The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-01-09

! al Division Ranks Fourth, but Metro
poiitan District Takes Sixth Posi-
tion-Pittsburah Also Suffers In
| Rank in Comparison of Population
of Cities.
What are the five most populous
''urban communities in the United
States?
The question sounds stilted, bull
letin from the National Geographic
society admits, but the term refers,
it is explained, to something entirely
different from "the five largest cities
For some purposes it is more useful
to know where the greatest numbers
of city jewellers are gathered together
than to know how many live inside
arbitrary political divisions. Continu-
ing, the bulletin says:
IF the term cities is used loosely,
the United States is in the strange
position of having two that rank fourth
and two that are fifth in size, al
though these communities are Of diff
ferent magnitude. The mix-up is due
to that artificial thing, the city limit
People in establishing their homes
have shown fine disregard for these
lines-except as prompted by con-
siderations of taxatiOn-and have
buf1t on either side and even astride
them. There are many places where
city boundary lines run directly
through blocks or along busy streets,
leaving outside regions as populous or
more populous than those included.
Yet when the population of the city
is being ascertained only the noses
inside the imaginary line are counted.
ITO clear up the difficulty and bring
out the really important fact-where
the greatest concentrations of city
dwelling populations are to be found,
the United States census has gathered
statistics not only for city political dl-
visions but also for metropolitan dis
tricts.' These latter include the en-
tire urban communities made up of
the big cities inside their political
lines and also the city districts drawn
closely around them, though outside
the arbitrary boundaries. The figures
obtained for these population units
strikingly alter the rank OF the cities.
Boston and Detroit.
The first three places are held by
New York, Chicago and Philadelphia
under both systems of enumeration.
But while Boston, the political di-
vision, ranks seventh and Detroit |
fourth, the Boston metropolitan dis |
trct jumps to fourth place and the |
Detroit metropolitan district takes the |
sixth position. The population fig |
ures show that within rough circle
drawn from the center Of Boston with
a radius Of between ten and fifteen
miles. there are in thickly settled COM
1,772,254 inhabitants.
"In similar circle drawn around
Detroit in United States territory,
here are ], 165, 153 inhabitants. If the
entire population of Wayne county In
which Detroit is situated were counted
n the Detroit district, and if the pop
llations of the four counties grouped
around Wayne county were added, the
,opulation would still be less than L.,
100000, though the average radius
would then be increased to nearly ~
niles. The increase of the radius
lround Boston to 25 to 80 miles would
ring into the district between 1000
700 and 100000 inhabitants, for the
astern end of Massachusetts Is one
# the most thickly-populated regions
n the United States.
Pittsburgh District Fifth.
Like Boston, Pittsburgh suffers in
comparison of the population Of
tiles by the fact that the official city
oundaries inclose relatively small
rea. while Immediately outside are
umerous populous regions. When
he figures for the Pittsburgh metro
olitan district are used instead Of the
cures for the political division, Pitts
urgh rises from ninth to fifth place
mong the urban communities OF the
United States. It's metropolitan dis
let has population of 1,207,504, but /
-ithin the imaginary lines or the city :
oundaries are less than half that n
umber of inhabitants.
"The magnitude of the omissions of X
rban territory and populations from II
,me of the cities in thicklysettled II
ortions Of the country are brought X
1T by canvasses of the stable cities i
nd towns, left to be separately or Il
anized, which cluster just outside the Il
ty limits. Within ten to fifteen miles Il
Boston are three cities with popu- l.
lions between 10000 and 10000; six Il
ties of between 10000 and 10000; K
|, cities and towns of between $4,000 K
I'd 100000; eight of between 10000 E
ld $4,000, and large number of Ii
,mmunities under 10000 population. E
ttsburgh's metropolitan district con- IE
ms in addition TO Pittsburgh itself lE
communities with populations rang lE
g from 10000 to $4,000, and 81 with
,pulations between 5000 and 10000. lie
thin the Detroit metropolitan dis E
let not included in the Detroit city Is
nits are three towns and villages
it'll populations between 10000 and IL
900. and three numbering between
700 and 10000 inhabitants" Is
<pIodnq Stove Polish Burns Woman.
When a can of stove polish exploded, IL
rs. Frank Crawley of Vincennes, 1E