Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1900-10-09
OUR MANY PEOPLE
Present Population Of the United
States and Gain.
Int resting Facts Concerning Growth
of This Country Ascertained
from Recent Enumera-
ton Accounts.

low mdny peIsous we're tucTe III
Uncle Sans big family on June 1? If
this noble American sire is not quit 8
like the tabled dame of Mother Goose.
who had $50 many children she didn't
know what to do he has so many
that he isn't sure but once in ten years
what the total number of his offspring
is, says the New York Herald.
Measured by the per cent. of gain
between the censuses of 1880 and 1890
which was 246, the population of the
United States to be disclosed by the
national roll call, just completed.
should reach total of 1880, 900. As a
matter of fact, it does not seem likely
that the total will exceed 76,0GO.000.
and probably will not reach that figure.
Several noteworthy factors have
been at work to effect this, to many.
surprising result. immigration has
fallen off to a remarkab BILE degree. In
the ten years ending June 30, 1890.
1919 900 persons entered this country
from foreign lands. In the decade
closing with June 80 of this year al
most a million less will have sought an
asylum on Americas shores. These
figures omit the immigrants from Can
ada and Mexico
The reason for this marked decrease
in immigration lies very plainly in the
hard times period of 1S93-94. A small
food of 623,0S4 persons entered the
United States in the fiscal year of 1892.
Two years later the total was barely
half as great, and so far spread was
the news of our business and financial
distress that in 1898 the Immigrants
were only 220, 299, the smallest number
since 1879 An increased total last wear
has been followed by greater one this
year, so that the coming decade will.
probably see a return to the huge i'm
migration figures of the early SOS.
COincident with the decline in i'm
migration, due to the business crisis
must be reckoned a decline in the nat
ural growth in population. Adverse
financial conditions operate not only
to increase the death rate, but also to
decrease the birth rate. Aside from
this it is notable fact that the per
cent of natural growth of population
has been constantly and rapidly de-
creasing in this country for ii whole
century. IT, we correct the admitted
errors in the census tables of 1870. il
will be found that the ratio of increase
of population by natural growth in
each decade has steadily dropped from
1916 in the 1SO1-lO period. to 141 in the
1SS190 period. In other words, Their,
was born to the average com munity o.
1000 inhabitants between 1901 and 1910
$50 children, while to a similar com
munity between 1881 and 1890 there
were born only al children.
To give a keen point to this plain
truth that the nation is slowing up. So
to speak, in its natural growth. the in
teresting state. censuses of 1895 are G!
decided value. Nine states countcr
heads in that year. Two in New Eng
land, Massachusetts and Rhode Island;
one middle state. New Jersey: Oh.
southern state. Florida: four middI
western states. Iowa. Kansas. Mime.
sofa and South Dakota. and one ia
western state. Utah. OF this typica
group, representing all sections of til,
country. only one showed an increas
in per cent. of population equal to tn,
to be expected half of the increase C!
the previous decade.
The sole exception was New jersey.
which grew 27.7 per cent. between 1SSr
and 1890, and 15.7 per cent betweer
1890 and 1895. Two causes may eXplaii
this increased ratio Of growth-prox-
unity to New York city. which, with
its ever gathering density of popuIa-
ton, forces more and more families to
fly to the less crowded and less eXpcr
sive suburbs, and proximity to thu
main port of entry of immigrants, who
would naturally. in hard times, be 10th
to spend their savings in taking a long
trip into the west.
How much influence this latter con
sideration had is potently illustrated
by the figures of some of the western
states censuses. Thus, Minnesota
which grew more than 66 per cent. he
tween 1880 and 1890. gained but q per
cent. in the five years following. Kan
sas, which added 1872 per cent. TO hef
population between 1850 and 1890, az
tually lost GA per cent. between 1890
and 1895. In both these cases probably
the lack of new settlers from foreign
lands was not more marked than the
slackening of immigra ton from Other
states.
Now some one will ask in view of the
sharp decrease in immigration and the
proba bic decrease in natural growth.
What is the population of the United
States to-day? With all due Difference
given to the many points involved. it
may be fairly estimated that there are
between 75.0O0.OO0 and 77.0OO,O00 in
habitants in this country. The exact
number is nearer the smaller than the
larger figure
Tarantulns Bite Trainmen.
Scorpions and tarantulas have made