The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-08-31
CENSUS SHOWS LURE OF CITY
GROWTH OF TOWNS SHOWS POW.
Err OF PRETTY LIGHTS.
Rural Growth Has Been Good, But
Figures Indicate No Great Move
ment Back to the Farm"

Rural Growth Has Been Good, But
Figures Indicate No Great Move
ment Back to the Farm
WASHINGTON.-The census bu-
reau has made public figures con-
corning enough localities to indicate
certain interesting trends in the
growth of American population.
Though the end is close at hand
complete returns have been made in
only one state, and complete returns
from particular counties and cities
in only % states
What stands out first is, of course.
the general increase in population all
over the country. While this growth
is perhaps more striking in the mid
die west, or even in the far west, the
east is little behind those sections.
Increases in city population rarely
fall below 20 per cent. for the last
ten years. Often the increase is con-
slderably in excess of so per cent.
Thus Bridgeport, Conn, shows a
growth of 43.7 per cent. in the last
ten years, while at the other end of
the country Sacramento has grown
52.6 per cent. in the same time.
This growth has been expected.
but there will probably be some sur
prise to find how far the growth of
the cities exceeds that Of the rural
districts. Here, save in a few locali-
ties, there is an increase, but gen
orally it is below 10 per cent. In
Nebraska Seward and Buffalo coun-
ties, of 5000 and 10000 respective
ly, show practically no increase,
while the only other county recorded
in the state (Madison) shows an in
crease of about 1000 on a first pop
ulation of $4,000, or about IL per
cent.
Center of Population.
Some spot in Illinois may mark
the center of population for another
ten years. 1t is worth while to en-
phasize the word may" because
there is not available at this time
much definite information on which
to base speculation as to where the
center of population viii be.
The remarkable increase in the
population of Oklahoma must be
taken into consideration in specu-
lation as to where the center of pop
ulation is likely to light" A fact
worth bearing in mind is that the
increases in population in the east
particularly have been in the larger
cities.
The center of population has
moved almost due westward since
1890, when it was at point 2S miles
east of Baltimore From 1890 to
1900 it moved almost due west to a
point 8 miles west of Baltimore. In
the next ten years, from 1900 to
1910, it moved westward and slightly
southwark to a point about forty
miles northwest by west of Wash
ington.
Must Travel 20 Miles.
During the ten years between 1890
and 1900 the center" moved west
ward a little over IA miles and south
ward a little less than three miles,
and halted at point six miles south
east of Columbus, Ind. This move
ment between 1890 and 1900 was
the smallest in 100 years.
The center" will have to travel
something like 70 miles to get be-
yond the borders of Indiana this
year.
Figures available show only FIVE
communities that have actually lost
in population. Montgomery, Cal,
has fallen from 2,206 to 1889; Bon
ham county, Texas, has dropped from
5,942 to 844; Lamar county, Texas,
from 48,627 to 46,544; in Wisconsin
the village of Pine River has lost 65
of her population in ten years, and
Madison county, Indiana, shows the
greatest loss, falling from 70,470 to
1924. These reductions come. it
will be noted, either in rural dis
tricts marked out by counties or in
small villages.