Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1905-10-26

From time to time during the last
few months interesting facts have
fouad way from the state census bureau
into the newspapers and have been
quite revelation to South Dakotans.
Ever since last February the depart.
ment at Pierre has been busy with the
details OF the work, getting the blanks
and cards ready for the enumerators,
who took the census in the early sum
mer. Then came the long, tedious
weeks when the official count was made
and the reports OF Our state products
were carefully compiled. 1t had been
hoped that South Dakota's population
would reach the half million mark but
the state department gives as its Off
cial count 454, 464, of these there are
233, 1859 white males, and l9S,702 white
females. Though we have always
been accredited as having large for
eign population 1t Is interesting to
note that there are but &c., 3I foreign
ers, or but 1877 percent of our whole
population. There are 1851 native
form South Dakotans who are entitled
to belong 10 state society OF real South
Oakotans; OF their number 79,845 were
born Of foreign parents, Other states
have contributed 10 our population
l67, 25l OF which number l04, PAS had
native parents and 63,0O3 had foreign
parents. Therefore In this state there
are l84 1913 native parents and 247, 8l4
foreign parents. The state has gained
10 per cent In population In we years,
but per cent OF this being from for
etgn born population.
No state In the union does more for
her schools than does this young state.
Her rich school lands, her unparalleled
system for country schools, her library
fund, and finely equipped state it,
situations are certainly great Inherit
ances for the school children. There
are las, 2l2 children of school age who
may take advantage of the public
schools. Should any army be needed,
South Dakota has 7,240 of military
age to respond, while her total vote
would be ia ,422. One of the eye-open-
ers OF the last census Is The number OF
illiterates, there being 3,94l or1 . per
&C Mt who can neither read nor write
We are proud OF this showing but in
the next ten years this ought 10 lie
lo"ered materially. In comparison
with the foregoing statement, there are
3l9, sos parsons from the age OF ten
years and over who are literate or can
road aad write. We are not state OF
idlers as will be seen from the fact that
ia ,232 males, over ten years, are en-
g aged In useful employment and l36, DAT
females, over ten years, are also thus
engaged. This leaves 6,2l3 men un-
employed and 10,747 females unemploE-
ed. The ooDiugal condition of QUA
people also forms an interesting study.
The bachelors are In the lead,
there being $3.50 of them and but
A,63l unmarried women over eighteen
years. There are 72s,2l married men
and 1888 married women; there are
5,3O4 windowers and 7,7s0 widows.
South Dakota has been famed for its
lax divorce laws and this may account
for there being 694 divorced men and
R7Q divOrnad voruan IN o,,n Landa.,
Detailed accounts also have been made
relative to the blind, insane, idlotic,
dumb, etc. In both Institutions With
limited appropriation for this work, 1t
Is, only by the strictest economy that
an exhaustive report has been made,
but the force OF the census bureau will
place In the hands of the governor on
November first, printed copy OF the
same.
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