The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-14
CHANGES IN POPULATION
Increase and Decrease in Various
Counties During the Last
Ten Years.
One-Sixth Of ALI the Counties
Lost In the Number Of
Inhabitants.
Gains Are the Rule In the West and
MISUNDERSTANDING of the Changes
Noted.

The census bureau has lately issued an
extra bulletin, which shows in graphic form
the increase or decrease Of population in
the United States. by counties, during the
last ten years, says Bradstreets. At the
first blush one would hardly expect to see u
decrease OF population play any part in
such an exposition, but it must be remem-
bored that increases of population cannot
be always equally distributed. while the
very fact that the urban population of the
country has been growing at a greater rate
than tho population generally implies of
necessity a decrease in some counties. 1t
appears that during the decade just closed
there was a decrease i'll 455 counties out of
2,7S1. Some OF these reductions were, how
ever, due to q reduction of territory conse-
quent upon the formation OF new counties,
and, leaving these out of account, there
have been actual decreases in 405 counties.
Decreases are found in the central parts
OF Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New
York and northern New Jersey. There have
been losses Of population in Virginia from
the summit Of the Blue Ridge to the At
lantic, as also in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Tennessee, Kentucky, southern Michigan
and Wisconsin and eastern Iowa. In Ne
vada every county but two shows a loss,
as do the mining counties of California and
Colorado. Increases, however, are more
prominent than decreases in the western
states and territories-for example, in
southern California, Washington. Montana,
n large portion OF Idaho, all of Wyoming
and North Dakota, a quarter of New
Mexico, nearly all of western Texas, a con-
siderable portion of western and southern
Kansas, nearly all of Nebraska, and all of
South Dakota. Heavy increases are shown
in some of the southern states, AZ we'll as
elsewhere in the United States. but an EMU
meration of the localities showing increases
which are so widespread is unnecessary
after tn, localities showing decreases have
been indicated.
Some comments upon the nature of the
changes of which the results are above indl-
Gated are given in the bulletin. Southern
New England, together with most of New
York., Pennsylvania and New Jersey, it is
pointed out. have passed through the stages
leading up to that in which and
manufactures are thoroughly established
and constitute the leading industries. The
people have withdrawn from the country
and are grouped in cities and towns. The
population, which two or three decades ago
was almost at a standstill, is now increasing
rapidly under the stimulus of profitable oc-
cupations. Different conditions prevail in
central Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
and New York, which are in q transition
state and not gaining in population. In
the upper Mississippi valley and Virginia
the community is in a stage of transition
from agricultural to manufacturing indus
tries, and decreases are shown. The
farmers of this section are being drawn
away to the rich lands of tho further wes-
tern states, and other industries have not
gained such a footing as to attract or re-
tain population in their places. This exc
dus of the farming population from the
upper Mississippi valley has been instru-
mental in increasing the population of the
plains and the CoIdilleran region. where
ton has also been attracted by the rich
mineral deposits of Montana and Arizona,
while in Colorado the decline of mining
SPECULATION has led the greater part of its
floating population of ten years ago to de-
part, and in Nevada the lack of water for
irrigation and the low ebb of mining inter
ests have caused a general deolino of the
population. Speaking generally, the bulle-
tin says that the change from the pastoral
stage of settlement, which is still repre-
the Cordilleran region, to tho agricul-
tural stage has taken place quietly and
without other symptoms than the accom-
panying increase in density of population,
while the change from the agricultural
stage to that in which a large majority of
Vne people are engaged IN manufacturing
and commercial pursuits, and where the
popul alton is, in the main, congregated in
towns and cities. is frequently a forced
chan &c, produced by the competition OF
other ag ricultural regions. The bulletin is
one of thu most interesting that has been
issued by the census Office thus far, but for
thorough comprehension it must be COM
pared witt the bulletin of the changes in
the urban population Of the country, issued
some time ago.
S,r;,L1;nu- ,A, g., ..uao, 80. .-