Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-09-26
AN T

ASAN I VI SOk1Il1CICo
makes this unwarranted attack upon
Dakota:
Imagination Away plays an active
part in local census-taken, when the
avowed object of the enumeration is to
impress the world. As a work of pure
fiction-under the name of arithmetic
the Dakota census is unsurpassed. The
federal census of 1880 could find only
l36,177 souls IN "all that territory" Five
years later the Dakota politician pro.
fesses to have discovered q total popula.
ton of 100000, of whom 10000 are
claimed for North aud 100000 for South
Dakota. No known causes have operat-
ed to increase the Dakotans at this
amazing rate, and since we know the
object at which the daring manipulators
aim, we may safely reject their figures
as preposterous.
The fact is, eastern newspapers and
eastern people generally are unable to
comprehend that Dakota is 432 miles
long and 372 miles wide-as large, III
fact, as half of New England, or contain
ing lG0,704 square miles. Deduct one-
third for rivers, lakes and swamps, and
we have 07,136 square miles of arabic
land-the richest and best in the world.
Each of these square miles is capable Of
supporting four families of five persons
each, Or 2,142.72O souls in all. This
would give each family 100 acres of till
able land. Now for the satisfaction of
the Journal and other hypercritical pa
pers and persons, we will give each fam
lily Of five 800 acres of land, instead of
l6O acres, which would be ten instead of
twenty inhabitants to every square mile.
This would give us l,07l,36O inhabi-
tants. But the eastern pessimist will
laugh at these figures; so we shall ad-
init, for the sake of argument, that only
one-half the arabic land in Dakota is
settled upon 1.-THE federal statistics show
that nearly two-thirds of the land is
taken) and yet we would have $4,000
people, or about five persons, old and
young, to every square mile.
The foregoing figures simply show
wherein it is possible for Dakota to cor.
tain and support five times the number
of people claimed by the last census.
No account is yet taken for the popu-
lation of the towns and cities; no record
is made OF the filings in the various land
offices: no figures are given of the enor.
mons immigration in the past five years.
The statistics on immigration, which the
Journal can obtain by writing to the a r
ious railroad companies doing business
in Dakota, will furnish the necessary
proof of the practical accuracy Of the
census. The figures in the general land
Office at Washington will afford the
Journal some knowledge in the matter
of filings; and many of the Journals
New York friends who have been to Da.
kota can relate the facts in regard to the
size and population of our cities and
towns.
The actual population of Dakota is
now nearer half a million than 400, 1000.
The census wa taken early the past
spring, before the last tide of immigra-
ton had ceased to flow this way, and
people are still coming in. We admit
that the increase in population since the
last federal census in 1880 almost star.
ties belief, but if the New York journal
lists would make a careful and honest in.
quiry into the case and employ reason
, in the work of reaching calculations
they would achieve fame as fair-mindec
and candid men.