The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-04-12
DIVORCES GROW BY LEAPS FOUR
TO FIFTEEN FOLD.
Brooklyn Lags Far Behind the Rest
Of the Country.


Statistics given out by the Census
Bureau show that while the number
Of divorces granted in other large
cities OF the country during the last
twenty years has increased from four
to fifteen fold, the percentage of de-
crees granted in Kings County
(Brooklyn) during the same period
had increased only a trifie more than
three fold, a smaller percentage than
in any other large center of popula-
ton in the United States for the same
period The same dispatches showed
that no estimate could be made Of
the ratio in Manhattan New York
City, because the court records there
were not kept in proper shape to en-
able the census officials to get a fair
estimate of the increase.
For the purpose of making the esti-
mate the census officials divided their
inquiry into two periods of twenty
years each. The first period covered
the years from 1867 to 1886 inclusive,
while the second period embraced the
years from 1887 to 1906 inclusive. For
the first period the number of di-
vorces granted in the Kings county
courts for each 100000 persons was
Is. For the second period the num-
Der of DEGREES for each 100000 popu-
lation in the City of Churches and
Homes was only 20. This shows that
the percentage of divorces increased
slightly more than threefold in Brook
Ign, but in view of the rate at which
divorces have been obtained ali over
the country during the same period,
Broohlyn's increase is considered very
small
The number of divorces in Cincin-
natl increased ffteenfold during the
same period, while Indianapolis came
along with only a fourfold increase.
In Chicago the divorce rate Increased
from Is for each 100000 to 107 in the
second period. Philadelphias in
crease was from 20 during the first
period to So in the second. Boston
showed an increase of from 40 to 6S
per 100000 persons in the second
period
In view of the figures from other
large cities, it was said, Brooklyn
might well be proud of its showing
In the first period the Brooklyn courts
granted 1902 divorces. In the second
period 6,144 applications for divorces
were filed, but the exact number
granted has not yet been ascertained
because the 1906 records are not yet
complete. Residents of the City OF
Churches predicted that when the rec
ords for last year are tabulated, the
percentage of Brooklyn would be low
cred still further.
Records for the whole United States
revealed that during the period from
1857 to 1886 the number of divorces
granted was $4,000. The number
granted during the period from 1887
to 1906 inclusive was more than l.
100000. Though this seems at first a
staggering increase, it was said that
when the great increase in the coun-
try's population is considered, it is not
so alarming after all. Figured on this
basis, out of every 100000 persons in
the country in the first period, 81
were divorced, as against 70 in the
second period. A peculiar fact brought
out by the investigation at Washing
ton was that the rate of divorces IN
the rural districts is rapidly increas-
ing. This, it was explained, was due
to the fact that the country people
were becoming better posted on the
divorce law by reading the news
papers.-New York Press.