Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-03
CHANGES IN THE POPULATION OF NEW
ENGLAND,

In the August number of the Popular
Science Monthly, DR.. Nathan Allen, of
Lowell Mass, has fresh consideration of Il
subject which he has made peculiarly his
own-thc changes going on in the population
OF New England. DR.. Allen Justly SAYS
that eighty years ago New England contained
homogeneous population, mostly engaged
in agricultural pursuits, living contente d.
~ on their farms, rearing a numerous
progeny who contributed by their sturdy
character, not less than by their industry, to
the growth and prosperity of the New Eng.
land Commonwealth. Within fifty years
great change has been wrought and the
causes of it are set forth by DR.. Allen.
First he places the emigration from New
England to other States. This emigration
began carly in the century and at first was
chiefly TO New York and OHIO Later it
helped topopulatc other States and has been
constant draft upon the New England
population ever since. In 1910 the census
reported nearly half million natives of New
England living in ether States, and this
number has been kept good ever since, the
continued emigration more than repairing
the losses by death. In 1870 the number of
naive New Englandcrs. living in other
States was G15, 747, in 1880 it was 5GG, S3S
but in these later years the number unouest-
ionably includes many born in New England
OF foreign born parents. But there has been
great drain of the old New England stock,
and the emigrants were naturally the more
vigorous and enterprising of the population.
The census of 1870 gave 42O,07S native
born 'ermontcrs, of whom III, 1G4 lived out
side the State. The census of 1880 gave
43O, O4l, Of whom 17s, 1861 lived outside the
State.
Then there has been notable interchange
OF population between the States. The las,
cenaus reports 1885, 64 persons living in
Massachusetts who were born in other New
England States, and over $1,000 natives of
Massachusetts living in these States In
Vermont there are $4,000 people who were
born in other New England States, and
Vermont in return contributes no less |
than $4,000 to those others. All such |
figures as these point to an |
obvious drift away from agricultural occu
pations to manufacturing, mechanical, and
clerical employments, the change from
country, to town and city life. The country
towns remote from railroads, as is well
known, are decreasing in population, and
the number engaged in trades and TRANSPORT
alton, in professional and personal service, in
manufactures and mechanics, increases rel
atively much.faster than the number engaged
in agriculture. Massachusetts has only one
tenth as many engaged in agriculture as are
engaged in other pursuits. In this State only
b6,251 persons are engaged in agriculture
against 1888 in 1870, while in the ten wears
the number of those engaged in professional
and personal services has increased from 81. I
O3S to 20, ia and those engaged in manu-.
facturcs and mechanics from 22,GlG TO o.
pa, and those engaged in, trade from 7l32
to S945. Another singular fact brought out
by the census is that while in 1870 the popu- d
lation OF the State over 10 years old was {
@60, 76l and the number engaged in all class a
es OF occupations was 100 SOB, in 1880 the !.
population was 264, 052 and the number of r
workers was only 11S, 5s4-the showing be- t
Ing that of an enormous proportional loss in 7
The working class. 1t is such changes as =
these that cause in the opinion of Dr. Allen
marked change in the physical character II
Of the New England people. e
The next element considered by him is tbs q
decrease 10 the birth rate Of the native New D
England families That there is such de. a
'rease appears he thinks to the knowledge of o.
II who are acquainted with New England n,