand next and close together, with
1921 and "a 80; Ohio is next, with 78. 40;
Indiana and Illinois are about 55,
and all the rest are under 40, except
IL % in Kentucky, which leads the once
slave States, Maryland excepted. Kan
sas has only 10 10 to the mile, and Ne
braska only 594 OF the grain growing
States in the Northwest, not one has
density as high as 30 to the mile; Min
nesota is just under 10, Dakota is less
than 1, or merely nominal in density,
California is less than 6, and Oregon is
less than g The thinnest peopled are
Arizona and Wyoming, where 40, 440
and 90, 7S9 persons have 1922 and
1855 square miles to roam in.
For purposes of comparison the coun
try is also divided into five sections, con
tanning respectively, 2 too. 6 to IS, IS to
40, As to 80, and over 80 persons to the
mile. The first three sections are of course
predominantly agricultural, for it seems
that agriculture In the United States has
not yet been carried to such a point as to
afford employment and support to a
population of more than forty-fve per
mile. OF the agricultural groups, the first
represents very sparse population, such
as in the West can be sustained by grazing
without any cultivation, and accordingly
this is found at present mainly along the
frontier, the poorest tillage regions also
sinking into this group. But in 1870,
No Tor 2 to per mile) was the largest
single group in what is now Maine, and
in New York, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, and what is now West Viz
ginia. The second group Is to 18) indi-
Gates almost always defined farms and
systematic cultivation; in 1890 this far
exceeded in size Nos. 3, 4 and COM
bined. The third group Us to 40 indi-
Gates highly successful agriculture; the
fourth group indicates the existence of
commercial and manufacturing industries
and the multiplication of personal and
professional services; the fifth group
represents a very advanced state of in
dustry. The first census found only a
few counties, and the tenth, or present
census, has found less than $4,000
square miles SO packed. In New Jersey
and Rhode Island alone the areas so
peopled exceed the sum of all lesser
groups. A table. giving the area in
each census year of these several classes
of settlement, shows that although the
lower groups have been constantly
transferred to one higher by intensifica-
ton of settlement, the entering up of
fresh territory has made the lower, as
we'll as the higher, groups increase in
area.