Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 06.djvu/480

NEGROS 408 NEILL The real beginnings of Negro migration vvithin the limits of the United States began between 1815 to 1850, with the flight of fugitive slaves to the North- west. But the migration of 1917-1918 was more nearly similar to the exodus of 1879-1880 to Kansas, and the one to Arkansas and Texas in 1888-1889. The real causes of the recent migra- tion as expressed by refugees were the agricultural depression in the lower Mis- sissippi valley, resentment against polit- ical conditions in the South, desire for economic and industrial opportunity, and inadequacy of school facilities for Negro children. This migration was hailed as the "Exodus to the Promised Land," and was characterized by an unusual degree of excitement. It had no conspicuous leaders, and although apparently sudden and spontaneous, it was in reality an ac- centuation of a process which had been going on for a hundred years. The total increase in the Negro population between 1900 and 1910 was 11.2 per cent. In the past 50 years the Northern move- ment has transplanted about 4 per cent, of the entire Negro population. Chicago increased her Negro population 46.3 per cent., and Columbus, O., 55.3; an in- crease wholly at the expense of the South, for the rural communities of the North are very sparsely populated with Negroes, and the increment accruing from birth is almost negligible. When there is any migration south- ward it is largely in the western South Central division, while the migration northward has been more evenly dis- tributed by divisions, except that a com- paratively small number have gone to the New England States. Previous to the World War, the States having the greatest gain from Negro migration were Arkansas, 105,500; Pennsylvania, 85,000; Florida, 84,000; New York, 58,- 450; Illinois, 57,500. The migration of 1916-1917 brought in its wake a train of industrial and racial conflicts in East St. Louis, Chicago, and some other cities, but they seem to have subsided quickly. The problem of the refugees was handled by the Urban League with intelligence and efiiciency, best displayed in Detroit, where there was a minimum of suffering, in comparison with the congestion of emigrants. (Ref- erence, "Negro Migration During the War," Emmett J. Scott, Preliminary Economic Studies of the War, No. 16, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.) NEGROS, an island in the Philippine group, between Panay and Cebu; area, 5,191 square miles; pop. 460,776. In the S. W. part is the mountain cha!n of Sojatas, and lying N. and N. E. of this are large plains cut by numerous rivers. The interior has not been explored. The island is divided into two provinces, Western and Eastern Negros. The for- mer is very fertile, and owing largely to the work of the various European settlers, is in the front rank of all the provinces of the archipelago. The East- ern province, while not so fertile, pro- duces large crops of sugar-cane, hemp, rice, cocoa, and cotton. The forests of the island furnish an abundance of fine building woods, among them teak. On the seashores are numbers of shell fish, tor- toise shell, lagan, sea cucumbers, etc., while near the W. coast deposits of ex- cellent coal have recently been discovered. Bacolod is the capital of the Western province, and has a number of fine public and private buildings. There are over a score of cities with a population of 10,- 000 and over. NEHEMIAH, three persons of this name are mentioned in Scripture: One who came with Zerubbabel from Baby- lon (Ezra ii: 2; Neh. vii: 7); another, the son of Azbuk (Neh. iii: 16); and lastly the celebrated Jewish leader, the son of Hachaliah (Neh, i: 1), and brother of Hanani (i: 2, vii: 2). In modern Hebrew Bibles, as that of Van der Hooght, the Book of Nehemiah is distinct from that of Ezra, immediately following it as one of the Hagiographia. In the Jewish canon, however, the two were treated as a single work. No quotation from the book occurs in the New Testament. The Septuagint trans- lation of the book is badly executed. NEILGHERRY HILLS, a mountainous district in the S. of India, rising abruptly from the plains to the height of 6,000 feet, though individual peaks shoot up to 8,760 feet. The mass is entirely isolated, with the exception that a pre- cipitous granite ridge leaves its W. face and connects it with the Western Ghats. The surface consists of grassy uplands with large groves of forest trees; but the lower slopes are heavily timbered. Owing to their great elevation, the Neilgherry Hills have a delightfully cool climate, and are much resorted to on this account by invalided Europeans, the prin- cipal station being Ootacamund. NEILL, CHARLES PATRICK, Amer- ican educator and statistician, born in Rock Island, 111., 1865; graduated from Georgetown University; became in- structor in Notre Dame University; head of economic department of Catholic Uni-