The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-22
OUR URBAN POPULATION.

Bulletin No. so issued by the census
bureau treats of the urban population Of
the country, being in the main serie:
of tables showing the population of the
cities of the country having 5000 inhabi.
tants and upward. According to these
tables, of the 81, 622, $50 the total popula.
ton OF the United States in 1890, IS, 235, >
$40, Or 80. II per cent, live in cities of
more than 5000. This urban element is
distributed very unequally over the
country. In the North Atlantic division,
being the New England states, New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
there are 6,976, 1926, or nearly one-half of
the entire population of that division,
and also nearly so per cent of the entire
urban population of the country.
In the South Atlantic division
the urban population amounts
to 1,4e0,445 out of the total of
$685., 800. This division embraces the
states bordering on the Atlantic ocean
from Delaware to Florida, both inclu-
sive, and the District Of Columbia.
The North Central division, compris-
| ing the states between the Ohio river
land line on that parallel west of the
Mississippi on the south, and the Cana
dian border on the north, and from
Ohio to Kansas, both inclusive, east and
west, contains 5,791,272 in the cities, of
a total Of %, 1862, 3I6, or little more
than one-fourth.
The cities Of the South Central divi-
sion-the states of Kentucky, Tennessee,
Alabama. Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas,
Indian Territory, Oklahoma and Arkan-
srs-have population of LAT, 147, in
total of 10,972, 1893, or less than 10 per
cent.
The cities of the West central division
all west of Kansas west line-contain
90o.370 of a total of 9,027,613.
The growth of the urban population
upon the rural for the nine decades, from
1870 to 1880 was steady and of a uniform
rate per cent, running from 8. IS in 1890
up to 2.57 in 1890; but in the last decade
from 1880 to 80 tho increase was very
much greater, jumping up to 10 per
cent of the whole. This last point Illus
trates in a forcible manner the accelerat-
ed tendency of our population towards |
urban life, a problem well worthy the
serious consideration of the wisest and |
ablest political economists and govern
mental theorists.
The number of cities having a popula-
nf hop
6 in 1890 to 2S6 in 1880 and to 443 in 1890
The proportion of urban to the total
ppulation in all the southern states is
less than Is per cent. The industries in
these states are mainly agricultural, and
while manufactures and mining are
making good progress in some portions
they are still in their infancy. In 1880
the urban element Gncluding those en-
gagged in mining) numbered 1916 95,
and constituted less than 10 per cent Of
the population. In 1890 it numbered
2, 567. 602. having increased 1888 per
cent, while the total population of those
states increased but 20.07 per cent.
Mining, commerce and manufactures
in the western states and territories are
in a much more advanced stage, as is
shown by the greater population of the
urban element which, in 1890 constitut-
ed 27.74 per cent of the whole popula-
ton. In 1880 it constituted but 1887
per cent f;
In 1880 there was but one city in the
United States which had population in
excess of million. In 1890 there were
hree-New York, Chicago and Philadel-
Dhia.
In 1870 there were but fourteen =
titles each containing more than 100000
inhabitants. In 1880 the number had in
,reased to twenty, and in 1890 to twen- r
weight. There are fifty-eight cities =
hat have population of over $4,000 {
ach.
The most noticeable figures are the =
yer cents of increase in population in q
ONE of the western and southern cities, 7
COR instance, the per cent of increase in :
spokane Falls, Wash. was $500; for Ia
oma, Wash, 3,17923; for Seattle. :,
Wash, 1,112.4S; for Kansas City, Kan. =
,097.5S; for Ell Paso, Tex, ,304 50; An y
iston, Ala, 94S.41; Birmingham, Ala. i
IS. %; Duluth, Mimi, S50.76. !;