The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-02-22
.FW CENTER OF POPULATION
DREARY SPOT SAYS ONE
WHO HAS VISITED IT.
MD Section of HOOSier State

ponulation and All Things Mod
ann Not a Sign of Life Except
tho smoke From the Chimney of
a Log Cabin.
An uneven field of rocks and
,ragglv trees partly covered with
ou frozen creek, quarter of
,;1a away a farm house of hewn
os Not a sign of life except thin
.or of smoke issuing from the
bimnev of the log cabin. A deso-'
o+a scene. made even more so by
,ua~fng clouds and a biting north
lind which whistled through the
rees
sncb is the picture of the center
f nopulation of the United States,
Washington township, Brown
Dorn-v, Indiana, says the New York
hrorrd, A two-hours drive due west
rom Columbus, Ind, on the county
hike brought the writer to the spot.
was easy to find, for it was hard
stones throw from where the
road crosses a little creek at the
bounty line.
As I stood looking at the barren
hold figure emerged from the low
cabip and approached me. 1t was a
all 1ankv figure of a man, and as
he came nearer I saw he was clad
overalls tucked into high boots.
He was bare-headed and without a
Coat. Hi, there! What dye want
here" he hallooed.
AS ! did not answer he hurriedly
came toward me, and when he was
n speaking distance of me he asked
I'm HOOsier dialect, what all my
Business was thar" and "who I was
blocking fer
The center of population of the
limited States is located on this
tract." I told him. do you own
T."
DO tell" he said slowly, in puz-
skled amaz9ment. When he recover
I'd from his surprise-he spent fully
s6O seconds scratching his head and
gazing about the desOlate field-he
Eyed me over carefully.
81 thought you was some assessor,
Dr something like that when l seen
gEou git out and walk over here"
explained. "Who sent you here
IL you amt no govment agent?"
| explained to him that I had come
sDn purpose to see the center Of pop
hlation of the United States. I told
bin that he was the center of popu-
aation of the United States; that it
was a great honor to own the land
pn which the center of population
was located. Then he opened up,
Pnd admitted that it was a part of
bis farm.
Il j reckon it, wont increases the
value of this yer land" he ventured
after he had told me that his name
zwas Scott Cooper, or Pop" as he
Is generally known, and that he own
6ed 220 acres along the county pike.
What's the land worth an acre."
4 asked.
Couldn't sell it at any price," he
answered. But maybe it's worth
ESQ an acre-maybe more. There
paint much land in Brown county
worth more EN- $40 an acre"
"A mortgage on it?"
Not yet. Don't reckon anyone
would loan more'n a hundred dollars
on it. All the timber has been
stripped. Nothing but rocks"
Any chiIdren?"
His face frightened. "Ye-up. five"
ne answered proudly Had seven,
but two is dead" he added.
Wen, you've got something else
/ 10 be proud of, I told him. You'll
soon nave a monument on you farm
10 mark the center of population.
Wall, l don't reckon it will bring
me nothin'," he laughed. THE cen
Ter OF population on my farm! Wall,
IL Will surprise the ole oman Thanks
for tellin' me-"
A moment later Scott Cooper
strobe off for his cabin to convey
lne news to his family. He was the
|I"her Of the center of population,
put as he 1ived in Brown county he
knew it wasn't worth a cent.
Brown county is the widest and
east known part of the Hoosier
state. Until three years ago no rail
ROAD crossed its borders, and even
now the Indiana Southern cuts off
onIy one small corner of this bar
rem tract Yet here is the center of
|po9UIation Of the United States.
The center of population in 1900
was in Bartholomew county, about
1--WE miles southeast of Columbus,
.uu' The great increase in popula-
.Gon OF the southwestern states as
.SnoWn the census of 1910 caused the
Venler to move westward about
."ehty miles, bringing it just over
sIe line into Brown county, which
ouJolns Bartholomew county on the
west. The census department has
located the center as close as a for
~ acre plot, and in course of time
(ue exact point will be determined
NY astronomical experts, who will
,LSIJ the tract and take observations.
ana in all probability it will be
mark with stone monument such
as marks the spot where the center
vi population was in 1900.