Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-10

Minnesota increased IS per cent. be-
tween 1870 and 1859 and 81 Per cent. be-
tween 1880 and 1899. The numerical in-
crease being over half million in the
past decade. The state census, taken IN
1855, shows that the bulk of this incrsase
occurred between 1880 and 1855. The
numerical increase during the first Ave
years was So ,o25, and the rate of in
crease 43 per cent. while during the last
halt of the decade the numerical increase
was ls2 ,2l9, and the rate Of increase
l6. 8 per cent.
During the past ten years the popula-
ton of Dakota, considering the two
states of North Dakota and South d.
kota together, has increased from 49,
III 70 DO ,2.3, or 277 per cent. ;Nebrasks
from f52 ,402 to loss, .93, or l3i per
cant, and Kansas from 996, G96 10
l 1923 ,4s5, or - per cent. This increase
has not however, continued uniformly
throughout the decade. IN 1885 Dakota
contained ALB GIG inhabtants, or moro
than four fiths of its present popula-
ton. Nebraska contained 140, Gt5 in
habitants in tine some year, thus dividing
the numerical increase quite equally be-
tween the two halves of the decade, but
leaving the greater percentage OF in
crease in the FRS: half. In the same
year Kansas, by its stats census, had
! PCS $50 inhabitants, showing that
nearly two-tnirds of the numerical gain
was acquired during the first half of this
decade. The Industries OF these statss
are almost purely agricultural, and are
dependent on the supply OF moisture,
either in the form OF rain or By Irriga-
tiou. Through these states passes what
t lilo
of country sewers, degrees i'll width. Ia
which during rniuy years there is an
abundance of moisture for the needs OF
crops, while in the years when the rmin-
fall is below the average the supply Is
deficient. In this region little provision
he's been made for artificial irri-
CATION, the settlers having thus
far been content TO depend
upon rainfall. Into this region the set
tiers iioc2ed in large numbers IN the
early years of the decade, drawn thither
By the fertility of the land and by tine
ia ct that for n few years the rainfall had
been suf1i cieut for the needs OF 6gri-
culture. During the past two or three
years, however, tbs conditions of rain
fall have materially changed. 1t has
fallen decidedly below the normal, and
the settlers have thereby been forced to
emigrate. Thousands of families have
abandoned this region and gone TO Okla
homa and the Rocky mountain region.
This migration is well shown in the
progress of Kansas, as indicated by its
annual ceususes. These censuses show
rapid increase in population fro II 1880
up to 1887; 1888 shows but slight in
crease over 1887, while 1889 shows a re-
duction in the population, leading up TO
the further reduction shown by the Fed
eral census in 1890.
Throughout the South Atlantic and
Southern Central states the rate of in
crease has diminished, and in most OF
these states 1t has diminished very ma
terislly. A certain reduction in the per-
ceDtage OF increase, especially in the
eastern part of this region, was to be ex-
pected, due not only to the operation of
general laws, but also to the fact that
there has been considerable migration
from the states east of the Mississippi
river to the westward and but little i'm
migration. Taken together, however,
these two causes by no means account for
the reduction in the rate of increase in
these states. The real cause IL to be
found, a. WAS stated early in this discus
SION i'll the imperfections Of the census
of 1870. Thess .mperiections resulted In
giving comnaratiyslv low rate OF in
crease between 1860 and 1870 and an eX-
aggerated increase between 1870 and
1880. The following able, showing the
rates of increase during the last three
decades In these states, illustrates the
imperfections of the census of 1870 in Il
somewhat startling manner:
PER CENT. OF INCREASE.