Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-06

United States-Not Quite as Large as
Was Expecteh-Porter's Explanation oi
the Failing on-Growth OF the Western
States.
Washington Dispatch
Bulletin No 12 on the population OF
the United States has been Issued by the
Census Office. II says:
The population OF the United States June
/, 1890, as shown by the first count of per-
sons and families, eXclus sivo of white Ior-
sons I'm Indian Territory, Indians on reser-
yations, and Alaska, was 90, 4S0,540. These
figures may be sS0S shESEsd DEs sE %ss sStS
changes viii not be material
| In 1880 the population was so, ,155, 7S3
| The absolute increase of the population in
| the ten years intervening was 12 1924, 757 and
| the percentage OF increase was 2457. In
| 1870 the population was stated as 3s, ,55S, ,371
| According TO these figures the absolute in
| crease I'm the decade dctwecn 1870 and 1889
was 11,507,4I2 and the percentage of in
| crease was 30.0S
Upon their face these figures show that
| the population has increased between 1880
| and 1890 only 727, ,345 moro than between
| 1870 and 1880, while the rate OF Increase has
| apparently diminished from 80. 0S to 4.59
| per cent IL these figures were derived
| from correct data, they would be indeed
| Disappointing Such reduction I'm the rate
| OF increase IN the face of the enormous inn
| migration during the last ten years would
argue great diminution in the fecunlity
| or the population or n corresponding in
| crease In its death rate. These figures are
however, easily explained when the char-
acter of the data used IA understood IL
| Is well known, the fact having been
| demonstrated by extensive and thorough
investigation. that the census of 1870
was grossly deficient In the Southern States
SO much 50 as not only to give nicxag-
fnd To- a.
between 1870 and 1880 I'm these States but to
affect very materially the rnte Of increase
In the country at large. These omissions
were rot the fault nor were they within the
control Of the Census Office. The census of
1870 was taken under q law which the suA
perintendent, Gen. Francis A. Walker, char
acterized as "clumsy, antiquated, and bur
barous.n The Census Office had no power
over its enumerators save a barren protest.
ana Its right was even questioned in some
quarters.
Some of superintendent Porter's com
ments on the conditions governing the
spread of population are interesting,
particularly as regards the Western
States. In Ohio, Indiana, Iowa. and
Missouri, and in Illinois, il the city OF
Chicago be dropped from consideration,
the rate OF increase has declined decid- |
edly. In Ohio it has fallen from 20 TO Is
per cent; In Indiana, from Is to II: i'm
Iowa, from SO TO II; in Missouri, from
26 to % per cent, in spite of the rapid
growth OF st. Louis and Kansas City; |
and in Illinois, dropping Chicago from |
consideration, from i. Q to sc. pei. cent, !
has begun to decline, owing to the sharp |
competition of Western farms The farm |
ing population has migrated westward, |
and tho growth of manufactures is not |
yet sufficiently rapid to repair these |
losses. The southern portions of Michi- |
gan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are under |
similar conditions, but the northern parts 1
or these States, lying upon the frontier |
of settlement, have filled up with suf-
ficient rapidity to repair either wholly or
in part the losses of the southern parts.
Michigan increased at the rate OF SO per
cent. between 1870 and 1880, while be-
tween 1850 and 1890 the rate was but % |
per cent. The increase between 1880 and
1890 was cut into unequal parts by the
State census taken in 1884. In the first
four years of the decade the increase
was 1872 per cent, while in the last six
1t was 1877 per cent. In Wisconsin the
last decade shows an increase of 2S per
cent, as against an increase of % per
cent. in the decade between 1870 and
1850. Tho State census OF Wisconsin,
taken in 1885, cuts the decade into two
the first half of 1873 per cent, and dur
ing the second half of but ~ per cent.
Minnesota increased 7S per cent. be-
tween 1870 and 1880 and 81 per cent. be-
tween 1880 and 1890, the numerical in
crease being over half million in the
last decade. The State census, taken in
1885, shows that the bulk of this increase
occurred between 1889 and 1885. The
numerical increase during the first years
was 337,025, and the rate of increase
43 per cent, while during the last half
OF the decade the numerical increase was
1S2, 219 and the rate of increase 16.3 per
cent.
During the last ten years the popula-
tion of Dakota, considering tho two
States of North Dakota and South Da-
kota together, has increased from 1885,
1T to 510,273, or 277 per cent; Nebraska
from 452, 402 to 1885, ,703,' or 1874 per
cent; and Kansas from 996,096 to 1,423,-
4S5, or 43 per cent This in
crease has not, however, con-
tinued uniformly throughout the dec
ade. In 1885 Dakota contained 415.6IO
or moro than four-ffths of
It's present population. Nebraska con-
tanned 74O,645 inhabitants I'm the same
year, thus dividing the numerical in
crease quite equally between the two
halves of the decade, but leaving the
greater percentage in the first half.
In the same year Kansas by its State
census had 1,26S,53 inhabitants, show
ng that nearly two thirds of the numcr-
cal gain was acquired during the first
lalt OF the decade. The industries of
5hesc States are almost purely agricuIt-
lral, and are dependent upon the supply
)f moisture, either in the form OF rain
)r by irrigation Through these States
passes what Is known as the subhumid
)elt, strip Of country several degrees {
n width, in which during rainy years [
here is an abundance of moisture for
he needs Of crops, while In the years
when the rainfall Is below the average
he supply Is deficient. In this region !
title provision has been made for :
Irtificial irrigation, the settlers hav-
ng thus far been content TO de- 1
end upon rainfall. Into this region the :
etters flocked in large numbers in the
arly years OF the decade, drawn thither
" tho fertility of the land and by the ,
act that for a few years the rainfall had l
'een sufficient for the needs Of agricul- l
ure. During the last two or three !
ears, however, the conditions of rain
all have materially changed. IL has
allen decidedly below the normal, and /,
ettlers have thereby been forced TO emI- !
rate. Thousands OF families have !