River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-08-27
STOPPED GROWING YEARS AGO.
Several settlements In New York Do Not

Several settlements In New York Do Not
Respond to the Spirit of Progress.
With each succeeding census, state
or federal, the supremacy of New York
an the empire state, In population.
wealth and diversity of its Industries.
becomes more clearly recognized and
assured, but Notwithstanding the enor-
nous growth which from 1860 to 1890
increased the population from 100000
to 5000, 600 II is a feet that in many of
the counties of the state of New York
there is steady falling of in the num-
Der OF inhabitants, and Is of the 90
counties of the state have fewer inhab-
i,ants now than they had 25 years ago.
There have been no changes in the
territorial lines of New York counties
since April. 1854, except through the
addition, by annexation. of Westches-
ter county townships TO New York.
Otherwise the county boundaries are
substantially the same as they were 20
years ago, for between 1924 and 1854
there were changes In the boundaries of
only three counties. One of the largest
of the counties of New York, an i'm
portant railroad and shipping center, is
Oswego, and 1T might naturally be sup
posed by persons familiar with state
affairs that Oswego county, OF which
the city of Oswego Is the chief town.
would gain considerably in population
through the increased trade since 1870,
but actually the population of Oswego,
which was then 10000, was by the last
census. that of 1892. only 10000. The
population has fallen off 1000 in 20
years, or nearly 10 per cent.
Delaware county, which has been
brought into nearer communication
with New York and Albany during the
last 20 years, has declined in population
since 1s7O. Chemungis another going
backward county. 1t had 10000 popu-
lation in 1870 and only 81 900 population
by the census of 1892. Perhaps more
surprising than the decline OF either
Is that of Greene county, the chief city
Of which is Catskill. Greene county Is
one of the Hudson river counties, and
the improvement Of its roads and the
increase of railroad facilities should
naturally, one might think, have added
to It's population in 90 years, but they
haven't. The population of Greene coun-
| ty in 1870 was 81, 1892; In 1892 II was a.
14l. Wayne county, In the west of the
state, on the line between Syracuse and
Rochester, has declined from $4,000 In
1870 TO $4,000 in 1892. Tioga county has
declined in the same period from 3O,9 200
to 10000. Seneca from 27,s00 to 26,50O,
Schuyler from 10000 to $500, Putnam
from t5.40O 10 1920, Livingston from
$500 to $1,000. Madison from $4,000 to
1880, Notwithstanding the continuou.
influx of New Workers and the improved
facilities offered by the Erie railroad.
Various reasons have been assigned
for the falling Off OF certain New York
counties in population during the past
25 years, euT by some persons the de-
cline IL scribe1 20 the unproductive
charac1 IT of the soil In many farming
sections of the state. This explana-
ton, however. Is by no means the COR
rect one, for those counties which have
fallen off are among the most fertile
in the str'e, whereas other counties less
favorable TO agriculture Essex county,
for instance, on the Vermont, st. Law.
renee county. on the Canada. and Rock.
land county. on the New Jersey border,
have increased larRely-N, Y Sun,