The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-03


After over a century of steady gravita-
ton toward the West. the population Of
the United States seems to have shifted
it's course. One of the duties of the
! census bureau Is to determine the cen
ter of population, This year the chief
geographer Of the bureau believes that
the center may be found to have moved
Vast instead Of travelling as usual to
! the West
1t has come to be tradition in the
United States to combine progress and
the West. The primal lure of the West
has worn off, but there is still far more
room there than in the crowded East.
If the war had not interviewed since
our national counting of heads, or had
the war been fought in Asia instead Of
Europe, our center of population would
doubtless have continued its journey
West In big leap. AS it was, the
war attracted the people to the Eastern
business and industrial centers and the
people thus gathered to the cities seem
loath to return to the farms.
From the beginning of the republic,
the census was taken, and each ten
years the center of population had
moved westward in stretches of from
Il to so miles. showing that the people
were taking possession of more and
more of their domain At the first
census in 1890, the 1000, 900 population
South along the Atlantic coast with the
center % miles east of Baltimore.
By 1900 the center was lS miles west
of Baltimore and from then on it con-
tinued west. passing near washington,
Woodstock, Va; .Mooretield' W Va;
east of Cincinnati; then west of Gin
cinnati; east of Columbus; southeast of
Columbus; and at the last census at
Bloomington, Ind.
The census of 1910 was the first time
that the center ever happened to be in
town or CITY. and BLOOMINGTON, being
college town, celebrated in college
fashion Several professors located the
exact SPOT by astronomical observation.
1t happened to be under lumber pile
in the yard Of a furniture factory, but
the students made short work of re-
moving the big logs. and proceeded to
place a stone on the exact spot and
conduct appropriate and tuneful ser
vices
The furniture manufacturer was SO
proud of the position Of his factory. that
he had his stationery engraved with
the heading. Located at the center
of population" After this year, he VIII
doubtless have to preface his assertion
with once"
The exact pull of the Eastern cities
on the center of gravitation OF our
population will be known positively only
and tabuated In the meantime Mr. c.
S Sloan. chief geographer OF the cen
sus bureau is Of the private opinion
that the point will be somewhat east OF
Bloomington, probably still in Indiana,
For the past two decades our cities
have been growing in size and mum.
her much more rapidly than our rural
districts. Anything over 900 popula-
ton is now termed a city in census
parIauce which rather broad CON
struCtion makes the growth OF city
nOnuIation seem less extraordinary. In
1890 the city claimed over one third
of the population. In 1900 II had ABOUT
40 ,er cent. and by 1910 it had 46.S,
This wear the advance may be even
greater, for the attraction OF the cities
was intensified during the war, Every
other girl in the United states wanted
tn he A war worker and 20 to Wash
iugtou. and apparently most OF theh
rot what they wanted, MANY of these
Urls country bred. have found city life
with its theaters restaurants, libraries
and clubs, too fascinating to be easily
given IN. So they stay on when they
arc no longer needed by the govern
| mcnt, or wander to New YORK or some
other city. in search of Job Wlthln
walking distance Of the bright lights.
TAKE the Ase of Mamie, a young
school teacher. who came from the
ro,lutt.v to do war work with her head
rIaintanCe with high life in the CITY.
Rouge, a lin stick and swagger walk,
added to natural prettlness, got her a
Ilstring Of followers, and Mamie became
So enamored of city life that when her
war lob ended she was fully city broke
/ and lust couldn't go home.
she answered an advertisement Tor
soda fountain clerk and prefers the
city with its chances for amusement
to her country home. the little req
Fschool house. and her farmer boy
steady" ..,-.......
This is not. perhaps, typical picture
of the war worker from the country,
hut il is a faithful likeness OF many
of the cx-war workers who are renre,
scented by the long columns OF unskltled
rositions wanted in the daily papers
Besides the opportunities for enjoy
ment offered by the large cities, there
are the educational advantages and the
conyeniences These attract large mum
hers of families with growing children
Indoor plumbing electricity and auto
mobiles. added to the modern country
home. have done as much TO Keep the
farmer and his wife on the farm as all
Inc new inventions in farm machinery
Rut farmers who cannot afford these
improvements and Injuries do not seem
To desire them so much as they want
bettep education for their Children.