Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-03-25
NATIONS GROWTH
Census Figures Show That United
States Is Growing With
Rapidly.

remarkaDl tribute to the wonderful
growth OF the United States is con
tanned in the census Of 1910.
Never has comparison been so in
structive as IN the study Of these
amazing figures spreading over sno-
oessive decades The United States
is growing faster than ever before.
The @taie Of the cities" is a wonder
full story. The farms have anguish
ed. while the cities have absorbed the
young blood and 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 20,303,047 This means that
nearly % er cent of the entire popu-
lation OF the nation is now living IN
der conditions which are either met
ropolitan, or approximate the metro
politan scale of existence. In 1900
the same cities had combined pop
ulatiun of 15,190,375 and in 1890 H.
470,Ss4. In twenty years the figures
have practically doubled.
The philosophers of population ar
gCe that not only does the growth of
the cities emphasize the trend away
from agriculture and towards manu-
facture but it indicates an increasing
love of luxury, creature comfort,
amusement and the increasing ranks
of the so-called parasitic classes" az
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 it developed from
city of distinctly minor rank--having
/ only 3S,415 in 1900-to one of the
great cities eff the south. 1t now has
population OF 132,6S5. Scarcely sec
ond to Birmingham in growth were
Los Angeles and Seattle, the former
1 showing an increase or 211 per cent.
and the latter 1874 per cent.
| The most marvellous story told by
the census is the amazing growth of
the Pacific coast With the exception
| of a few sporadic cases cities in
! other sections of the country have
/ show a normal rate of increase, the
period of mushroom" growth hav-
/ ing been passed; but the far west has
apparently just entered upon the gol-
den period of its development. De-
spite the catastrophe of 1906, San
/ Francisco shows the substantial in
/ crease of % per cent. and is now a
city of 1892 people. Her sister
municipality, Oakland vies with Los
Angeles and Seattle ia rapid growth,
showing 124 per cent for the decade.
/ It now contains 150,174 inhabitants,
/ Portland, oregon, increased ut the
/ rate of 1913 per cent. 1t is now the
| fourth city of the Pacific coast hav-
ling a population OF 207 PA. Spokane
which grew at the rate OF 1S3 per cent
during the past decade has popula-
ton of los, 347 and is one Of the most
pro gressive cities of the coast.
/ The larger eastern cities averaged
about 20 per cent increase during the
past ten years. New York being the
one shining exception to this rule.
The wonderful growth of the metro
polls needs no comment at this time.
In the middle west Cleveland and De
troit made the biggest gains.
According to official figures of the
census bureau. the ten largest cities
in the world are ranked in the follow
! ing order: London, New York, Paris,
| Toxic, Chicago, Berlin, Vienna, ST.
Petersburg, Philadelphia, Moscow.
The United States is the only nation
with three cities en- this list and Rus
STA the only nation with two.
The fact that the urban movement
in the United States is not waning
but probably a permanent feature OF
our national life, is indicated ia many
ways. Of the ITS largest cities in
the country. 100 show greater in
| crease in the last decade than in the
period of lS90-1900 and 81 also show
higher percentage OF increase.
| The Bureau of the Census is author
city for the statement ha fully one
third of the cities of $4,000 and over
show an increase OF more than so per
cent in the past decade. OF the north
en cities, about one-fifth show an in
crease; of the southern cities, about
two-ffths; and of the far western
cities about three-fourths. OF the
20 cities which more than double
their population in the same period,
ten are in the west, eight in the
south and four in the north.