Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-17
Gossip on the Census Results.

usually. tiresomc, but most people find
them otherwise when they deal with
the population of our country. the
comparative standing of the states
and cities, the relative gains, etc.
Last weeks issue by the census de-
partment of bulky bulletin giving
much information and many details
not found in the earlier. fragmentary
bulletins. suggests some comments of
general interest. The total population
as IL was June 1. 1900. 76.303.3S7. in
cludes Hawaii and Alaska, but not
Porto Rico or the Philippines. Porto
Rico has, by it's latest census, 1853. 2i3
people. while it is all guesswork as to
the Philippines The only state in
which an increase since the census Of
1900 is not shown is Nevada. In that
retrograding commonwealth there are
1926 fewer inhabitants than there were
a decade ago. But the increase in Ne
braska, the home of the great Com
moner." is barely enough to keep IT
cut of the Nevada class, amounting to
ONLY one-half of l per cent. The in
crease for the country as a whole was
2.9SI. OOS. or 2O7 per cent. and rela-
lively it is the smallest since $500. The
first six states in the order of popula
ton are New York. with 1..oS.9Sf:
Pennsylvania $500, rs: Illinois. ASH
$50: Ohio, 4.157.545: Missouri. 3,106, sos,
and Texas. with 3,O4S, 71o-an aggre-
gate of 2S.105, $50.
The greatest increases among the
states are to be found in Idaho. with
it's growth of 81 per cent; Montana.
1913 per cent: North Dakota. OIL per
cent: Wyoming. 47.9 per cent. and
WASHINGTON IS per cent. The phenom-
email gain. however. is that of which
fertile, prosperous oklahoma can boast.
There the increase since 1S9O-the
opening having taken place but few
months previous-has been 407.6 per
cent. its population in 1900 having
lacked but 1869 Of an even 100000. 1t
is far ahead of all the other terri
tories; exceeds the states of Delaware,
Idaho. Montana. North Dakota, Utah,
Vermont and Wyoming in population,
and contains nine times as many peo-
pie as Nevada. although the latter has
two senators and a member of Con-
gross. while it. of course, has neither.
In discussing this point. however, the
Kansas City Journal remarks paren-
thatically, that in its hustling delegate,
Dennis Flynn. the big territory has a
good equivalent for the entire con
grcssional delegations of some OF the
states.
In point of density Of population.
Little Rhody," with its 400 inhabi-
tants to the square mile, leads the list.
massachusetts, comes next with $40:
New Jersey, $50; Connecticut, 49,; New
York. 152G: Pennsylvania. 1i01;
Maryland, 1925. and Ohio, with 102. In
Alaska there is less occasion for feel
ing crowded" than anywhere else in
our possessions. There each person, if
breathing space were equally distrib-
uted. would have the equivalent of ten
square miles for his exclusive use.
The fifty years which have elapsed
since the mid-century mark have wit
messed some notable changes in the
relative rank of some of the states.
Texas, now sixth; was twenty-fifth in
1850 New York and Pennsylvania
wcrc first and second then as now.
Ohio has dropped a peg, now being
fourth, while Illinois and Missouri have
risen. respectively, the one from
eleventh to third and the other from
thirteenth to fifth. Virginia and
Tennessee have made long drop
since 1850, the former from fourth to
seventeenth and the latter from fifth
to fourteenth. The next decade. of
course, will witness another rear
rangement Great Missouri forging
ahead as it is. is likely to have to give
place to Texas in point of rank. and it
is by no means impossible that Ohio,
too. may have to yield precedence to
the empire- like Lone Star state