The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-24
INTERESTING FIGURES.

Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: In your editorial Looking Forward"
published some days ago, You gave some inter-
estng predictions Of President Pritchett in re-
gard to the population OF the United states for
various periods in the future. Thinking per-
haps 1t might not be without interest to those
OF your readers who are curious in such matters.
append for their qualification the results OF
some calculations have made, based upon his
torcal data Of the past 40 ycars-taking first
looking backward before a looking forward.
The first census of 1890 gave a population OF
3o2O,2lI. The second census OF 1900 gave pop
ulation of 5,sos,4O3, being an increase for the
icccnnial period of 35.1 per cent, at an average
yearly rate Of 3054 per cent. Census OF lslO pop
ulation 1850 ssl. increase of 1883 per cent,
at yearly rate OF 315 per cent; census OF
1870, population, 9,633,S22, increase OF 333OI
per cent, at yearly rate of 2.Ol7 per cent;
cons's of 1890. population. 12,s68,02o, increase.
33.55 per cent, yearly rate, 2.935 per cent;
census 1910. population, 10,OG045S, increase.
1926 per cent, yearly rate 1857 per cent; cen
sus 1850, population. 23191.s76, increase. 35.s6s
per cent, yearly rate, BIB per cent; census
1860, population, 31,443,321, increase, 1888 per
cent, yearly rate, 800 per cent; census 1870.
population, 3s,5sS,37l, increase, 22.63 per cent,
yearly rate, 200 per cent; census 1850, popula'
tion, 5O,155.7s3, increase, 30.0s per cent yearly
~
g. 069 75a, increase, 56i per cent, yearly rate.
2s03 per cent: census 1900. population, 7e.2a5,-
go increase 2O07 per cent, yearly rate. Log
per cent. At this last rate of increase the popu-
lation would double in 304 years. Also, the
population from 1890 to 1000 increased at an aver.
age yearly rate of 2.746 per cent. and doubled in
about twenty-five years and seven months. So
much and so far for looking backward.
Dr oit
that in 1910 our population will be 0i,673,0o0.
showing decennial increase Of 24.0S per cent,
at an average yearly rate of Els per cent. In
1880 his figures 1876, 900, an increase for
the two decades Of 4i.5o per cent. at an average
yearly rate of Lao per cent. For 1850 his fig.
ures are l90,74o0OO, an increase OF 30.3i for the
two decennal periods, nt an average yearly rate
Of 1.67 per cent. For the year 1000 his figures
are 3s5. .S600 900, being an increase Of 1n220s per
cent for the fifty years then ending, being an
average yearly increase Of 1.42 per cent. For the
year 200 President Pritchett's figures l,ll2,-
$4,000. showing an increase of 1854 ror cent in
one hundred years, at an average yearly rate OF
LOGS per cent. President Pritchett is quoted as
saying: "Should the present law of growth con-
tinue until 2OC0 the United States would contain
900 persons to the square mile OF surface"
Here is an important mistake. From the calcu-
lation above presented the increase Of population
from 1890 to 1900 was shown to be 1929 per cent.
per year. At this rate OF increase the population
in 1000 would he 5l2O47.74O. The land surface
OF the United States mot including the great
territory of Alaska 577.39O miles) is computed at
2,o7O,OO0 square miles. This would give 172.4
persons to the square mile, and not 1900,
cording to President Pritchett, as quoted.
The history Of the present century now just
ending sheds only partial and uncertain light
to guide in our speculations on our country's
future. Causes of which we know nothing and
cannot conjecture may arise and very materially
disturb all our speculations. s.
Carbondale, Now 23.