Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-23
Our Population Thirty Year. Hence.

opu'ation tnfrty Years Hence.
Chicago Tribune.
The official figures Of foreign immi-
gra..Sn into the United States for the
year 1851 present some facts. and fore
shadow the probability of Others. that
a1e really startling. The total MN
Der OF immigrants that came into the
United States in the year was 10 OOO
During the latter part of the wear. and
especially in December, this tide was
about 81 per cent greater than dur;nc
the corresponding periods of 1880
The disturbed state of Europe, and es-
pecially in Germany, from which about
one-third of our foreign immigrants
come, makes it probable that the in
crease in 1882 over 1881 will be even
greater than that of 1881 over 1880.
and, consequently, that during the cur.
rent year we shall receive considerably
over 100000 foreign immigrants.
| When we consider that in this coun-
try the natural increase of population
by the excess of births over deaths
doubtless 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 increase, to amount to a mum.
Der equal to the total present popula-
tlen or the United States and Terrific
ries, or about 50,000,0U0. If to this we
add the natural increase of the popula-
ton, at rate of doubling every TWEEN.
ty-hve years (which is even longer than
1t really requires), it would give to-
tai population of not less than Ice. OOO.-
600 in 1911.
When we think that it has taken 200
years for the accumulation of the pres
ent 5O,OOO,000 of population of the
United States, it seems at first almost
incredible that within the lifetime of
the majority of men now living the
population will be over three times as
great as now; and yet it seems almost
beyond question that this will be the
case. Population increases with such
enormous rapidity, not only in Ameri-
ca, but in all parts of the globe, and
especially where it has the fostering
influence Of civilization, that it is one of
the great puzzlers of human life to
know what has thus far prevented
every part of the world from being
overcrowded with human beings. In
Europe, notwithstanding all the loss
OF life by wars and epidemics, and all
the decrease of population by emigra-
ton, the increase is enormous. In
1880 the whole of Europe contained a
little over 20O,OO0,0)O of people. The
same territory now contains over 3OO.-
100000. thus showing that the aver
age doubling period of European
population is about 100 years. En-
gland doubles her population about
every SO years, and Scotland in even a
shorter period. The Continental coun-
tries all require longer period. Spain,
France, Belgium and Sweden, require
a longer period than the countries
further east-owing to the fact that
population is already so impacte1 on
the western coast of Europe that the
difficulty Of obtaining subsistence
checks the rapidity of the increase.
The history of the world shows no
such great and persistent movement
OF population as that now in progress
to this country, except that which
overflowed from the north upon the
that there are plenty of men now liv-
in who will witness as momentous re-
suits 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 qui as important, will nec-
eSSarily be of totally different
character. Instead of barbarian
horde subverting an established civili-
cation as then, it is the movement of an
already cizilized and cultivated people
into the hitherto unpeopled regions in
the centre of the American continent,
to create there, within the next half
century. cities and improvements,
population and industry equal to that
in the centre of Europe.