The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-06-21
NUMBER 27.


The newly published volumes Of the
United States census for 1880 give, with
an accuracy of detail such as the world
never before saw, the panorama Of this
vast westward march. 1t is a matter
of national pride to see how its ever
changing phases have been caught and
photographed In these mastery volumes
in way such as the countries OF the
older world have never equaled though
it would seem so much easier to depict
their more fixed conditions. The Aus
trian newspapers complain that no one
in that nation knows at this moment,
for instance, the centre Of Austrian
population; while the successive centres
for the United States are exhibited ona
chart with precision as great, and an
lmpressiveness to the imagination as
vast, as when astronomers represent for
us the successive positions of planet.
Like the shadow thrown by the hand
of some great clock, this inevitable
point advances year by year across the
continent, sometimes four miles year,
sometimes eight miles, but always ad-
vancing. And with this striking sum-
mary, the census report gives a series
of successive representatives on colored
charts, at ten-year intervals, of the
gradual expansion and filling in of pop
ulation over the whole territory of
the United States. No romance is 80
fascinating as the thoughts suggested
by these silent sheets, each line and
tint representing the unspoken sacrifices
and fatigues of thousands of nameless
men and women. Let us consider for
moment these successive indications.
In the map of 1870 the whole popula-
tion is on the eastern slope Of the APP
palachian range, except slight spur of
emigration reaching westward from
Pennsylvania and Virginia, and a de.
tached settlement in Kentucky. The
average depth of the strip of civlllza-
tion, measuring back from the Atlantic
, westward, is but three hundred aud if
ty-fve miles. In 1900 there is some
denseninR of population within the old
lines, and western movement along
the Mohawk in New York state, while
the Kentucky oasis of population has
spread down into Tennessee. In 1910
all New York, Pennsylvania and Ken
lucky are well sprinkled with popula-
tion, which begins to invade southern
} Ohio also, while the territory of Orleans
has a share; and Michigan, Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri, the Mississippi ter
ritory including Mississippi and Ala
bama are still almost or quite untouch-
ed. In 1920 Ohio, or two thirds of it,
l shows signs of civilized occupation;
and the settlements around Detroit,
which so impressed Darby, have joined
D those in Ohio; Tennessee Is well occu-
pied, as is southern Indiana; while
| Illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama, have rills
e of population adjoining the Indian
] tribes, not yet removed, still retarding
, southern settlements. In 1S30-Adams'
] administration being now closed-In.
!. diana is nearly covered with population,
8 Illinois more than half; there is hardly
!. any unsettled land in Ohio, while Mich,
n igan is beginning to be occupied. Pop
e ulstion has spread up the Missouri tx
l. the north of Kansas River; and, farther
e south, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkan
sas begin to show for something. But
: even in 1880 the centre of population is
in Moore6eld, western Virginia, not
:. yet moving westward at the rate OF
more than five miles year.