Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-08-27
A CENSUS BULLETIN.
The Increase Of Population as Shown
by the 1900 Census.
STUDY OF FIGURES SUMMARIZED.
Cumulative Evidence Of the Rapid Ap-
proach 10 Equality In tho Rates Of In
crease Of Various Parts Of the
United States.

Washington. Aug. 22.-The census
bureau has published as q bulletin q
discussion Of the increase Of popula-
ton in the United States as shown by
the census Of 1900. The principal re-
suits Of the study Of these figures are
summarized as follows:
The increase in the population OF
continental United States. that is, the
United States exclusive Of Alaska and
the recent insular accessions, was 49,
046,861, or BOT per cent Only one
country, Argentine. has shown by the
most recent figures q more rapid rate
Of growth. The present rate Of growth
in continental United States Is esu-
mated as double the average rate OF
Europe. 1t 10 nearly that Of Canada
and exceeds by one-sixth that OF Mex
leo and by one-tenth that Of Australia.
The rates of increase on the two
sides of the northern Atlantic diner
much less than they did generation
ago. Among the i've main divisions
Of continental United States the high
est rate of increase is found In the
western division and the lowest IN the
north central. Among the IL minor
divisions the highest rate OF growth Is
found in the Rocky mountain group OF
states, closely followed by the west
ern south central; the lowest In the
northern south Atlantic. closely fol-
lowed by the western north central.
In the decade of 1890 to 1900, for the
first time in our national history. the
southern states increased faster than
the northern. East Of the Mississippi,
however, the northern states as a
group have grown in the last ten years
somewhat more rapidly than the SOUTH
ern; but west of that river the south
ern states have increased almost TWO
and one-half times as rapidly as the
northern, and 1t is this fact which
makes the growth Of the south as a
whole exceed that Of the north. In
the north Atlantic division the rate
of increase has risen steadily since the
civil war, a notable contrast to the
trend in the country as whole. The
region west Of the Mississippi river Is
still increasing faster than east OF II,
but the difference between the rates
of growth in the two regions, 1890 to
1900. was little more than one-hfth OF
what 1t was from 1880 to 1890. The re-
gion east Of the Mississippi increased.
more rapidly from 1880 to 1900 than
from 1880 to 1890, while that west OF
the Mississippi increased In the later
decade not much more than half as
fast in the earlier. The conclusion Is
drawn that the increased growth OF the
east and the decreased growth OF the
west may both be connected with a
probable decline in the current OF west
ward emigration. The rates Of increase
in the north and the south during
the last 20 years were practically the
same. But In the character OF this
growth the two regions differ widely,
there being relatively uniform growth
over In0 WuUl0 bOuIhs VAunAANS~ ~
balance in the north between a lower
rate of rural growth and a higher rate
Of urban growth. Extensive but
sparsely settled areas in the western
parts Of Kansas, Nebraska and South
Dakota show a decline Of population
in the last ten years, fact which 1t
"a aoid NAV ha connected with the in
crease of population in many agricul-
tural counties of Iowa, Illinois and adj
Joining states. 1890 to 1900.
The most noteworthy result OF thel
entire discussion, 1t is stated. is the
cumulative evidence Of the rapid APP
proach to equality In the rates Of in
crease Of various parts Of the United
States. This appears whether north
be compared with south, east with west
or city with country.