The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-30

The approaching enumeration OF the pop
ulation of the United States is beginning TO
excite speculation as TO the result Of the
count and the next location Of the center Of
population. This calls attention to the fact.
previously overlooked by many. that. under
the census of 1890. the center was about
forty miles southeast of this city. in. De-
catur county. The phrase, center of popu-
lation, by the way. is intended TO indicate
the center of gravity of the population.
Statsticians define 1t as "the point at which
equilibrium would be reached were the
country taken a plane surface, itself
without weight. but capable of sustaining
weight. and loaded with its inhabitants. in
the time of enumeration. each individual
being assumed TO be Of the same gravity as
every other. and. consequently. to exert
pressure on the pivotal point directly pro-
portioned to his distance therefrom." In
other words. If the United States were
great plane surface without weight and the
people belonging TO each State and Terri
tory according to the census of 1890. were
placed in their several positions at the time
cumbent weight, would balance on a pivot
near Greensburg. Ind. The phrase. center
of population" is, therefore. more arbitrary
than automatically correct, but expert
ence has shown that 1t has a very close re-
lation to the movement of population. In
1900. when the bulk of the population of the
United States lay near the Atlantic sea-
hna r6 70 he -
population was about eighteen miles west
of Baltimore. 1t followed the westward
movement of population with each decen-
NAL census until. in 1880. it was in Ken
lucky. about eight miles southwest of Gin
cinnati. and in 1890 was above stated. 1t
has moved about fifty miles westward with
each census, and. since 1850 considerably
northward. AS the population of the South
ern States has increased quite rapidly dur
ing the last few years, and as the colored
population will probably be more carefully
enumerated next year than ever before
the next census may cause the center to
move considerably southwark, and if the
inhabitants of our new island possessions
are counted 1t may be materially affected
in other directions If the census is con-
fined to the United States and Territories,
not including our new possessions. the CEN
ter will undoubtedly remain in this State
at least one more decade.
The next census will have special inter-
est because it will establish the starting
point for our twentieth century develop
ment. We began the nineteenth century with
a population of sos, 4S3, and the next census
will show population of about 100000
Some estimates place it as high as 50, ,000
and one expert makes it between 1855, 900
and 77.6s0,O0o. An estimate prepared by the
government actuary of the Bureau of Sta
tistics at Washington placed the population
on June l, 1898, at 74.3S9OOO, and the same
basis of calcula ton would make it 1882 900
in 1900 Still another expert, the statistician
of the Department of Agriculture, makes a
careful review of all the data in the case
and estimates the population in 1900 at "a
| 4S0, $780, A newspaper estimate of the popula-
ton Jan. 1. 1899, placed it at IL. 231.
but as this was based in every case on esti-
it probably exceeded the mark. Owing to a
falling off in immigration during the last
decade, as compared with previous ones, and
to other causes affecting the increase Of
population, it Is not likely to exceed 76,OOO,-
900. and is more likely to fall below than
go above this estimate. This would be an
increase of about 100000 over the 'popula-
ton in $780, and would indicate rate of
growth quite rapid enough to be healthy.