Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/774

 770 DELAWARE CENSUS. White. Free colored. Slave. Total. If90 46,810 8,899 8,887 59,094 1800 49,862 8,268 6,153 64,278 1810 55,861 13,186 4177 72,674 1820 55,282 12,958 4,509 72,749 1880 57,601 15,855 8,292 76,748 1840 58,561 16,919 2,605 78,085 1850 71,169 18,078 2,290 91,532 I860 90,589 19,829 1,798 112,216 1870 102,221 22,794 125,015 Of the total population in 1870, 115,879 were native and 9,136 foreign born; 62,628 were males, and 62,387 females. Of the natives, 94,754 were born in the state, 8,764 in Penn- sylvania, 7,146 in Maryland, 2,039 in New Jersey, and 1,311 in New York. Of the for- eigners, 5,907 were born in Ireland, 1,421 in England, and 1,142 in Germany. There were 88,665 persons born in the state living in other states and territories. Of the colored, 20,570 were blacks, and 2,224 mulattoes. There were 28,207 male citizens of the United States 21 years old and over. In aggregate population Delaware ranks as the 34th among the states ; gain since 1860, 11 '41 per cent. There were 19,356 persons 10 years old and over unable to read, and 23,100 unable to write. Of the latter number, 20,631 were natives and 2,469 foreigners; 11,280 were white and 11,820 col- ored; 10,973 were males and 12,127 females; 16,002 were 21 years old and over, and 7,098 were between 10 and 21. Of those over 21 years of age, 3,466 were white males and 4,566 white females, 3,765 colored males and 4,205 colored females. There were 22,900 families and 22,577 dwellings. There were 68 blind persons, 61 deaf and dumb, 65 insane, and 69 idiotic. There were 453 paupers, of whom 180 were colored and 50 foreigners. The number of persons convicted of crime during the year was 145. Of the population 10 years old and over, 15,973 were returned as engaged in agriculture, 11,389 in professional and personal services, 3,437 in trade and transportation, and 9,514 in manufactures and mining. Included in these numbers are 8,131 agricultural laborers, 7,642 farmers and planters, 150 clergymen, 4,742 domestic servants, 4,769 laborers, 84 lawyers, 170 physicians and surgeons, 377 teachers, 845 cotton and woollen mill operatives, and 316 iron and steel workers. Delaware compre- hends the N. E. portion of the low peninsula between Chesapeake bay, Delaware river, and" the Atlantic ocean. It contains no mountains, but in the north the surface is beautifully diversified by hill and dale. Southward of Christiana creek the surface is almost a perfect level, and is only relieved by a low table land or sand ridge, nowhere more than 60 or 70 ft. high, which traverses the state N". and S. near the W. boundary, and forms the watershed of the peninsula. This table land abounds in swamps, in which most of the rivers and streams have their sources, some flowing W. into Chesa- peake bay, and others E. into the Delaware. The Choptank, Nanticoke, and Pokomoke, the headwaters of which are in this state, have their greatest lengths in Maryland and flow into the Chesapeake. The Appoquinnimink, Duck, Jones's, Murderkill, Mispilion, Broad - kill, Indian, and other rivers and creeks are affluents of the Delaware and Atlantic. The most important streams are the Brandywine and Christiana creeks, the former coming in from Pennsylvania, and the latter from the southwest. These unite below Wilmington, and fall into the Delaware 1 m. below their junction. Many of the smaller rivers are nav- igable for coasting vessels, but the Christiana is the only one in the state that admits mer- chant ships. The coast along Delaware bay is marshy and low ; along the Atlantic it is beset with sand beaches which enclose shallow bays, or more properly lagoons. Rehoboth bay, at the mouth of Indian river, is a basin of this de- scription, but admits vessels drawing 6 ft. of water. At the S. extremity of the state is the Cypress swamp, 12 m. long and 6 m. wide, which contains a great variety of trees and evergreen shrubs, and is infested with noxious reptiles. Bog iron ore is found in the swamps, and shell marl occurs abundantly. In the north are deposits of kaolin or porcelain clay, which have supplied the Philadelphia works. In 1870 there were two iron mines in New Castle co., yielding 3,600 tons of ore, worth $10,800. The climate is in general mild and highly favorable to agriculture. The N. and more elevated region has a remarkably salubrious atmos- phere; but where the surface is- swampy, as in the S. part of the state, endemic sickness pre- vails to a considerable extent. In 1870 there were 1,561 deaths, of which 673 were from general diseases, 148 from diseases of the ner- vous, 69 of the circulatory, 226 of the respira- tory, and 216 of the digestive system, and 60 from accidents and injuries. Of special dis- eases, consumption proved fatal in 296 cases, pneumonia in 126, enteric fever in 91, and cholera infantum in 87. For 8 or 10 m. inland from the Delaware the soils are generally rich clays, but thence to the swamps and southward sand prevails. The natural productions are similar to those of the middle region of the United States generally. Peach raising is one of the main industries. In 1870 the number of acres of improved land was 698,115. The productions were 895,477 bushels of wheat, 10,222 of rye, 3,010,390 of Indian corn, 554,- 388 of oats, 1,799 of barley, 1,349 of buck- wheat, 362,724 of Irish and 85,309 of sweet potatoes, 3,123 of peas and beans, 60 of grass and 2,228 of clover seed, 356 of fiaxseed, 41,890 tons of hay, 1,171,963 Ibs. of butter, 58,316 of wool, 33,151 of honey, 800 of wax, 878 of flax, 800 of hops, 65,908 gallons of sorghum molasses, 1,552 of wine, and 758,603 gallons of milk sold. There were 16,770 horses, 3,584 mules and asses, 24,082 milch cows, 6,888 working oxen, 19,020 other cattle, 22,714 sheep, and 39, 81 8 swine. There were be-