Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-18
The oENrER OF POPULATION.
Tracing It's Course WestsCGrd Since the
First United States Census.

Tracing It's Course WestsCard Since the
First United States Census.
A volume recently issued from the CEN
sus Office, embracing portion of the sta
tistics gathered at the enumeration of
1880, contains, among many valuable
maps illustrating the distribution, den
sity and character of population, dia-
gram which shows how the center OF
population has shifted from decade to de-
cade since 1870, in its steady march west
ward. What statisticians understand by
the term center Of population, it may be
well to explain, is the point at which
would be reached were the
country taken as plane surface without
weight, but capable of sustaining
weight, and the inhabitants distributed
over it in number and position as they
are found at the period under considera-
ton, each lnhabitant being supposed to
be Of equal weight, and consequently to
exert pressure on the pivotal point in d.
rect proportion to his distance therefrOnl.
The first census of the United States,
taken in 1880, showed the center OF popu-
lation to be on the eastern shore of Mary
land, about twenty-five miles from Balti-
more, and near the thirty ninth parallel
of latitude. From that point it has moved
westward at the average rate of about
fifty-one miles in a decade, never deviat-
ing as much as degree to the north or
south Of the thlrty-ninth parallel.
BY 1900 it was moved forty
one miles. and was found at q
point eighteen miles west Of Balti-
more. In 1910 it was near tho Potomac
in Virginia, at place forty miles north
west Of Washington, having travelled
thirty-six miles during the preceding de-
cade. Its progress in the following ten
years was fifty miles, and in 1920 it was
in the valley of Virginia, sixteen miles
north of Woodstock.
The census of 1880 discovered that the
center of population, previously q little
north of the thirtY-ninth parallel, had
passed that line and was trife to the
south of it, at point in the Allegheny
mountains nineteen miles west OF Moore.
field, Va. the progress westward since 1926
being thirty-nine miles. This was the
most decided southwark movement it has
made IN any decade, and is explained by the
acquisition of Florida and the settlement
of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Arkansas. In the ensuing decade the
center recrossed the thirty-nlnth parallel
moved fifty-five miles westward, and was
found at q point sixteen miles south OF
Clarksburg, Va. Southern Michigan and
Wisconsin and northern Indiana and
Illinois had begun to fill up, and theil
population turned the balance to the
northward. In 1850 it was still in Vir-
GINA, but close to the Ohio river, having
moved fifty-tivc miles and being at q
point twenty three miles southeast OF
Parkersburg. Again it was south OF the
thirty-ninth parallel, but only dis
lance of about mile, the deflec.
ton being explained by the annexa.
ton of Texas. BY 1860 it had reached g
point twenty miles south of Chlllicothe
O., and a little north of the thirty.nintf
parallel, having made the greatest pro
gress ever made in decade, the distance
from the last point being eighty-ont
miles. This remarkable movement was
caused by the settlement of the Pacific
coast-twelve persons in San Francisco
BY reason of their distance from the piv.
otal point, counterbalancing forty person!
in Boston. The next step was forty-twt
mllCS WCotWdIu, nuO dOOue o"O1SO AOA oh
ward, which brought the center init
Highland county, OHIO, about forty eigh
miles east by north of Cincinnati. 1t j!
believed that the apparent northern
movement during this decade was caused
by defective enumeration of the colored
population of the southern states at the
census of 1870. In 1880 the center was
near the village of Taylorsville, KY.
about eight miles west by south of Gin.
cinnati, the westward progress being
fifty eight miles and the detection to the
south about eight. The census of 1885,
will probably discover it in Jennings
county, in southeastern Indiana.
If there is no great change in the rate
of western movement of population, the
central point, still travelling, as it doubt
less will, on line closely corresponding
to the thirty-ninth parallel of latitude
will not cross the Mississippi river unit
1850, when it will be found not fal
from the mouth of the Missouri. 1t i.
not improbable, however, that it vii
never reach that stream, but will remair
nearly stationary somewhere in southern
Illinois. There are large areas Of coun
try in the far west unfit for habitstion
save where deposits of the precious met
ais are found, and other considerable
areas where grazing, which supports but
scanty population, will always be the
chief industry. The increase of popula
ton in the trans Mississippi region may
not, therefore, much more than counter.
balance the increase in the oldel
settled portion of the country after the
close Of the present century. In estimat
ing the changes and progress of the flu
ture we must not forget that, marvelou:
as is the growth of the new West, it i!
only little more rapid than that Of thu
great middle region between the Hudson
and the Mississippi. The state Of New
York, it must be remembered, added 700,.
600 to her population between 1870 anG
1880, Pennsylvania 100000, and Ohio
$50, 900. The increase in each of these
old states would make western state al
populous as Nebraska.-N. Y. Tribune.
k1rs. Senator Bruce.
A Washington correspondent, at the