Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/307

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RHODE ISLAND 291 The aggregate included 19 Indians in 1860, and 154 in 1870. The gain in population from 1860 to 1870 was 24*47 per cent. Rhode Island at the latter date had 166'43 inhabitants to a square mile, being next to Massachusetts the most densely populated state in the Union. The total population in 1875, according to the state census, was 258,239. Of the population in 1870, 161,957 were natives and 55,396 for- eigners, 104,756 males and 112,597 females. . Of the natives, 125,269 were born in the state, 18,719 in Massachusetts, 5,524 in Connecticut, 3,932 in New York, 1,875 in Maine, and 1,242 in New Hampshire. There were 45,371 per- sons born in the state living in other parts of the Union. Of the foreigners, 42,984 were natives of the United Kingdom (31,534 Irish, 9,291 English, and 1,948 Scotch), 10,242 of Brit- ish America, and 1,201 of Germany. There were in the state 27,834 males and 27,941 fe- males between 5 and 18 years of age, 44,377 males between 18 and 45, and 58,752 males 21 years old and upward, of whom 43,996 were citizens of the United States and 14,756 unnaturalized foreigners. There were 46,133 families, with an average of 4'7l persons to each, and 34,828 dwellings, with an average of 6*24 to each ; 15,416 persons 10 years old and upward who could not read, and 21,921 who could not write, of whom 4,444 were native and 17,477 foreign born, 2,531 between 10 and 15 years of age, 2,588 between 15 and 21, and 16,802 21 and upward, of whom 6,218 were males and 10,584 females. The number of blind persons was 121 ; of deaf and dumb, 64 ; of insane, 312 ; of idiotic, 123. The number of paupers supported during the year ending June 1, 1870, was 1,046, at a cost of $97,702 ; receiving support on that date, 634, of whom 192 were foreigners; persons convicted of crimes during the year, 209 ; in prison on June 1, 180, of whom 55 were foreigners. Of the 88,574 (66,859 males and 21,715 females) per- sons 10 years old and over returned as engaged in all occupations, 11,780 were employed in agriculture, 19,679 in professional and per- sonal services, 10,108 in trade and transpor- tation, and 47,007 in manufactures, including 20,504 cotton and woollen mill operatives. The number of deaths, according to the census of 1870, was 2,741, of which 552 were from consumption and 169 from pneumonia. Rhode Island was formerly the abode of the Narra- gansett Indians, a large and powerful tribe, of which there is a small remnant. In 1709 the sachem Ninegret gave a quitclaim to the colony of all the Indian lands, except a reservation in the town of Charlestown, portions of which have from time to time been sold. Of this reservation there remains 2,685 acres, 637 of which are arable, and the remainder swamp and timber lands. The tribe now consists of fewer than 150 persons, all of whom are of mix- ed blood. They possess a church and a school house, and about a third of the tribe can read and write. The surface of the state is gen- erally rough and hilly, but has no elevations which can with propriety be called mountains. Mt. Hope, the seat of the famous Indian king Philip, near Bristol, is a considerable eleva- tion, but the hills near "Woonsocket in the north, and Hopkins hill near the centre of the state, have a greater height above the sea. Narragansett bay, which divides the state into two unequal parts, leaving far the greater por- tion on the west, extends N. from the Atlan- tic ocean a distance of 28 m. It is from 3 to 12 m. wide, and holds in its embrace the isl- ands of Aquidneck, or Rhode island, Canoni- cut, Prudence, and several smaller ones. The first named, which has been called the " Eden of America," is 15 m. long, from 3 to 3^ m. wide, and contains about 50 sq. m. It com- prises the city of Newport, the town of Mid- dletown, and the greater part of Portsmouth. Newport, near its S. end, is a celebrated wa- tering place. Newport harbor, which lies be- tween Canonicut and Rhode island, is one of the finest in the world, and has a depth of wa- ter sufficient for the largest ships. Canonicut is 7 m. long and about 1 m. wide, and forms the town of Jamestown. Prudence island lies N. E. of Canonicut, and is of less extent; it forms a portion of the town of Portsmouth. Projecting southward from the mainland on the east is a peninsula which divides Narra- gansett bay and forms Mt. Hope bay, at the head of which Taunton river enters. In the Atlantic, about 10 m. S. by W. of Point Ju- dith (at the W. entrance of Narragansett bay), is Block island, so named from the Dutch cap- tain Adriaen Block, who visited it in 1614; it is 8 m. long by from 2 to 5 m. wide, con- tains a large salt pond, and forms the town of New Shoreham, Newport co. The islanders support themselves chiefly by fishing. Sheep in considerable numbers are raised, and ex- cellent butter and cheese are made there. The rivers in the state are small, but have con- siderable falls, and their waters are used over and over again during their whole course for manufacturing purposes. The Pawtucket or Blackstone river rises in Massachusetts, runs S., and flows into Providence river. At Paw- tucket it has a fall of from 30 to 40 ft., below which it bears the name of Seekonk river. The Woonasquatucket and Mooshassuck flow into a cove within the city of Providence which is connected with Providence river. Pawtuxet river enters Narragansett bay 5 m. below Providence. It courses through the central parts of the state and abounds with falls: hence it is used to its full extent for mills and various kinds of manufacturing establishments, Pawcatuck river waters the S. W. section of the state, and falls into Stonington harbor ; along its course are many thriving manufactur- ing villages. Providence river is the northern arm of Narragansett bay, and is navigable to Providence for ships of 1,500 tons burden. The western portions of the state are very uni- form and simple in their geological character,