Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-31
What the Year 1900 Has
Given to the Record
of Time.
IN WAR AND IN PEACE.
World Powers Under Arms III
China-Other Notable
Events.

The last year of the nineteenth GEN.
fury has been one of unusual interest
in international affairs. Great Britain
began the year with a succession OF
military disasters in South Africa. For
time 1t seemed possible for the Beers
to maintain their independence in
spite Of the heavy odds against them,
but toward the close of February the
capture OF General Cronje with his
army turned the tide, and from that
time on the British gained steadily
upon their clever foe until the union
jack was raised over Johannesburg
and Pretoria. President Kruger's flight
from point to point in the TransvaaI
and his final departure for Europe
were taken as indicating that the Boer
resistance was at an end. But the
burghers of the Orange Free State and
the Transvaal Dutch continued to dis
pute British supremacy by armed re-
sistance. Before completing her con-
quests Great Britain announced the
annexation of the territory of the Boer
republics without eliciting n protest
from other nations, although the people
OF many countries, especially France,
had expressed strong sympathy with
the Boer cause. The progress of the
war in South Africa, owing to its pc
culiar character, was closely studied
by military men.
The assassination of King Humbert
of Italy gave ground for fear that that
country was on the eve of n social revo-
luton, but the event passed without
local disturbance.
In September the miners of the an
thracite coal fields in Pennsylvania
struck for higher rates and the modi-
ficatiOn of certain rules imposed by the
operators. The struggle promised to
become one of the bittc"yst III TIE his
tory of labor troubles in America, but
ended after 30 days duration in a VIC
tory for the miners.
The destruction by fire of the histor-
&c Theatre Francois was n loss to dra-
matte art felt by the whole world. A
marine disaster of an unusually dis
tressing character was the burning at
their docks of the North German
Lloyd's ocean steamers Saale, Bremen
and Main and the loss of 302 persons
by fire and drowning. In a mine ex-
plosion at Schofleld, Utah, 400 lives
were lost. and in an explosion of chem
New York 43 were killed and over 100
Injured. The record of fires and great
calamities during the year was not
large.
Among the notable deaths Of the year
to be recounted are Count Muravieff,
the foremost statesman of Russia; John
Sherman, formerly q powerful party,
leader; Professor Max Muller the dis
tT,.s faH.a tcI, OF II
Blackmore, the English novelist;
Charles Dudley Warner. a noted Amer
lean author; John Clark Ridpath, the
historian; Frank Bicknell Carpenter,
all artist who won distinction as a
painter of portraits. notably that OF
Lincoln, and Munkacsy. the Hungarian
painter.
Tie total eclipse of the sun In May
was an unusual astronomical event
and attracted the attention OF scien-
lists the world over.
The year 1900 closed the twelfth CEN
sus period, and the returns were made
to cover the date OF June 1.
The population of the 40 states Of the
Union, Alaska, Hawaii and the Indians
on reservations is 1926. 220 as against
CO, 060, 75G in 1890. The total increase
III luHdDlldulS III tuc ldSL Oecdue ID 4Op-
225. 464.
The census bulletin for cities gives
the population of the 159 cities having
%, 900 inhabitants or more in 1900.
The 1J9 cities combined have q popu-
Iation in 1900 of 1904 ,625 as compar-
ed with n population for the same cit
les OF 1885. 4S9 in 1890 and of $685.
927 In 1880.
The absolute increase In the popula-
ton of these cities from 1890 TO 1900
was 4,S39, 13G. or S2.42G less than the
absolute Increase from 1880 TO 1890,
when 1t was 1921 ,5G2 The percent
age Of increase in population OF the
159 cities from 1890 to 1900 was 32.5 as
against 1915 from 1880 to 1890. A trife
less than one-fourth OF the population
of the whole country dwell In 80 cit
les having % 900 Inhabitants or over.
There are in round numbers $500
900 separate farms In the United States
and territories and about 100000 man
ufacturlng institutions. an increase in
ten years OF 10000 plants. The In
crease of manufactures In the west
and south has been remarkable.
The census shows that in Rhode Is
land there are less than two acres OF
area TO each iuhabitant and In New
York and Pennsylvania about four