MILITIA. in 1900 the Slate had 423,825 men of military age. The organized militia in 1901 numbered 2773.
I'Ol'('LATION. The following figures show the growth of the population by decades: 1840, 30, 945; 1850, 305,391 ; 1800, 775,881; 1870, 1,054, 6700; 1880, 1,315,497; 1890. 1,680,880; 1900, 2,069,042. In 1900 Wisconsin ranked thirteenth in population among the States of the Union. The State has a very large foreign-born popu lation, numbering, in 1900, 515.971, or 24.9 per cent, of the total population. It probably has the largest proportion of German blood of any State. That nationality began to come to the United States in large numbers during the first decade of the period of rapid colonization—l840 50—and settled in large numbers, especially in the southeastern half of the State. In 1000 there were 242,777 foreign-born Germans. The Nor wegians came later and went farther to the north west. There were 61,575 foreign-born Norwegians
in 1900. The early settlements ill the lead-mining region of the southwest were made by Southern ers by way of the Mississippi River. but they were soon overwhelmed in numbers by the New Eng land element. In 1900 there were. 8372 Indians, 2342 negroes, and 212 Chinese. The males num bered 1,067.562 and the females 1001,480. In 1900 there was an average of 38 persons to the square mile. The largest cities were as follows: Milwaukee, 283,315; Superior. 31.091: Racine, 29,102; La Crosse, 28,895; Oshkosh, 28.284; She boygan, 22,962: Madison, 19,164; Green Bay, 18,684; Eau Claire, 17,517; Marinette, 16,195; Fond du Lac, 15,110; Appleton. 15,085; Ashland, 13,074 ; nesv il le. 13,185 \Varga w, 12,354: towoc, 11,786; Kenosha, 11,600; Beloit. 10.436,