Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-26
WHAT'S THE MATTER IN IOWA
Some Reasons Given for the Slump Shown
BY the State Census,
A CASE OF TOO MUCH PROSPERITY
Gains in Industries and Loss in Num-
her Of Farms-HIEh Priced Land
Prevents NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Interesting Figures.

John Brigham, state librarian Of Iowa
presents In the Boston Transcript several
explanatory reasons for the decrease in the
population Of Iowa shown by the state
census. Replying to the question whats
the matter with Iowa." Mr.. Brigham says:
with scarcely a break in its record for
abundant crops and with comparatively
good prices for its products, with steady
increase in the area Of its land under cul-
tivation, with an annual increase in the
aggregate Of its trade and manufacture
and an undminished output from its coal
and gypsum mines and quarries. with fast
accommodating deposits In its banks and
phenomenal reduction of late years in the
number and aggregate Of mortgages on
the real and personal property Of its cit-
zens why should there be this falling on
in its population?
I'm the first place II must be remem-
bered that Iowa is an old settled state;
that It's free lands disappeared many years
ago: that II is still very heavily agricul
tural, and in the nature Of things its popu-
lation would not vastly increase as Is the
case in the newer or more industrially de-
veloped states around It. The census fig
ures for the last decades plainly show this.
In the period from 1850 TO 1870 just after
teh civil war the growth was from 6H9lS
to $4,000. But since 1870 progress has been
comparatively slow The year 1870 showed
$4,000 1880. 1.62l.615 1890. 1911 1896; 1900.
22Si. 1853. Now comes the state census Of
this year with 2216.O6s It will thus be seen
that the percentage Of gain I'm each de-
cade from 1890 has steadily declined, and
for the whole period from 1870 to 1900 thirty
years. It was only about 100 per cent Curl
ously enough that is almost the same
the percentage Of gain Of the entire nation
for that period. that gain being from s.,
OOO,OCO to 100000. showing Iowa to be, what
it's people have always claimed, the typical
American state. Still. an actual loss was
hardly expected by any except those who
had watched matters very closely.
Not Much of n Surprise.
"Had these figures been sprung upon us
in 1896 we might have charged them up to
prohibition. Had they confronted us in
1895 we might have attributed them to the
return Of the saloon The unwelcome re-
suit cannot now be traced TO either Of these
conditions. for under prohibition liquor was
sold regardless of law in the counties ia
voring the sale of liquor; under the mulct
law now in operation. prohibition obtains
in a majority Of the counties Of the state.
ITO those of us who have been in posi-
ton to watch the current OF events during
the last five years this falling off in popu-
lation Is not so much of a surprise Casting
about for a generalization broad enough to
cover all discoverable causes leading down
20 the condition under investigation, I
would account for the fact in a single
phrase:
ulh a, Dew mss lila shrd m m m
Too much prosperity at home; too much
cheap land outside The anomalous first
half OF this phrase calls for explanation.
Let me give the readers of the Tran
script picture which has been reproduced
many times in every one Of Iowa's ninety
nine counties-oftenest, naturally, in the
older counties OF he state:
Two farmers, whose farms adjoin, having
long since recovered from the hard times
following the crucial year, 1893, find them
selves with several thousand dollars in the
bank and with new and costly labor-saving
machinery standing idle, calling loudly for
more worlds to conquer. Naturally both
farmers develop ambition for more land.
They get together The result is that
the richer, or the more home-loving, buys
his neighbours land and said neighbor joins
the first landseekers' excursion to northern
Minnesota, Manitoba Alberta, Oklahoma
or Texas, where cheap lands WOO those in
whose breasts burns strongly the pioneer
instinct coupled with the ambition to enjoy
large holdings of land.
TAKE another instance, reproduced in hun
dreds Of cases all about us. A farmer has
several sons comfortably settled small
farms about him. A subtle land agent en-
tiers this modern Eden. or land company's
colored and pictured folders find their way
therein through the postoffice. To the
young farmer comes the belated thought of
old Westaway in Phillpott's latest novel
the thought OF 'and-a bit OF the face of
the solid earth-spread for your service to
do what you please with To know It's
ycurs-feld after held-to be duke of the
kingdom an own more than you can see
from the top Of a hill! It's a most males
tic picture" our young farmers have their
bit Of land: but It Is not a kingdom large
enough to satisfy their newly-fed ambition.
And so the new thought develops into a
veritahle lust for land-the result of which
is the sale Of several farms to the rich
land-lustful farmer, or farmers, Of the
neighborhood. or to the city capitalist
seeking safe investment in the country.
Decrease in Number of Farms.
Here let me fell back upon the state cen
sus Of 1893 and the United States census of
1900 as a substantial basis for my illustra-
ton Crhanks to Mr.. A. II. Davidson, di-
rector. and Or. w. r. Pattison, editor. of
the state census for my access TO the still
incomplete census of 1862 Taking Ave OF
the first six on the list of Iowa counties, !
md that In 1890 there were 1887 farms in
Adnir, and in 1905 there are 2,25s. In Adams
five years ago there We're 1919 farms, now
there are but 169S, In Appanoose in 1900
there were 2,5gG now there are 2,O59. In Au-
dubon In 1890 there were /, 9SS, now there are
1917 In Benton In 1900 there were 2,774 now
there are 1909
While these figures are not coclusive
from the statistican's standpoint to the
general readers and the superficial student
OF affairs, they indicate with sufficient
clearness a tendency growing out Of our
new prosperity and of the new ambition
which Il has aroused
But another condition goes far TO ex-
plain the falling of i'm our population.
In times past, Iowa has been the FL Do
RADIO OF the young and ambitious farm
ers OF Sweden, Norway, Russia, Germany.
Bohemia and Holland When the immi-
grafton was greatest Iowa land was sell
ing at from s. TO So an acre. Now is readily
commands from SIS to 500 an acre. Our
new prosperity has been 10 the ambitious
hOme-seekers OF Europe-and TO the ambi-