Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-14
THE LAND WE LIVE In
.crs ABOUT IT'S POPULATION, IN
prsrRIEs. AND RESOURCES.
THE Growth In Arcn-trbsn and
a,rsl Cittscns-shifting of the
centre OF popuiatton-Sise Of Fnmi-
,c.-Scxcs-Thc Crops.
Now York SUM-

.ensus reports. TO tahulate them. draw
n,ief lessons from them. and make their
sfofy. by artful charts and diagrams.
Main al a single glance. is a most useful
,ssk. such task has been performed
~ Mr.. Henry Gannett In his book called
The Building OF a Nation" published
ty the Henry r. Thomas Company. New
lection OF facts that tell OF the growth.
the present condition. and the resources
of the United States. Some OF these
facts may be wholly novel TO many read
ers. while others become more than ever
Impressive from the manner In which
they are grouped.
While our country has shaken or the
yoke Of England. it's territory was lin
Hcd on the west by the Mississippi and
ca the south by the Slst pa
rallel. practically the northern boundary
Of Florida. This area was augmented In
isc by the Louisiana purchase. for Sl2.coo'-
0o0, This gave US l.l7l.ssl square miles
II we include In the reckoning the large
region now constituting the states OF
Oregon. Washington. and Idaho. not
part Of that purchase. but acquired as a
direct and immediate result OF IL through
occupation and scttlcm mt. Next in M,
came the Florida purchase OF 5g.25s
square miles. costing 10000; then
IN 1875 the annexation OF Texas. 30 30
square miles. in 1888. the Mexican ces-
sion OF 5t5.1S square miles costing yi5.-
0o9Go: IN 1855. The Gsdsden purchase. at
the southern part Of what are now Arl-
zona and New Alcxico i553j square miles.
costing Si0oo0.Ol0: in 1857. Alaska $4,000
square miles. costing $4,000. Thus. for
about 100000 in money. our domain
grew from S2ISH square miles in l5g0
,o 3,61.Hoi square miles in $50 and to-
lay.
GROWTH.
But a most striking fact is that as the
population. which was only 3.9292li In
l1U had increased 10 So g.. 20 on June l.
l1o and. indeed. including the people OF
Alaska and the Indians not then counted.
o. about 63.Vlo.0o0. the density Of popula-
ton had grown FAR more than the area.
The latter was in 1880 about four and
half times that OF century before. and
set the density OF population. In 1870 only
SO inhabitants per square mile on the
average. had increased 10 l7.37 per square
mile To 1880. even with the vast untenant-
"a regions OF Alaska 10 bring down the
average.
Eui thu comfortable growth still posi-
Die is shown BY the fact that while our
country Is nearly as large as all Europe
it is exceeded in density Of population 10y
every country Of Europe except Russia
aud Norway. And the most populous
Countries arr from ten TO twenty times as
ihlckly ecttled.
The land surface OF the United States
f3s two systems Of uplift, the Appala-
Clian and the COrdilleran. or Rocky. and
with the great stretch Of the country in
both latitude and longitude there is a
wonderful variety Of climate. soil. and
vegetation. Now here perhaps have the
forces OF nature been exert, 4 upon
more marvellous scale. eroding canons
ana gorges forming vast basalt plains. and
changing trunks Of trees TO amethyst,
pal, chalcedony. and quartz-Crystal. The
bot springs and geyscrs for number and
magnitud. completely eclipse those Of all
the rest OF the world together Where
iceland has two or three active gcysers.
petty by comparison. Yellowstone Park
ll0ne has hundreds. Tn re are thousands
4 hot springs. some OF them covering
areas - many acres. and the amount
~ boiling water elected from the earth
Is almost incredible
TEMPERATURE.
