The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-10-19
The Growth of the United States.

FFanclS "A. w alkeT, the SuperlnIenQ-
ent Of the last census, contributes to the
October Century paper abounding in
interesting and important facts CLEANED
from the census returns since the first
enumeration in 1890. In discussing the
condition of the United States, at the
tenth census in 1880, he says:
The period between 1850 and 1880
has been marked by the astonishingly
rapid spread of population over the
vast region brought under the flag of
the United States by the purchase of
Louisiana, the annexation of Texas and
the cessions from Mexico. The $50, 900
square miles of territory occupied by
settlements in 1850 have become 1870
600. OF these, 384, 820 have between
and 6 inhabitants to the square mile;
373, 800 have between and IS; 554, 800
between Is and As; 232,010 between 45
and go; while "a, $50 have in excess of
80 inhabitants to the square mile. The
population of the United States is now
so, 155, ,783. The frontier line of settle
ment is, in general, the one hundreth
degree of longitude as far north as the
forth-second parallel of latitude, and,
thence northward, the ninety-ninth, and,
afterward, the ninety-eighth degree.
The distribution of the population,
according to dominant typographical
features, may be thus stated: On the
immediate Atlantic coast, north, 1885,
892; middle, 4,375, ,184; south, S75, ,387;
on the Gulf coast, 1,055, ,851; in the
hilly and mountainous region of the
central Atlantic slope, 2, 344, 223; in the
Immediate region of the lakes, 8, 3,049,-
470; on the table-lands and elevated
plateaus of the interior, 5,716, 1896; in
the south central mountainous region,
2,695,00 in the Ohio valley, 2, ,442, 1872;
on the south interior table-lands and
plateaus, 3,628, ,478; in the Mississippi
belt, south, 710,268; north, 1891, 1862;
in the southwest central region. 1882
807; in the central region. 4, ,401, ,246; in
the prairie region, 1922. .485; in the
Missouri River belt. 835.455; on the
Western plains, S23,8l9; in the heavily
timbered region of the Northwest, l.
122, 337;; in the Cordilleran region, 932,-
311; on the Pacific coast, 715, 789
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 forty-first parallel
is reached, about one-third of the popu-
lation has been covered; the next single
degree extends the proportion nearly to
one-half, while more than two-thirds lie
north of the thirty-eighth parallel Be-
tween the forty-third and the thirty
eighth dwell 29.500,O00 of our people.
In 1870, 528 per cent. of the population
was east of the eighty-fourth meridian.
In 1880, only 49.4 per cent. was so
placed. Eighty-four per cent. of the
population is found east of the ninety
first meridian; 81 per cent. east of the
ninety-seventh.
The foreign elements of our popula-
ton have varied widely since 1850. At
cent. of the total population; they now
constitute 1873 per cent. OF the for
eign residents OF 1890 43.5 per cent.
were Irish; 26.4, Germans; 1879, En-
glish and Welsh; 81, British-Ameri-
cans; while the Scandinavians formed
less than per cent. Since that time
the proportion of Irish to the other for
eign elements has steadily declined. OF
the arrivals in the ten years ending in
1850, the Germans were but 25 per
cent; of those in the ten years ending
in 1860, they were 81 per cent. Be-
tween 1860 and 1870 other foreign ele-
ments began to assume importance
through the fast-increasing immigra-
ton of Swedes and Norwegians across
the ocean, and of Canadians across our
northern border We have seen that
the Irish Of 1850 constituted 43.5 per
cent of the total foreign population In
1860 this proportion had fallen to $50,
and in 1870 still further to $685. AL
though the statistics of nationality at
the census of 1880 are not yet publish
ed, it is not probable that the Irish to-
day constitute more than ~ per cent
of the foreign population of the coun-
try.
To-day. the number of foreigners liv-
ing among us is little over $500. 900,
while the members of the colored race
reach almost the same number. Speak
ing roundly, then, the following is the
table of our populations;
y, " hole number. ,0o0,o 900
foreighers .......--..,....- 6,eoo,oO0
Total native-Dorn. A, 10000
Coiored. ..................... 6,5GD,O9o
Total natiye-born whites. ST coo 900
The location of the colored and the
foreign element of our population, as
shown by the census, is, in high de-
gree. complemental. In general. where
the one element is largely found, the
other is absent.