The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-03-29
PHE'd0MENAL IS
GROWTH SHOWN
In the United States by
Census of 1910.
TALE OF CITIES" WONDERFUL
Remained for a Southern City
TOShOw Most Remark
able Increase.
TALE OF CITIES" WONDERFUL
WHAT PACIFIC COAST HAS DONE
(By Roderick CIiTord.)


Never has comparison been so
instructive as in the study of these
amazing figures spreading over sue
cessive decades. The United States
is growing faster than ever before.
The tale of the cities" is a won
derful story. The farms have Ian
guished, while the cities have alb
sorbed the young blood Of the rural
districts.
There are now fifty cities in the
United States having a population of
more than 100000. The combined
population of these fifty municipali-
ties is 2O,3O3,047. This means that
.knearly twenty-five per cent, OF the
0ehtire population of the nation is
now living under conditions which
are either metropolitan, or approx
mate the metropolitan scale of ex-
istence. In 1900 the same cities had
a combined population of $780,
375, and in 1890, 11,47O,364. In
twenty years the figures have prac-
tieally doubled.
4 The philosophers of population
argue that not only does the growth
of the cities emphasize the trend
away from agriculture and towards
manufacture, but it indicates an in
creasing love of luxury, creature
comfort, amusement and the in
Sneasing ranks of the co-called par
asitic classes" at the expense of the
producing classes.
The honors for having shown the
highest rate of growth among the
cities of considerable size has been
awarded to Birmingham, Ala, which
showed the phenomenal increase of
245.per cent during the past decade.
In that period 1t developed from a
city of distinctly minor rank-hav-
ing only 3S,415, in 19OO-to one Of
the great cities of the South. It now
has a population of 1872 S5. Scarce
ly second to Birmingham in growth
were Los Angeles and Seattle, the
former showing an increase of 211
Ter cent. and the latter 1914 per cent.
The most marvellous story told bv
the census is the amazing growth of
the Pacific coast. With the excep-
ton of a few sporadic cases, cities
in other sections of the country have
shown a normal rate of increase. the
period of mushroom" growth hav-
ing passed; but the far West has, ap-
parentlv. just entered upon the gold
en- period of it's DEVELOPMENT. De-
spite the cstastrophe of 1906. San
Francisco shows the substantial in.
crease of TWENTY-FIVE per cent. and
is now citv of 6,912 people. Her
sister municipality, Oakland, vies
with Los Angeles and Seattle in
rapid growth, showing 124 per cent
for the decade. 1t now contains
iSf5O,174 inhabitants. Portland, Ore
gon, increased at the rate OF 100 per
cent. 1t is now the fourth city of
the Pacific coast, having a popula-
ton of 297,214. Spokane, which
grew at the rate of 1873 per cent dur
ing the past decade, has popula-
ton of 1OS,347 and is one of the
most progressive cities of the coast.
The larger eastern cities averaged
about 20 per cent increase during
the past ten years, New York being
the ops shining exception to this
rule. The wonderful growth of the
metropolis needs no comment at
tshis time. In the middle West. |
Cleveland and Detroit made the big
gest gains.
According to Official figures of the |
census bureau, the ten largest cities |
in the world1are ranked in the fol-
lowing order: London, New York,
Paris. Toxic, Chicago, Berlin. Wen
ma, st. Petersburg, Philadelphia,
Moscow. The United States is the
only nation with three cities on this
list, and Russia the only nation with
two.
The fact that the urban movement
in the United States is not wanting.
lbut probably q permanent feature of
our national life. is indicated in
many ways. OF the 17b largest CT
ties in the country. 100 show a
greater increase in the last decade
than in the period of 1S90-1900, !
and 81. also show higher per CEN
taFe OF increase.
The bureau of the census is au-
thoritv for the statement that fully
one-third of the cities of $4,000 and
ever show en- increase of more thar
60 per cent in the past decade. OF