Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-10-26
Growth of the United States.

Distribution Of Populafion-1he Ndhrc
Born and Foreign Elements.
Francis A. Walker, the superintend.
ent of the last census, contributes to
the October Century a paper abounding
in interesting and important facts CLEAN
ed from the census returns since tho
first enumeration in 1890. In discuss
ing the condition of the United States,
Mt the tenth census in 1880, he says;
The period between 1850 and 1850 has
been marked by the astonishing rapid
spread of population over the vast re
gion brought under the dag of tho Uni
ted States by the purchase of Louisiana,
the annexation of Texas, and the ces
sions from Mexico. The $50, 600 square
miles of territory occupied by settle.
ments in 1850 have become 100000.
OF these, 3S4, $50 have between and u
inhabitants to the square mile; 313,S9O
have between and Is ; 554, 300 between
Is and As 2320l0 between IS and 90 /;
while 2f,j50 havean excess of 90 inhab
itants to the square mile, The popula
tion of the United States is now so,
l5j.7S3. The frontier line of settlement
is, in gen neral, the one hundredth degree
second parallel of latitude. and. thence
northward. the ninty. ninth and after
ward the ninty eighth degree.
The distribution of the population
according to dominant Typographical fea
lures, may thus be stated: On the i'm.
mediate Atlantic coast, north, 2.GlG, 500;
middle 4.375, 1874 south, S75, 1887 on the
gulf coast, l,055,S5l; in the hilly and
mountainous region OF the northeast
l,669,22 in the mountainous region of
the central Atlantic slope, 2,34i ,223: in
the immediate region OF the lakes, 3,Oi0
47O on the table. Glands and elevated
plateaus of the interior. 5,7l5, 326; in the
south central ountanous region,
2,6q5 0Sj: in the Ohio valley, 2,442, ,7q2:
on the south interior table lands and
plateaus. 627,4 AIS; in the Mississippi
belt, south, 10, ,2dS; north, 1891 .362 in
the southwest central region. - 932 s0I /;
in the central region, 1 .4Ol 80 in the
prairie region, j.722.4S5; in the Mis-
souri, river belt, S3j 4jj : on the western
plains, 30. $40: in the heavily timbered
region of tue northwest. | l22 33I +: in the
Cordilleran region. 932, 3ll on the
Pacific coast, 7lj,1S9,
Although the territory OF the United
States extends TO the forty ninth paral.
lei, only one.tenth of the population Is
found north Of the forty.third. But so
dense is the settlement below this line
that, by the time the fortytirzt parallel
il reached, about one. third of the popu.
lation has been covered the next sin.
gle degree extends the proportion near
lv to one. half, while more than two.
thirds lie north of the thirty.eehth
parallel. Between the fortv.third and
the thirty. eighth dwell 29,5OO,OOO Of
our people. In 1870. J1S per cent of
the population was east Of the eighty.
fourth meridian. In 1850, only i9.4
per cent. was so placed. Eighty four
per cent. of the population ia found east
ofthe ninety first meridian; 97 per cent
east OF the eninety-seventh.
The foreign elements of our popula
ton have varied widely since 1850. At
that time foreigners constituted 95 per
cent. of the total population they now
constitute 1873 per cent. OF the foreign
residents oil 1850, 43.j per cent. were
Irish 26. 3 Germans; 1879 English and
Welsh CT British Americans while the
Scandinavians formed less than one per
cent. Since that time the proportion Of
Irish To the other foreign elements has
steadily declined. OF the arrivals in tho
ten years ending in 1850 the Germans
were but 25 per cent; Of those in the
ten years ending in 1860. they we're 81
per cent. Between 1860 and 1870. 9th.
or foreign elements began 10 assume i'm.
porlance through the fast increasing
immigration of Swedes and Norwegiaus
across the ocean, and of Canadians
across our northern border. We have
seen that the Irish OF 1850 constituted
i3.5 per cent. Of the total foreign p0pu
lation. In 1860 this proportion had
fallen to 3S and in 1870, still further
TO 1873. Although the statistics Of
nationality at the census of 1850 are not
yet published, IL is not probable that ii 9
Irish to day constitutes more than p
per cent. of the foreign population of
the country.
To-day, the number of foreigners liy.
ing among us Is little over 6 6.5O0,00O
while the members of the colored race
reach almost the sarne number. Speak.
ing roundly, then. the following il the
table of our population
Whole nunber...,,... s.-.sa iHfe0l