Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-02-18
SMALL TOWNS SHOW GROWTH.
Census Figures of Decade Compared
with Those for One Previous.

Win nose lOF OuG f'FtN1OUSs
Director OF the Census Merriam mas
given out Statement showing the
growth of the small towns of the United
States during the decade between 1890
and 1900. As compared with the previous
decade. The statement is the result of
compilation and careful study Of the cen-
sus figures by the experts of the bureau
Ii shows general decrease in the NUM-
Der Of perosnS deserving the country dis
tricts for the biz cities. 1t also shows
unparalleled prosperity in towns of 1000
or less population. Going into detail
the statement declares that the country
districts. west Of the Mississippi have
lost mote in population than between
1880 and 1890 Iowa. however, is an
exception. Illinois Slows unusual
growth.
Following is the census directors state
ment:
The increase Of population in the
States east Of the Mississippi was 1877
between 1880 and 1890 and 1872 between
1890 and 1900. In the same area the
increase in urban population. meaning
thereby all places of more than 1000
inhabitants. was 53.1 per cent between
1880 and 1890 and only 37.2 per cent
between 1890 ANA 1900. Both of these
statements could not be true unless the
population of places having less than
1000 inhabitants had been growing more
rapidly in the last ten years than in the
preceding decade. Such is the fact Be
tween 1880 and 1890 the population east
of the Mississippi and excluding places
of more than 1000. increased 40 per
cent, but between 1890 and 1900, ST per
cent
ITO throw further light upon this i'm
creased prosperity of the small towns
during the last ten years a study has
been made by the census office of those
counties which actually decreased in pop
ulation ut either decade. making allow
ance for changes in county boundaries
Counties of this class are predominantly
agricultural and usually have lost
through migration to more favored locali-
ties the natural increase of their popu
lation by excess of births over deaths.
Between 1890 and 1900 the counties
cast of the Mississippi river which lost
population extended over AZ area Of 90,
12S square miles The figures show that
in this part of the country an area almost
equal to that of Kew England lost popu-
lation between 1880 and 1890 but gained
between 1890 and 1900. West of the
Mississippi the changes were in the re-
verse direction-that is, the area losing
population was slightly larger between
1890 and 1900 than it was between 1850
and 1S90-33 $50 Sc. square miles, as COM
pared with 20659 square miles. But in
the country as whole the area of coun-
ties losing population was over 3O,00o
square miles less in the last decade than
it was between 1880 and 1890.
Further analysis shows that gain OF
population in the last decade was re-
ported from every county of Minnesota
and North Dakota and every county but
one of Iowa. In South Dakota, Nebras-
ka and Kansas, ON the contrary, there
were large areas. mostly in the western
part and sparsely settled, for which
decrease of population was reported. The
tide of migration in 1890 had pushed up
the slopes of the great plains farther
than conditions warranted and in the
last decade the wave has been receding
depicting these areas and filling up the
rural counties of such States as Iowa
and Illinois,
In Iowa the per cent of area losing
population fell from ~ between 1880
and 1890 to 1.6 between 1890 and 1900.
In Illinois it fell from 2S.6 to 4.6. In
other words, over about quarter OF
each State the population decreased be-
tween 1880 and 1890 only TO increase III
the last fen yparS