Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-21
CENSUS STATISTICS
ANALYSIS OF THE FIGURES MADE
BY EXPERTS.
District Stands Fortieth in List OF
States and Territories in Con-
sidering Increase.

Walter F. Wilcox. special agent
The numerical increase in the population
of the United States between 1870 ana I'oo
,,1 .253 sU3), was probably greater than that
of any other country. This inquire may NC
anaIyZed as follows: Increase WITHIN the
limits of the United States as they stoou
June l. 1850 13,OIS.i0l: persons stationed
abroad IN 1900. 81 90; increase due 10 the
inclusion of new territory (Hawaii. Porto
Rico the Philippine Islands. Guam and
Samoan, S.eS3.GS;, Thus three-eighths
Csso per cent? of the increase in the popu-
lation of the United States, 1850 to 1890, Is
due to accession of territory.
The United States has been divided, for
purposes of the census. into the outlying
districts and continental United States
There are six outlying districts, and the IN
crease or decrease of population has been
determined by the census in three OF them
Alaska Hawaii and Porto Rico; Is larseiy
a matter of conjecture in one. the fhlhp-
pine Islands. and is unknown In TWO, Hudih
and Samoa.
In the last ten years Alaska has nearly
doubled in population. while for the nine
wears prior to 1896 the Philippine Islands
increased very slowly.
Continental United States.
AS the population of Indian territory ana
the Indian reservations has been reported
by the census only for 1900 and 1880. II Is
impossible to state exactly the total IN
crease in the population of contlneh,ai
United States, except for the last ten years.
In 1890 the population was 62,9iI, -. in
1900 it was 1884, $40. The decennlal IN
crease was 1906 sci. or 2D-I per cent
The present rate of increase Argentine is
more rapid than that of the United States
The rates of growth in the two nelghbors
of this country. Mexico and Canada. are
roticeably less than the rate in the nlten
States. Even Australia is increasing at
present less rapidly than this country.
According to the foregoing figures the
reputation of Europe increased 1i-J per
cent between 1850 and 1850, and 2l.2 per
cent between 1880 and 1900 The popula-
tiou of continental United States increased
SO Der cent in the earlier twenty-year
period and 51.5 per cent in the later.
The present rate of decennial Increase in
Europe derived from the estimates of popu-
lation for 1886 and 1900. is lilo per cent. or
= little more than half that in continental
United States namely POI. The figures IN
dictate. however, that the rate OF increase
in Europe has risen since 1850. While that
of the United States has fallen. In this re-
spect therefore. the conditions on the two
sides of the northern Atlantic have been APP
preaching equality.
At the beginning of the nineteenth cen
fury Russia. France, Germany, Austria,
and even Spain and Turkey, had larger
populations than the United States at the
beginning or the tWenlletn Century thS
United States had outstripped all but Rus
sia and was increasing with somewhat
greater rapidity than that power The COM
parative straightness of the line represent
ing the increase in the population of the
United State during the last three decades
indicates that the increase during each OF
those decades was not far from the same
Rate of Growth.
The rate of growth in the population of
continental United States was highest from
1900 TO 1910 and lowest from 1880 to 1900.
Between 1890 and 1860 IT was nearly con-
slant being, for each decade, between 81
and 81 per cent. For each decade since
1861 (allowipg for omissions in the count
of 1870 it has probably been below 30 per
cent 1t has also declined, at least since
the decade 1870 to 1880.
In the North Atlantic division and in
each of its parts the rate of increase was
highest between 1870 and 1900. and lowest
letween 1860 and 1870, the decade of the
civil war; since that period 1t has been
Using steadily, noteworthy contrast to
the trend in the country as whole. In the
South Atlantic division the rate of growth
was lowest for the decade from 1880 to
j. r. and if the figures for 1870 to 1850 be
disregarded of doubtful accuracy, the
growth in this division as in the North
Atlantic. was highest for the decade from
1870 to 1890.
The fact that the most rapid growth in
continental United States occurred in the
decade from 1900 to 1910 is due largely to
the great increase during that decade in the
TWO central divisions. Their total increase
from I'D to 1900 was 2I7 .O43 but from 1900
t. 1910 it was 60o02 In the two parts of
the north central division the maximum
rate of growth was in the first decade for
which figures appear, and the minimum in
the last decade of the century: between
these limits the rate almost steadily de-
clined.
In the south central division and both of
its parts. on the contrary, while the max
imum reached in the earliest decade.
the minimum (disregarding the figures for
1850 to 1870 was reached in the decade
from 1850 to 1890. the decade ended with
$500 showing an increased rate of growth
both east and west of the lower Mississippi
The bulletin states that in the region ex-
tending from Pennsylvania to South Caro-
lima. inclusive and thence westward to
South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. the
only states having a gain of more than 20
per cent were the District of Columbia
West Virginia and Illinois.
The Districts Standing.
The District of Columbia stands thirty
rine in list of the states and territories
arranged according to population In 1890
and forty according to increase of popula-
ton for 1890 and 1900. One of the tables
shows that In twenty years the proportion
OF population living in cities has increased
from three-tenths to four-tenths, the pro-
portion living in the country having cor
respondingly declined.
But it shows, also that while the rate OF
growth of the country districts has
manned substantially the same. the growth
of cities. resulting from increase of number
and extension of boundaries, as well as
from additions to the population on the
same area, has declined. being more than
four times as rapid as that of country dis
tricts in the first decade and less than three
times as rapid in the second.
Thus a marked tendency toward equality,
such as has already been noted in a COM
parlson of the rates of growth of north and
south and of east and west, is apparent also
in the rates of growth of city and country
The number of cities here defined, was
0SS In 1880. 400 in 1890 and 1871 in 1900
an increase of 4O2 in the earlier decade and
3Il in the later.
II is shown that the generalization that
the rates of growth for city and country
are approximating. Is no less convincing
when the line separating city and country is
drawn at these higher limits of population;
The rate of growth of country districts as
thus defined. still remains practically sta
uonary. while the rate Of growth of cities.
especially those of over 5000 Inhabitants,
l. sharply checked
When attention Is directed to the changes
in the per cent which each class forms of
the total population 1t appears that the