Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-02
WYOMING WALLS
AT CENSUS COUNT
Assessors Figures Of Population
Show Falling Off in Cow
boy State.
SYSTEM is GIVEN THE BLAME

CHEYENNE wyo. Aug. 1-(speciai)
"A shout OF indignation. wall of pro-
test, a roar OF wrath combined in a state
expression Of disappointment IL going up
from Wyoming today-the state census
of 1916 doesn't show that the common
wealth has grown during the most pro
gresstve five years of It's history. The
census In fact. suggests that wyoming
has been retrograding during that period.
but the people OF Wyoming, probably %
per cent OF whom have come 20 the state
since the federal census OF 1910 was taken.
decline 70 accept the suggestion, hence
the roar.
OnIy Partial Returns Yet.
Complete state census returns are not
yet available. but the partial returns are
sufficient 70 Indicate the result Chey-
enne, the largest city in the state. in 1910
was credited by the federal agents with
a population OF II. $50 The state census
Of 1916 gives It 1854 people, decrease of
l.59, or 1Gs per cent. Sheridan. the sec
ond city IN the state. was given sos in
habitants by the census OF 1910. The CEN
sus Of 1915 gives II 1905 which. while
representing an increase OF iSs. is about
1000 short OF what sheridanites ex-
pected Laramie. the states third city,
in 1910 showed the federal census emu
rnerators s,2s7 inhabitants. but the state
census enumerators this year were able
TO find only 4.96s, decrease OF ASA. OF
more than % per cent
Decrease in Laramie County.
In 1910 Laramie county. of which Chey-
enne is the county seat, was credited by
the federal agents with 2e.i27 population.
Since 1910 the county has been cut into
three new counties-Laramie. Platte and
Coshen--and in these three counties has
occurred the most rapid settlement In all
Wyoming history. Yet the state census
Of 1915 credits the three counties with
combined population Of only 2i.ss9 de-
crease OF las since 1910.
Albany county, OF which Laramie Is the
county seat. in 1910 was able 10 show the
federal enumerators li.5H Inhabitants.
but this year the state enumerators
found only s.1s2 inhabitants. or forty-five
less In the county than the county seat
alone was credited with in 1910. The de-
:. crease shown IL sssa or 20 per cent
. In 1910 the federal census gave all
Wyoming population OF 1895. II tho
state census shows a decrease In the state
y on the basis of the decrease shown in
Cheyenne. the capital. II will credit the
state with only i2l.b0s. decrease Of p. t5s
instead Of the Increase of at least 5000
which the people OF the commonwealth
are certain has occurred.
SYSTEM ia Blamed.
Responsibility for the state census poor
showing IL laid on the system which the
Legislature OF 1915 with economy In view.
provided should be followed IN making
= the state census. The duty OF making the
!" enumeration was placed on county as
SCISSORS and their deputies. and It IL tho
figures which these officials have COM
piled which make the showing which now
Is 80 lamented Unfortunately for wyom-
ing's pride In Increasing population. Il
Is the duty OF assessors TO collect a pom
tax OF y from every person IN the state
between the ages OF q and 90 years
Hence Wyomingites regard assessors
with suspicion and whenever that be pos
sible q great many OF them do not
hesitate TO side-step such officers, or
being unable TO slde-step. TO supply them
= with information intended solely a. an
aid to avoidance Of the obnoxious head
tax.
Therefore the assessor-enumerator sx-
pertenced the greatest difficulty IN ex-
tracting from perHons whom they ap-
preached personal information OF the
variety necessary 10 q census onumera-
ton. The result undoubtedly n that the
enumeration OF the states inhabitants
was far from complete. regardless how
conscientiously the assessors may have
worked.
he that as It may be. the result IL Of.
ficiai and wyoming-growing Wyoming
Is confronted by official statistics show
ing an utterly Illogical rstrogression dur.
ina the five most prosperous years OF the
; commonwealth history.