The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-03
MOVING STEADILY WESTWARD.
The Center of Population Follows the sun
at the Rate Of a Yard per Hour.
Boston Globe

The Center of Population Follows the sun
al the Rate of a Yard per Hour.
Boston Globe.
In a recent speech Senator Dawes made
pointed references to the marvellous growth
which the western section of the United
States has achieved since his entrance
into public lie. The contnuousness of this
growth is shown by the steady westward
movement of population. When the cen
sus OF 1880 was taken, two years after Mr..
| Dawes public career began, the oenter,of
population was located at point twenty
three miles southeast OF Parkersburg, w.
Va.
The census of 1890 puts the point twenty
miles east OF Columbus, Ind. Here is a
westward movement of 30 miiegin forty
years, giving an average rate of 5.12 miles
per wear. ii the measurement is carried
sixty years further back, to the census of
1890, il is found that there has been in the
hundred years q movement westward OF
sos miles, the center OF population having
passed from a point twenty-three miles
east of Baltimore, Md, to the location in
Indiana noted above.
The rate OF progress for tho whole
period averages 800 miles year, or
seventy-three feet day. In other words.
for u century the center has been moving
westward az an average rate OF yard an
hour, with one foot thrown in every
twenty-four hours for good measurement.
The slowest progress was made in the
second decade, from 1900 TO 1910. In this
period the population center achieved
only thirtv-six miles of Wrestling, or at the
rate of about two feet two inches per
hour.
The swiitest progress came in the sew
enth decade from 1880 to 1860, when the
center moved westward no less than
eighty-one miles. or at the rate OF about
four fee; ten inches per hour. During
the last decade of the census enumera-
ton, from 1880 TO 1890. the rate dropped
little below the average. forty-eight
miles of westing being made. which would
be about two feet eleven inches per hour.
We may add, to bring the estimate down
to the beginning of 1898, that. ii the rate
| OF progress noted in the last census de-
cade has been maintained in the last two
and one-half wears since the census was
taken, the present center Is found at q
| point eight miles east of Columbus, Ind,
about half way between that city and
WRynesburg.
And the census of 1900 will. at the same
ratio bring it to point nearly two miles
south of Uniontown, Ind. 1t is a curious
fact that while the westward movement
of the population has covered no less than
90 of longitude 90 2l/ IN, this movement
has run on almost straight line, the eX-
IRENE northern and southern variation
embracing less than 70 OF latitude (lS/ 50").
To put the contrast more distinctly, We
may say that, while the western movement
for the century aggregates sos miles, the
extreme northern and southern variation
| is a little under twenty-five miles. and the
finishing point of the line is only six miles
south oft starting point. The sllghtness
OF this variation may be taken as showing
that, if you divide the United States By
the thirty-ninth parallel of north latitude,
the growth of the population in the two
sections thus made has been very nearly
equal during the 100 years covered by the
eleven censuses. In view of the fact that
the tide ofimmigration from foreign couu-
tries has set mainly into the northern
section. such an equality in the growth oil
the population is q develOpm ent that
,youId hardly have haan lOokad Tor.