The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-06-10
THE RELIGIOUS
DENOMINATIONS CENSUS
Comparisons Appearing in the Cen.
sls Bureaus Report on Religious
Bodies for 1906.

Washington, d. c., June 6.-Ihs
aggregate number of 1896, 44o
communi ants or members of all re-
lisious denominations in continental!
United States, was reported for 1906
according to the L. S. Census of Re-
iisious Bodies for the same year. as
detailed in part ! OF the u S. Cen
Sus Bureaus special report on the
subject. now in press. OF this grand
total the various Protestant bodies
reported 2o,2S7.742. and the Roman
Catholic church l2.679,142.
For purposes of comparison the
census authorities divided the prin-
cipal cities into four classes, those
having in 1900 a population of 800,
600 and over, constituting the first
class: those CT from 100000 to 300
600 forming the second; those OF
from $4,000 to 100000 making the
third, and those of from $4,000 to
$4,000 forming the fourth class.
OF the Protestant aggregate there
We're l.57S,l45, or 10 per cent III
the first class cities; Al in the sec
ond. and "A per cent in the thiru
ana fourth classes combined, while
SOC per cent were outside the pr1n-
cipal cities.
OF the Roman Catholic church S
total membership there were 1915.
453 or 27.9 per cent in first class
cities, l.361,132. of 1.3 per cent Ill
the Sc ond; 1.570.944, or 10 per
cent in the third and fourth classes
combined. with 5.771,613. or AIS
per cent outside the principal cities
1t is seen therefore, that the num-
Der of members of the Roman Cain
Ollie church reported in cities of the
first class was considerably more
than double the number reported by
all the Protestant bodies. while ou.
side of the principal cities the mum
Der reported by the Catholics wa:
only little over one-third of the
number credited to the Protestants
! 1t is pointed out in the report tina
| the strength Of the Protestant bod
les. as compared with the Roman
! Catholic church. is greatly under
stated.
Only two o. the Protestant bodie
/ reported a majority of their member
| ship in the principal cities. i. e., tn
Church of Christ Scientists, 80 6 pc
cent. and the Protestant Episcopa
| church. SIP per cent; while of ~
membership of the Jewish congrega
lions, SS.7 per cent are in the prln
cipal cities and of the Eastern Ortn
odox churches 70.7 per cent
Of the total number OF communl
cants Or member reported for tn
principal cities by all denominations
6,307,529, or 60 per cent belonge
to the Roman Catholic church, an
3.935,34I, or 37.4, to Protestan
bodies.
Comparison with the report 70
1890 shows that In general ther
has been an increase in the propo.
ton of communicates or members 1
the principal cities as compared Wit
those outside of these cities. In $50
the percentage was 319 as compa,
ed with 25.7 in 1890.
Of the total number, 1O,511,17
of communicates or members in tn
principal cities in 1906, there wer
! 7,343,4O3, or 69.9 per cent reporte
by the 3S cities of over 100000 poI
ulation, and, of these. 2,432,63O. @
33 Il per cent. belonged to Protestar
bodies and 4,736,535, or 64.5 pc
cent to the Roman CATHOLIC churct
The latter denomination had in thes
cities about 75.1 per cent of it's er
tire membership in cities of owe
$4,000 inhabitants.
In 13 of the cities more than on.
half of the communicates or men
bers reported belonged to Protestar
bodies, while in % the majority b.
longed to the Roman Catholic d.
nomination.
The cities showing the largest pr,
portions of Protestant communicate
are: Memphis. S44 per cent; Toled
70 per cent; Washington. 66.9 p<
cent; Kansas City, Mo-, 66.2 pe
cent, and Indianapolis, 62.1 per cen
The cities showing the largest pc
centages of Roman Catholic comm.
nicants, are: Fall River, S6.5 pr
cent; San Francisco. S1.1 per cent
New Orleans, 1917 per cent; Ne
York, 1913 per cent; Providence, Y
5 per cent; st. Louis, 50 per GEM
Boston, 6S.7 per cent; Chicago, 6S.
per cent, and Philadelphia, SIS pc
cent.