St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-23
WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.

Census Report Showing Increase
and Decrease in the Settled
Area.
WASHINGTON, April %. - Superin-
tendent T orter, of the census bureau to-
day issued bulletin upon thesubject of
the distribution of population according
to density. The bulletin presents GER
tain facts relating to the density of the
rural as distinguished from the urban
population of the country, and makes
comparisons with similar facts from
other censuses. A map of the United
States accompanies the bulletin, and
upon it are shown by different cOlored
inks the sections included within the
six groups-namely, below two inhab-
ltants to the square mile, between two
and six to the square mile, between six
and eighteen, between eighteen ard
forty-tive, between forty-fve and nine
ty aud above ninety. Where the
population is below to the
square mile the section is treated
as unsettled. The table shows that in
1890 the population was nearly sixteen
times as great as in 1890, while during
the century the unsettled area was in
creased only about eight-fold. In gen.
eral, the increase of population has
gone on at much more rapid rate than
that of settled areas. The most strik-
Ing fact which appears, says Mr.. Por-
ter, is the numerous additions which
have been made to the settled area
within the Cordilleran region. Settle
ments have spread westward up to the
slope of the plains, until they have
joined the bodies formerly isolated in
Colorado, forming a continuous body of
settlement from the East to the Rocky
mountains. Practically the whole of
Kansas has become a settled region,
and the unsettled area of Nebraska
has been reduced in dimensions
to third of what it was ten years ago.
What was a SparSely settled region in
Texas in 1880, is now the most populOuS
part of the state, while settlements
have spread Westward to the escarp-
ment of the Staked plains. The settled
regions of the Dakotas have been re-
duced to half their former dimensions.
Settlements in Montana have spread
state. In New Mexico, Idaho and
Wyoming considerable extensions OF
area are noted. In Colorado, in spite
of the decline of the mining fever and
the depopulation of its mining regions,
settlement has spread, and two-thirdS
OF the state is now under the dominion
of man. Oregon and Washington show
equally rapid progress; and California,
although its mining regions have
suffered. has made great in
roads into its unsettled regions,
especially in the SOUTH. Of all the
Western states and territories, Nevada
alone is at standstilI in this respect,
its settled area remaining practically
the same as in 1880. When it is re-
membered that this state has lost one
third OF its population during the past
ten years, the fact that it has held its own
in settled area is surprising until it is
understood that the state has underg one
a material change i'll occupations dur
ing the decade, and that the inhabitants,
instead of being closely grouped to-
gether and engaged in mining pursuits.
and have engaged in agriculture. In
the East it is seen that settlement
is spreading with some rapidity in
Maine, its unsettled area having
dwindled from 1900 down to about 4, 900
square miles. The unsettled portion of
the adirondack region in New York has
also diminished, there being now but
1000 square miles remaining unsettled.
The frontier has been pushed still
further southwark in Florida, and the
unsettled area has been reduced from
20,SO0 to $4,000 square miles. The lum-
bering and mining interests of Michi-
gan have practically obliterated its
wilderness and have reduced that OF
Wisconsin to half of its former
area. In Minnesota the area of its wild
northern forests has been reduced
from $4,000 to $4,000 square miles.