Curious Statistics

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CURIOUS STATISTICS.

The dryest and most uninviting field of literary study is that of statistics; yet even in this arid soil there are flowers of amusement as well as plants of usefulness to be gleaned. The census of 1855 gives us, among its multiplicity of figures, a few facts that are curious, as well as many that are instructive. We hardly know where to begin in selecting information from such omnium gatherium—there is so much that we would like to reproduce, and so little space can we spare to convey it in. A few waifs and strays must suffice for the present.

The population of the State of New York was 3,426,212; of these only 2,222,341 were natives of the State; nearly half a million of the balance came from Ireland alone. Of the 652,322 voters, 135,577 were naturalized. In New York county the “adopted citizens” nearly equalled the native, there being 42,701 of the former and 46,173 of the latter. The activity of political organizations in naturalizing voters has probably placed the natives in the minority by this time. In Kings County there were 18,277 native voters against 14,350 adopted. Here also the latter are probably increasing in a greater ratio than the former.

In live stock Kings does not retain the high relative position it occupies as regards population. Of bulls it has only 159, while St. Lawrence has 26,268. Of working oxen it has 49, New York county having none, and Dutchess 6,283. Of cheese, while Herkimer makes nearly ten million pounds, Kings makes none. But of milk Kings produces most in the State, next to Orange County. Would that we could say as much for the quality of our milk as for its quantity! In regard to sheep Kings cuts a most deplorable figure, having only two sheep, which yield seven lbs. of wool annually.

To revert from the dumb animals to the human, it appears that less than a third of the entire population of the State are church goers; and the proportion in this city of churches is below even that of the State at large. Church members are to church-goers in the proportion of seven to eleven—so that only one fifth of the inhabitants of the State are even nominal professors of religion.

Of the various occupations of the people of the State, the most numerously followed one is that of farming, there being 320,930 agriculturists in the entire State. St. Lawrence here heads the list, and Kings figures at the tail. The profession which has fewest avowed votaries is that of gambling. Only seven persons describe themselves as gamblers, none of whom, strange to say, are denizens of the Empire City. One of them resides in Kings, three in Albany, one in Broome, one in Herkimer, and one in Alleghany.