The temperature Of the country In the
East IS fairly uniform. considering the
range Of latitude. etc. but in the noun
tain region Of the West there are great
excuses. AT Yuma. near the mouth
90 the Colorado river. the temperature
'n summer often exceeds rs degrees. and
Ehen IL falls 10 leo degrees people put on
Dol n4rnafa H. nfH IL
Montana. minimum temperatures of mi
l4- 81 degrees have been repeatedly re-
,1rlcd. although on the whole the climate
{ Montana Is exceptionally mild. consd-
ring its latitude and altitude" Taking
.h- whole land together. 'it is one OF the
w,ttest ana one Of The dryest countries
90 the globe; II Is one Of the hottest and
one 81 the coolest"
The Approximate area Of the public
lands excluding Alaska. being reckOned
AZ ! $40 00o.ooo acres. we find that up 10
June 3d. r32. 100000 acres had been
aii,nated: about 100000 In homesteads.
- $4,000 in cash sales. 100000 I'm rail-
way land grants patented. 100000 in
swamp lands 20 States. 100000 in land
houn;es for military service. etc. or the
10000 on acres remaining. perhaps lo0,-
yr.Wp must Doe allowed for Indian
reservations ana about l03.olo.0C0 for
grants Go railroads not yet patened. Most
0f the lands not taken up are mountain
1u. or arid.
China is the most populous country
on the globe. with 100000 0O 10 3Si.00e.ON0
people. India Is the next; then Russia;
while fourth comes our country, and
titA .s Germany. our land has doubled
e population IN the last thirty years,
while il the same period France has in
tatf al
tr4 Ireland p per cent Main and Yer
mon, are practically not increasing,
and Nevada has been actually decTeas-
rE Dol 1850 Virginia was the most popu-
.ls state in the Union. with Pennsyl-
,a-a second. New York IN 1910 reached
o.. second place. and $50 the first place,
Virginia then being second. In $50 Penn
NNana pushed up 10 second place
s.a ma has held IL ever since In 1870 the
tfl place was occupied by North caro-
.lt. between 1870 and 1850 IL was held by
ono. willie In lSD Illinois secured IT, AZ
tai census New York showed 5,9y' 'SoS
r- -. Pennsylvania, 5.25&mi; Illinois,
.s-t,.l. ohio. S.J5-,3l5. Missouri was hith'
VITA 2c1gl4
CENTRE OF POPULATION.
The centre Of population In 1870 was
about = miles east Of Baltimore; IN lSp'
"t'.AN rs miles west OF ishiAAthA'A'' - ~'
ab'1t 50 miles northwest o. Washington
IN l,-l about 10 miles north OF Wood
STOCK. Va. in 1850. about 10 miles south
Wet of M0orencld. ". Va; In 1870, 10
fi.s south Of Clarksburg. W. Va; IN
ltN. - miles south Of Parkersburs, w.
Va. .r $50 - miles south OF Chillicothe'
o. Iu 1850 is miles east OF Cincinnati; IN
Jesse = miles west Of Cincinnati, In 1872.
~ miles east Of Columbus. Ind. Per
nap- the most remarkable feature OF TINS
march is the directness OF its westerly
ii0sress. In the FUN century II has not
varied half a degree from a due west
direction or gore north or south OF
bit about 3 miles broad. Yet IN this
century ID has moved across more than
nine meridians. or distance OF 30 miles
Westward. Ia comparison with the centre
OF population. We may note the centre OF
area. which excluding Alaska. Is in the
aorhtfn part OF Kansas.
An arbitrary rule must be followed, OF
course. in determining what Is urban ana
"nat o. rural population. The Census
Ollce treats as urban all concentrated
bodies exceeding $3.50 in number. ON that
basis it nnds that while In 1870 the urban
Population was but l5l.i72. and the rural
tfltg. century later the former nad
Increased 10 isZS4. 3sJ. while the latter
Was fiS5i.se The proportion Of urban
O. total population I'm 1870 was 1885, where
aa in iso II had reached 29.2D. In fact, IN
l.u this country contained but six cities
q ! each While "A