Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-03-02
THIRTY YEARS HENCE.
4 Population OF I6O.O0O.OOO in the
Not Distant FIXTURE.

lhe ofllclal figures Of foreign immigration
INTO the United States for the year 1881 pre-
sent some facts, and toreshadow the proba-
blllty OF Others, that are really startling. The
total number of immigrants that came info
the United States in the year was 10000.
During the latter part OF the year, and espe-
cially in December, this tide was about 81
per cent that during the corresponding per
iods of 1880. The disturbed state of Europe.
and especially Germany, from which about
one-third of our foreign immigrants come,
makes it probable that the increase in 1882
over ISL will be even greater than that Of
1881 over 1850. and consequently, that dur
ing the current year we shall receive consid-
eraby over 1,000,000, foreign immigrants.
When we consider that in this country the
natural increase of population by the excess
of births over deaths doubles the resident
population in less than twenty-five years it
will be seen that it would require only about
thirty years of the present influx Of foreign
population, together with their natural in
creases, to amount to Il number equal to the
total present population OF the United States
and territories, about 50,000,000 If to
this we add the natural increase of the pres
ent population at a rate of doubling every
it really requires, it would give a total pop
ulation of not less than 160,000,00O IN 1912
When we think that it has taken 200 years
for the accumulation of the present 10000
600 of population in the United States, it
seems at first almost incredible that within
the lifetime of the great majority Of men
now living the population will be over three
times as great as now; and yet it seems al
most beyond question that this will be the
case. Population increases with such enor-
nous rapidity, not only in America, but in
all parts of the globe, and especially where
it has the fostering influence of civilization,
that it is one of the great puzzles of human
life to know what has thus far prevented
every part of the world from being over
crowded with human beings. In Europe not
withstanding the loss of life by wars and
ep5aemics, and all the decrease Of population
by emigration, the increase is enormous. In
1889 the whole Of Europe contained little
over 20O,0OO,00O of people. The same terri
tory now contains over 3O0,0OOO0O, thus
showing that the average doubling period of
European population is about 100 years. En-
gland doubles her population about every
fifty years, and Scotland in even a shorter
period. The continental countries all re-
quire longer period. Spain, France, Bel
gium and Sweden require a longer period
than the countries further East-owing prob
ably to the fact that population is already so
impacted on the western coast Of Europe
that the difficulty Of obtaining subsistence
checks the rapdity of the increase.
The history of the world shows no such
great and persistent movement of population
as that how in progress in this country, ex-
cept that which overtlowed from the north
upon the Roman empire, nor can it be
doubted that there are plenty of men now
livingwho will witness as momentous results
in the history of mankind from the present
movement of population to America as were
experienced from similar causes in the fifth
and sixth centuries. These results, however,
while quite as important, will necessarily be
of a totally different character. Instead of a
barbarian horde subverting an established
civilization as then, it is the movement of an
already civilized and cultivated people into
the hitherto unpeopled regions in the CEN
ter of the American continent, to create
there, within the next half century, cities
and improvements, population and industry
equal to that in the center of Europe.