The St. Johns herald., 1901-01-19
CITIES IN THE CENSUS
Position of Several Likely to Be
 Changed in 1900.
Standing of the Leading Cities In Point of fPOpulatiOn-Interes Facts Cleaned from the
 Last Census.


 United States that by the federal cen sus of 1890 had more than 400, ,OoO inhab- itants, New York, Chicago, Philadel- phia. Brooklyn, St. Louis, Boston and Baltimore, in the order named. Be- tween 100000 and 100000, measure of population quite frequent in European countries, there was none in the United States, those most nearly approaching the 100000 mark being San Francisco and Cincinnati, each having almost the same population, and Cleveland and Buffalo following with more than 250,- GOO. Since the census of 1890, Brooklyn has been absorbed into the Greater New York, the boundaries of Chicago have been enlarged, and the growth in pop uiation of other American cities has not been so uniform as to make it probable that each will retain the position it held in the census of ten years ago.
 New York, which is now a citE of 3,6O0,0 will, of course, remain at the head and so far at the head that any serious thought of actual rivalry from any other city may be dismissed. Chi cago has now claimed population" ot 1,SO0,OOO, SOO,000 more than it had at the last federal census and one-haIf as , large as the present population of New York. Whether Chicago has now as large g. population as some of its in- habitants assert, or whether it is like fly to have such a population in June, ii somewhat short of the mark at present, is not a matter of much concern, in view of the fact that no other American city so nearly approaches it, and hence the position of Chicago as the second in population in the United States and the first in Illinois is secure.
 Philadelphia, as in Benjamin Frank lin's time, retains a position of prom thence among American cities, and it is now third on the list with a popula- ton of 100000. Philadelphia, which long enjoyed distinction as the greatest city in the country territori- ally. has forfeited that position since the last United States census, New York having an area of more than 300 square miles, Chicago Of 18S and Phil adelphia of only 13O. Tie position of fourth city on the list among American municipalities, formerly occupied by Brooklyn, cannot be fixed in advance of the official census in June. Two cities expect it, Baltimore and St. Louis. By the census of 1890 the population of St. Louis was 450,000 and of Baltimore 434,000. St. Louis is now claiming 623,- 900 and Baltimore 626,000 an imma- terial difference when it is considered that both estimates are to some eX- tent conjectural, being based upon es- inmates rather than upon ascertained results. To most persons it would seem probable that St. Louis in the thriving region of the west has been increasing more rapidly in population during the last ten years than conservative and substantial Baltimore. In the presiden- tial election of 1896 the total vote of Baltimore was 106,574 and of St. Louis 116,9S9, which would seem to indi- cate, other things being equal, that St. Louis, with more than 10000 voting population in excess of Baltimore, had at the established ratio of other Amer ican cities, comparing the number of voters to the number of inhabitants, 5O,OOO or 6o.oOo more population than Baltimore.
 Whatever may be the claims of rival cities as to fourth and fifth places, in the census of 1900, Boston is secure in sixth place with population of 55O,OOO, the other important cities being San with claimed population of 0,OOO; Cincinnati, 400, 900; Pittsburgh, 325,OoO; Cleveland, 100000; Buffalo. 10000; New Orleans, 100000; Detroit, S5O,0OO; Washington, 250OO0; Mill waukee, 25o,O0O; Louisville, 225,000; Newark, 5O,OoO;- St. Paul, POO, ,OO0; Dem yer, 16o,OO0; Minneapolis, 100000; In- 2OO,O0O-or nearly that.
 Generally speaking, eastern cities have gained more through annexation and absorption of territory than those in the west, a circumstance which ac- counts to some extent for the greater growth of some of the older cities.-N. ! r. Sun