Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-02-06
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lam not, in thus exalting the growth and
prosperity of Kansas, speaking recklessly, as
l shall show by statistics compiled from the
census and agricultural reports of the United
States and our own state. Figures are al
ways dry, know. But when they tell the
pleasant story of the march OF civilization
into and over new land, surely they cannot
fail to interest men and women who have
themselves marched with this conquering
army of industry and peace.
THE GROWTH OF KANSAS WITHOUT PARALLEL.
The growth of Kansas has had no paral-
lei. The great states of New York and
Pennsylvania we're nearly lao years in at
tanning population Kansas has reached in
thirty years. Kentucky was eighty years,
Tennessee seventy-tive, Alabama ninety,
Ohio forty-fve, and Massachusetts, New
Jersey, Georgia, and North and South Caro-
lima each over 100 years, in reaching the
present population of Kansas. Even the
marvellous growth of the great states of the
west has been surpassed by that of Kansas.
Illinois was organized as territory in 1910,
and thirty years later had only 691 1892 inhab-
itants, or not much more than one-haf the
present population of this state. Indiana
was organized in 1900, and sixty years later
had population of only 1850, 42S. Iowa
was organized as territory IL 1885, and had,
at that date, a population of nearly 10000.
In 1870 it had only 1,194 ,02O inhabitants.
Missouri was organized in 1872, with a pop
ulation of over 1900, and fifty years later
had only 1872, 0l2. Michigan and Wiscon-
sin, after fifty years of growth, did not have
as many people as Kansas has to-day; and
Texas, admitted into the union in 1s45, with
population of 10000, had, thirty-tive
years later. only S15.579 inhabitants.
In 1861 Kansas ranked in population as; he
thirty-third state of the Union; in 1870 it was
the twenty ninth; in 1880 the twentieth; and
is now the fifteenth. During the past quarter
of century Kansas has outstripped, Oregon,
Rhode Island. Delaware, Florida, Arkansas,
Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut,
Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, Mississippi,
California, North and South Carolina, Ala
bama. Wisconsin and New Jersey-all states
before the 29th of January, 1861. Of the
northern states only eight, New York, Penn
sylvania. Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Massachu-
sets. Michigan and Iowa, and of the south
ern states only six, Georgia, kentucky, Ten
neSsee, Missouri, Virginia and Texas, now
outrank Kansas in population. At the close
of the present decade Kansas will, | am con-
fident. rank as the eleventh state of the
American Union, and will round out the
nineteenth century as the sixth or seventh.
In the following table the population OF
Kansas, as shown by the first census of the
territory, takel in January, 1855, and the
official enumerations made every five years
thereafter, is shown. The figures also ex-
hibit the proportion of white and colored,
and of native and foreign born inhabitants:
the increase of population every five years,
and the density of population per square mile
| of territory at the close of each period. The
| state census taken in 1865, however, did not
| show the proportion of native and foreign
| born citizens: