The indicator., 1904-05-21
ABOUT PUEBLO'S
POPULATION
Some Figures That Go To Show
the Discrepancy Of the Guess
ing al Washington.

snort Time ago Lne lNDlCATOk
commented editorislly on the wrong
done this city by the census bureau
at Washington in the matter of CIV
ing US such a small percentage of
gain the first three years of the pre-
sent decade, and the following COM
munication of Secretary E. W. Palmer
of the Business Mems association
along that line, proving as it does
that the department has greatly un-
derestimsted the population, will be
of much interest.
The letter in full is as follows:
Pueblo, Colo, April q, 1904.
TO the United States Census Bureau,
care Edward McCauley, Chief Clerk,
Washington, D. c.;
"Gentlemen-The statement of the
estimate by the United States census
bureau of the population of Pueblo,
Colo, for the year 1908 has been re-
ceived by the Business Mems associa-
tion Of this city. We are convinced
that your estimate of 29,237 for the
population is far below the actual
number of residents.
"Tbe census of 1900 placed the po-
pulation of Pueblo at 2S,l59, your
estimate of increase therefore being
LEES than 4 per cent. We are not
corversant with the entire facts upon
which your bureau mas based this es-
innate and therefore are not able to
comment intelligently on them, but
we do know that the population of
the city has immensely increased since
the census of 1900 was taken. We
beg to submit to your bureau some
facts relative to the growth Of this
city and urge upon you the necessity
of correcting this error at the earliest
possible moment.
According to the registration
books of the city of Pueblo In the of
fee of the county clerk 1852 voters
were registered for the November
fall election of 1902. This number OF
voters is conservatiyely estimated tc
be rs per cent of the total number OF
voters in the city at that time
For the year 1903 the registra
tion was somewhat less on account Of
the lack of interest in the election, {
supreme Judge being the only candi
date voted for.
'The school census of Colorado is
taken annually, according to state
law, by the school authorities The
number of persons, according to the
school census of April, 1903, between
the ages of 6 to 81 years in Pueblo
was l3,42S, Using the ratio 21,7S
which we understand is the ratio
adopted by your bureau in determining
the proportion of persons of schoo
age to the total population, we fine
that the population of Pueblo is 6l,'
653.
Adding the voters registered a;
given above to the school census gives
a total of 30,010 which of itself is
more than your estimate Of the tota
population. Moreover this 30,0l0 does
not include the large number of non
voters nor the children under year:
of age
Perhaps no more striking example
of the growth of the city can be citeC
than the business of the local street
railway company whose tracks are all
within the city limits.
Total number of passengers
carried during 1900. 1928, 752
Total number of passengers
carried during 190l...... s,455, sos
Total number of passengers
carried during 1902. ..... 4,978, ,83l
Total number of passengers
carried during l903.... 5,743,671
"As you will note the business OF
the.street railway company has prac-
tically doubled since 1900, and that
the growth of its business has been
continuous.
I'VE are convinced that the popu-
lation of the city is between $4,000
and $4,000. We arrive at this con-
clusion not only from the facts above
submitted to you, but from large
number of others which we could
enumerate did we deem it necessary
to do so. We hope, however, that
your bureau will at once rectify this
error which, unless corrected, can
hardly fail to retard the continued
:-rwth of the city in which this asso-
station is so deeply interested.
Very truly yours,
The Pueblo Business Mems Association,
Per E. W. Palmer, Secretary
A Colorado Girl is Assistant in
Bureau of Music at St.
Louis Fair.