The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1899-03-17
A STORY OF EXPANSION.

~O~~NOO
Director Merriam is about to begin
the decennial work of computation
and that which his earliest predeces-
sor saw is one Of the marvels of
history. The population of the
United States in 1890, at the time
the first national count was made,
was, in round figures, 3,930,000.
According to the Statistical Ab-
stract, which has just been issued by
the government, the population in
1898 was 74,399,0OO. IL will be
77,500,000 by the time that Mr..
Merriam's assistants finish their work
in 1900. When Franklin, about
century and a quarter ago, told
England that the population of the
thirteen colonies was doubling every
twenty-five years, and would con-
tinue for many years to grow at that
rate, the world was startled and in
credulous. The old philosopher,
however, was not astray in his cal
culations. America for many decades
doubled in population at the rate he
predicted It now doubles every
thirty years, for the population of
1870 was, roundly. y.stated, 38,56O,00O,
while that of 1900 will be about
twice this figure.
For twenty years past the United
States has been the wealthiest nation
in the world. 1t is increasing faster
in wealth than anv other nation. Its
growth in wealth exceeds that in
population, for while Its increase in
inhabltants is far more rapid than
in any other nation on the globe,
the proportion of money in the
country is steadily gaining on it.
In 1870 the wealth per inhabitant
was S18.73. 1t was $24.04 In 1880,
$34.24 in 1890, and $50 80 in 1898.
1t is likely to be between $50 and
$37 in 1900. This growth in wealth
is also without parallel in the
record of any other great nation.
The amount of money in circulation
likewise shows a steady and rapid
gain. This was $21.1O on July l,
1896. It was $22.49 at the same
date in 1897, and $24.71 at the
middle of 1898. This increase Is
rendered particularly remarkable by
the circumstance that by the use of
checks, drafts and the other money
economizing contrIvances, dollar is
now enabled to do more work than
twice or thrice that sum could have
done in the early part of the century.
At the time the first head of the
census began his count, the area OF
the United States was 827, ,844 square
miles. It is now, exclusive of Alaska,
3,025,600 square miles. Including
Alaska, whose area can be guessed
at only approximately, and the
recent acquisitions, it is about 81
100000 square miles. When the
first decennial count was made the
western border of the United States
was the Mississippi river, and It's
southerly line was parallel which
cuts across the lower ends o: the
present States of Alabama, Mississip.
pi and that projection of Louisiana
which is east of the Mississippi river
All the territory west of the Missis-
sippi at that time belonged to Spain
and all the territory below the
southerly line mentioned was owned
by the same country. We spread tC
the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico
long ago, and now stretch hundreds
of miles farther to the west, and have
besides taken in large strip to the
northwest. The changes of the neal
future may be as amazing as those
which have occurred In the past
Under the present rate of increase
which doubles the population every
thirty years, there are children nov
living who will see 100000, ,oo(
people in the United States in it