St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-11

The census and agricultural bureaus
nave been distinguishing themselves as
map makers Of late. Some of their pro-
auctions are artistic and attractive in
cOlOrs. The bucolic architect shows in
different hues the staple productions of
every state and territory. and the cen
sus man is issuing object lessons in
bright series, exhibiting to the eye the
variegated information he has acquired
in connection with the enumeration.
These are not without value as Simpli-
tiers of knowledge. One of the most
recent relates to the sections that have
lost population. The counties that have
decreased are shown on the map bv
yellow tint. To tue general observer it
is probably surprise to see how these
yellow spots are diffused over the coun-
try. There are 400 counties in the
United States that show losses, but the
explanation in the case of fifty of
them is that they have been divided,
There are still over 400 that show an act
ual decrease in the ten years. The
localities that sustained the chief losses
are in the central parts of Maine. New
Hampshire, Vermont, New York, North
ern New Jersey and Eastern Virginia.
There is good deal of the yellow also
scattered about Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
Tennessee and Kentucky; and even the
Northwestern states are not exempt.
although as states they all show large in
crease. y notable feature as the eve
passes over the map is that the yellow
is specially visible along the lines of the
great rivers. Even the great Mississippi
valley has to come into the list
with the MISSOURI, Ohio. Illinois
Tennessee, Cumberland and others.
The map makers do not give
any explanation of this, and at
first it seems a singular fact. From this
city to st. Louis the agricultural dis
trlcts of the valley have the yellow tint.
The causes that have been operative in
this case are much the same as in all
the other instances. The rivers aid to
depOpulate the country. is the first sur
face impression. But to some extent
the effects produced by the rivers may
be charged to the lakes also. 1t would
perhaps be a ready conclusion that the
increase of rail transportation over that
by water had something to de with it.
and possibly something can be worked
out of that theory. The main fact ap-
parent is that the great cities on the
rivers and by the navigable waters
have absorbed the growth of the agri-
cultural regions. The important mod
ern centerS of population are always on
rivers or large waters. They are grow
ing at the expense of the rural districts.
The counties in Wisconsin, Iowa and
Minnesota that have lost population are
along the big streams. Even IN Texas
this is true along the Trinidad and Rio
Grande. 1t is, however, only a tenn
pOrary incident in the DEVELOPMENT of a
great country. The growth of the cities
must bear close relation to the resources
of the country about them, and the mi
gratlonS IN quest Of newer agricultural
regions will gradually grow less. The
western boundary has been struck. and
there are no new empires to open I'D,
unless they are III the UNEMPLOYED re-
gionS of Alaska. The census accounts
for the yellow tints by what it calls the
transition wave" 1t has been coming
from the East for several decades.
In the one ending in 1880 it was
moving over Ohio, but the present cen
suS brings it up to the Mississippi. with
some small touches on the western side.
The elimination will probably be found
III the decade just past. In it the 400
counties that decreased were represent
ed by only 19S in the preceding decade.
The natural restless activity so charac-
teristic of the country has kept up the
movement to new regions. 1t is prob
able that. outside of New England and
exhausted mineral regions, the present
decade will afford the census mapmak-
ers few places for the yellow tints All
the decent agricultural country will be
in demand, and gradually increase in
population.