The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-31
Growth Of American cities.

Next to sticking up for this coun-
try the average American is active in
sticking up for his own town, and in
order to do this most effectively ne
seems to regard it necessary first of
all to make the world think it big in
the matter of population. Quantity
is the thing that counts in this partc-
ular. and if quality is not lost sight Of
completely it is at least very lightly
passed over.
The disposition to exaggerate in
making estimates of population is we'll
illustrated by the publication of ta-
bic in recent number of the Ameri-
can Land and Title Registry. The
majors of nearly all the American
cities that had population of 10000
and upward in 1890 have given figures
that they think will be justified by
the census Of 1900, and the conclu-
sions arrived at are, in some cases,
ludicrous to say the least. Detroit,
for instance, had population of 205,-
876 in 1890. The mayor of that city
estimates that it will have 1926 900 in
habitants next year, which will be a
gain of more than 100 per cent. in a
single decade. Detroit has never
made any such gains in the past. and
there is no apparent reason for con-
cluding that its growth has received a
sudden impetus which would warrant
the claim to such a population as is
predicted for the place in 1900.
The mayor of St. Louis is another
hopeful soul. He places the probable
population of the Mound City in 1900
at 100000. In 1890 st. Louis had
population of 451 ,77O. so that if the
mayors estimate is we'll founded the
town will show aboutas great growth
during the ten years ending in 1900 as
Chicago did in the decade between
1880 and 1890.
This is extremely improbable. St.
Louis had no such suburbs to annex
as Chicago had, and the growth of the
Missouri town itself has never been
anywhere near as rapid as that of this
city. In this connection it is inter-
esting to note that popular estimate
Of the population of St. Louis in 1888
was 100000, which was nearly 50, 900
more than the United States census
showed two years later. AT the time
-l888-Chicago's population was es-
timated at 100000, which was nearly
100000 short Of the number of inhab-
itants given this city by the census
enumerators in 1890.
The population Of this city for 1900
is placed at 1000, 900 in the table pub
lished in the Land and Title Registry,
which is probably another low esti-
mate. In order to reach the 1000, 900
mark Chicago will not have to show as
great percentage in growth for the
ten years from 1890 to 1900 as it did
from 1880 to 1890, while estimates
based upon the directory canvass
shows that the rate Of growth has been
we'll maintained.
One of the extravagant estimates in
the table is given by the mayor of
Baltimore, who thinks that city will
have population of 720, 900 in 1900,
beating the estimate of the mayor of
Boston by $4,000. In 1899 Boston's
population was 448, Az and that of
Baltimore 434, ,439. Some Of the other
estimates for 1900 are: Cleveland,
10000; Buffalo, 100000; Cincinnati,
4Oc, 900; Indianapolis, 200, 1000.
The exploits of the American army
and navy during the past year have
served to forcibly impress Europe with
the Importance Of our country, and all
that is now needed to convince the
people Of the old world the United
States sis the whole thing is to fire
few Of the population estimates of
our mayors at them Chicago Times.