The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-29
NEWMAN DID IT.
Blamed for Poor Showing Made
by Topeka.
Census Report Shows Falling OF
of Thirteen Hundred.
1T is PREP0STEROUs. (.
objectionable SIovenliness OF
Officials Says Coburn.
Newman, Resents Charges OF
Mr.. Coburn.
Says Two Books Containing
2,SOO Names Are Missing.

| IN announcing the results OF InS
fifth decennial census. showing the
total population of Kansas to be 1,-
543.S1S, Secretary f. D. Coburn
makes a singing attack on certain
county clerks of the state who, ac-
cording to Mr.. Coburn's belief, have
failed to require careful work on the
part of the census enumerators.
! A. Newman, of Shawnee. is one OF
those included in Mr.. Coburn's att
tack, which is directed against ths
clerks of number Of the best and
most prosperous counties in the sfates
which show a falling off in popufa-
! ton. This is what Mr.. Coburn says:
! Forty-seven of the los counties
report having lost 26,04S. The in
credible and certainly preposterous
decrease of population within al
twe1vefaonth certified by a half dozen
or more unquestionably prosperous
and growing counties, ranging from
| 1,04S in one to 4.39S in another
| indicates to everyone but them
selves an objectionable sloven-
/ liness by some of the officials respon-
sible for showings 50 unwarranted.
The charitable suggestion has been.
made that their zeal may have be-
come so exhausted in seeking the offi-s
ces they occupy but cannot fill that lit
tie was left for the duties they SOL
emnly swore to perform, or for main--
tanning the credit of the communities
|
ate"
Mr.. Coburn and Mr. Newman had,
| several rather warm encounters dur~
ing the preparation of the census re-
| turns. Mr.. eNewnanss books were re-
| turned to him for correction by Mr..
Coburn, accompanied by a sharp let
ter. Later on, when the books were
sent back to Mr.. Coburn, they were
still unsatisfactory, and another blis-
| tering epistle passed from the office
of the secretary of the board of agri-
culture to the court house.
According to the census returns
lShawnee county shows a falling off OF
1,244 in the past year, while the city of
| Topeka shows a decrease of 1882. It
lseems hardly probable that with the
| vast number of new houses built in
Topeka and the strong demand for
rental property, there could have been
a falling off in population.
| Mr.. Coburn's report is in part as
follows:
1.-THE compilation by the state board
of agriculture of the fifth decenniaI
census of Kansas. taken this year, has
| progressed to a point where the popu-
lation of the state is known the total
number of inhabitants, as enrolled by
assessors in March, 1905, being 1,543,-
SIS. This is the largest number in
the states history, net gain in the
| past year of 1868, and an increase
over the preceding decennia1 census in
1895 of 209,0S4, or 1876 per cent.
| With a single exception the official
figures for the past decade have year.
ly proclaimed healthy growth in
ssThe five state decennial censuses
for Kansas show the growth in popu-
lation as follows:
First-In 1865 :.---.-...----.-.7.-..--.. l40. llS
/ Seeond-In 1875 ..---......-............ 62e,549
Third-In 1885 ,26s, $50
Fourth-In 1885 1874, 1874
Fffth-In 1905 1s543,s1s
The enumeration in 1903 showed
for that year an increase Of 2s,21s.
and in 1904 the gain was 47,313, MAX
ing total net gain of 1880 in the
| past three years.
/ This year So counties show an in
crease of 34,706, Wyandotte leading
with gain of 9,702, or Ills per
cent followed, although remotely, by
/ Crawford with a gain of 2,987, Chero-
kee 2,499 and Montgomery 2,465.
While the smallest in area Wyandotte
/ continues in point of population the
| premier county by wide margin,
having 1924 inhabitants, or 65 per
| cent more than the county ranking
next highest Eighty-dve per cent bf
its population is in the cities. Shawnee
| county is second, SedgWick third.
Montgomery fourth, Crawford fifth,
as in 1904. Cherokee this year is
sixth, disp1acing Leavenworth which
now ranks seventh
Thirty-five per cent of Kansas pop
ulation is in the cities and towns with
i 1000 inhabitants or more. of which
i she has 119-the same number eIigi-
/ BILE in such a list last year. Lyndon
and La Cygne have dropped out, but
/ OberIin and Scranton, with gains of
LAG and LA respectively, have entered
i the list. Sixty-one municipalities have
| gained 25, 167 people, Kansas City re-
j porting an increase of 9,903. This is
4 by far the largest gain made by any
city; in fact is more than the aggre-
1 gate gains in the Is cities returning
the next consecutive largest increases.
F'ifty-eight others lost 1886 inhabi-
tants There are II cities each hav-
ing IL 900 or more population, aggre-
/ eating 262, ,219, or II per cent of the
states total
The relative rank of the six leading
/ in population remains the same as one
/ year ago, while Fort Scott and Coffey-
! Vile, last year 7th and Sth respective
ly have their positions reversed Par
sons, 18th last year, is now 9Th; Law
renee has dropped one place. to 10th,
and Hutchinson, Chanute, Enporia
Winfield, Arkansas City Cherryvale
Wellington. Rosedale, Horton, Osa-
watomie and Holton, retain the same
| rank as one year ago, although all but
three record increases. Independence
is now 18th instead of 10th and lola
18th instead of 18th, the latter, with
Chanute, dropping out of the 10000
class. Salina and Ottawa exchange
1 positions the former now leading. be-
/ ing 18th. Newton advances from 2Ist
to 10th place, Galena from 23rd to
21st Concordia from 9th to 25th.
Abilene from 32nd to 31st and PaoIa
from 3Sth to 32nd. Argentine drops
from 10th tn 22ng1 Junction City fro1r,