The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-21
MOVING TO TOWN.
The Cause Of the Remarkable Decrease OF
Rural Population.

ulation as compared with the rura.., as
shown by the late census, has been
much commented upon. The increase
of the past ten years in towns of 1,00e
and over has been a little over Al per
cent, while the rural population has
increased only a trife over 70 per cent,
or only slightly more than one-fourth
the rate of the fc-mer. The rate of the
rural increase is less than one-half that
OF the cSantry il general.
This mas commonly been spoken Of
as q relative disparity, meaning only
that the towns are increasing more
rapidly than the country, but the fact
is that in very large part of the coun-
try there has been an absolute decrease
of the population. We are familiar
with the facS that in certain parts of
New England there has been such
decrease, and we have attributed it to
the development of manufacturing,
and the poverty of the soil. The peo-
pie are said to have gone into the shops
and mills or to the West. But what
is true of>New England, is trueof very
large sections of country, where ths
conditions are quito different. New
York is one Of the richest agricultural
States in the Union, yet in the counties
north of the Harlem the decrease has
been almost nine per cent. In some Of
the new parts Of the country this de-
crease is almost as large. In the south
eastern counties of Minnesota, and for
five hundred miles in an airline down
the Mississippi, with but one short
break, on one or the other side OF the
river, the same remarkable fact ap-
pears. A writer in the Popular Science
Monthly shows that in q district en-
bracing parts of Minnesota, owa-Mis-
souri,, Illinois, and Wisconsin, having
an area of over $4,000 square miles, the
population is less than it was in 1850.
In 13s counties out of 141 there has
been loss, and in the other three a
bare gain. In large parts of Iowa and
Illinois this same retrogression is seen.
The same is true of parts of Mississippi,
Virginia, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, and
some other States.
1T is to be noted that this decrease is
not dependent upon the soil or climate.
It is as marked in some of the richest
lands as a sterile New England, in the
regions of 6almy winds as in the chilly
winds Of the Atlantic coast. One re-
markable fact is that Pennsylvania is
almost the only one of the older States
which has made gain in this general
loss; but even in this State it viii be
found In some localities there has not
been any increase; the gain being
largely in mining districts, and in the
parts lately opened up by tie extension
Of the numbering interests.
It is not easy to explain :. these
changes, but some facts are clear.
First, it must be remembered that the
territory opened up to settlement in
the decade under consideration is
enormously large. The settled area"
that is, where the population is sat least
two to the square mile, has increased,
within the time named, us squa5e
miles; nearly as much as France AMI
Germany combined. Such an exten-
sion of occupied territory is far beyond
the increase in the population, and
hence some parts must suffer. The
gain to the States west of the Missouri,
to the northern parts of Michigan,
Wisconsin, and Minnesota, in southern
Florida and in Texas and the Dakotas
has been at the expense Of the farming
districts in the older settlements. With
the partial exhaustion of the land by
improvident farming, and the opening
up of other lands supposed to be richer
and the comparatively little difference
made by distance from market, there
is a continual movement, and this viii
continue until the lands are all taken
up, and the new suffers, like the old,
from exhaustion, or the old becomes
better by improved farming.
The introduction of machinery and
the cheapness of transportation COM
bine adversely to the country. Even
with the great disparity existing there
is not a paying market for the products
of the farm. 1t is possible for cities to
grow indefinitely, as it at one lime
vas not, for food supply can now be
brought from Minnesota and the Red
River to the sea coast as cheap as
generation ago it was hauled two hun
dred miles in a connestoga wagon; and
the concentration Of manufacturing in
large establishments is correlative to
the ease of food supply.
We may expect the present order to S
continue for long time to come. Tie
farms cannot support all who belong to
them, and hence the surplus mustseek
the denser population for mechanical
or professional employment until the
equilibrium shall be brought about,
and the country be able to furnish as
good opportunities for the enterprising
and ambitious as the town, until the
settled lands will be filed up
and farm products will command re-
market.
AFearfal Lightning Stroke.
AnDr.N No Fr,po 1S-Tbo civ =