Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-13
OUR RAPID GROWTH.
Pittsburg's Gain in Population
Only Exceeded by Three
Other Cities.
FIGURING ON A JUST BASIS.
Each American City With Its Suburbs
Estimated as a Whole, and
COMPARED WITH ALLEGHENY co.
This City 0utruns st. Louis, Baltimore and
Cincinnati, and
MEASURES ARMS WITH PHILADELPHIA

A strong point about Pittsburg's position
in the new census is made by Mr.. Thomas
S. Blair, one of the owners of the Hunting
don Furnace, whose Office is in the Hamil-
ton building. With the assistance of The
DIsPATcH's Washington correspondent, he
has made up table which shows that, with
the exception of New York, Chicago and
Boston, Pittsburg has had the largest in
crease in population in the past ten years.
He had hoped to show that Pittsburg even
ranked next to New York and Chicago in
the matter of percentage of increase, but
the later returns from Boston put rs in
fourth place in the matter of increase.
Something to be Proud OF
But that is ample honor for Pittsburg. 1t
is enough to know that in ten years we have
grown faster than the larger cities of st.
Louis, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and even
Philadelphia, when proportions are taken
into consideration.
Ever since the new census was talked
about Pittsburgers have complained that its
figures would only give Pittsburg credit for
the population actually within the city
boundaries. 1t was argued that this was
unfair, because large proportion of Pitts
burgers doing business in the city lived out
side its limits; that the city's industries
really exist anywhere from to 25 miles from
the postofice corner; that the populous COM
munities thereby built up ali over Allegheny
county are naturally part of the city's
growth, and, finally, that Allegheny City
should be considered part and parcel of
Pittsburg, so far as making a showing to
the outside world is concerned. To sum it
all up in a nutshell, it is justly held that
10 show the growth of Pittsburg you must
include all of Allegheny county in the cal
culation.
All Placed on an Equal Footing.
This is precisely what Mr.. Blair has done.
But be has gone farther. In order 70 make
just comparison with other cities he has
taken them with the whole of the counties
in which they lay, or as much of their con-
tlguous territory as will give them equal
footing with Pittsburg when comparing
them with all the territory in Allegheny
county as Pittsburg's population.
For instance Baltimore appears in the
table below with a certain number of in
habitants. That is not simply the popula-
Ion OF baltlmore SltY, Dut 10 IL mas Deen
added the population of Baltimore county,
which surrounds the city, and the total of
both are given opposite the name "Balti-
more" In the population accredited New
York is included Kings county. ST. Louis
CITY is bounded by two counties-St Clair
county, Ill.,, in which is located East St.
Louis and st. Louis county, Mo.-and so the
populations of both of those connties are
given In lump with the population OF the
city of st. Louis. To give Boston the bene-
fit of the population within a radius OF
eight miles IRON the State House in Boston,
the counties of Suffolk, Middlesex and Nor
folk must be embraced ali il one. The city
lies in Suffolk county, so the total of all
three counties is given as one below.
Some Interesting Results.
Therefore, starting with Pittsburg, and
placing opposite it the population of the Ell,
tire county to show its actual growth, and
making up the table on the same basis fol
each of the other cities, Mr.. Blair produce:
the following results: