Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1829-08-26

through her natural advantages, but byi
dInt of that enterprise, of which the work
rail road to the Susquehannahl which Is (
TO be formally commenced on this occasion,
is one among many examples. When it
is remembered that her increase is not
derived from her being the seat of gov (
ernment, nor from any other impulse than
that of commercial industry, 1t must be
reckoned not only remarkable in itself, but
a striking symptom of the general prospe-
rity of the country to which she belongs.
As some particulars respecting the pro-
gress of the city from its early beginnings
till now, may not be unacceptable on this
occasion, we shall throw few of them TO-
gether collected from Mr.. Gnllith's finals
Of Baltimore; in the course<ot which It will
appear that, If very PropItIously placed for
commerce, the town had IN other respects
very untavourabIe site, and has required
the expenditure OF vast sums, above what
are seen in brick and mortar on Its surface,
in order TO accommodate it TO the purposes
of city.
The act for erecting the town was passed
in 1929. Previously to this, in 1905.
milestone Point was made a town, y
though apparently only in a legal sense.
The new settlement OH the Pdtapsco was
described as being near the place where
one John Fleming now lives" This john
Fleming resided in a house on the north
bank of Uher's Run, and near the house
of the late Gen. Stricken, in South Charles
street. Though Sirty acres only were al
lotted for the infant city, < dimensions which
were no dtoubt thought sufficiently ample
yet they seem to have embraced most OF
the ground near the water which was all
adapted 10 the purposes of building. \
great gully running In the direction OF
Uhler's alley, bounded the town on that
side and the northwestern line terminated
abruptly at a precipice which overhung
Jones's Falls, where St Paul's and Sara
toga streets now lntersect each other
These Falls then coursed along the site of
the northern end of Monument square. and
so on in the direction Of East Lexington
street The eastern boundary consisted
ola formidable marsh, extending consider
ably westward of Jones's Falls. On the
south, the Basin washed the town; but its
waters then extended over a surface twice
as broad as at present. the wharves in some
places having been extended into it more
than a thousand feet. North Calvert street
terminated, near where the Monument
stands now, at great preclplce. Amidst
this agreeable mixture of marsh and
preclpice our ancestors built their cabins.
The new city seems TO have made slow
advances at first. A second town, indeed,
was laid off in 1882, consisting of three
streets. Front, Short and Jones streets, be
ING a part OF the present Old Town. Oh
| these combined bOroughs a view was ia
ken in 1852, and they then furnished to
gether only twenty five houses, all told
Four years after, the French from Nova
Scotia added some huts to the number.
That part of Old Town south of Baltimore
street was LAID Of ia 1863; aud Fell's Point
dates from l76l-65. The marsh between
Frederick street and the Falls was also
/ filled up and laid ont in 1865 Until 1913
the hill on which the Cathedral is erected,
and the grounds extending westward, were
covered with forest trees or plantations.
But in IVA the town had assumed some
importance. 1t then numbered sol houses.
and 1864 inhabitants. In l776, when
Congress met IN Baltimore, it occupied the
large house at the southeast corner oil
Baltimore and Liberty streets, which was
then the farthest building west In l7o2
the population had increased to only 5000
Until that year the streets, except here and
there the sideways, were unpaved, and Bal
Itimoreslreet from Gay TO Calvert was often
actually impossible. In the same year a
line of stage coaches was established be
tween Baltimore and Philadelphia.
The population had increased 10 1890 to
l3, SOB persons. 1t was 10 1892 that
those extensive wharves Dugan's and NJ
'Eldery's were extended from Water street
TO the channel Of the basIn,a distance Of
1900 feet. Such was the increase Of the
Chesapeake trade, that 10 1895 not less
than j, i6i bay craft and small coasters
passed INTO the harbour Of Baltimore. IT,
1896 the town took the rank ola city, and
some idea may be formed Gifts prosperity
from the single fact. that IN 1899 the price
of -four was above ten dollars. Accor-
dinghy in the ten =. ars ending in 1900,
the population was found to have increased
1901 persons, the total number at that
time 81, 5l4. This was greater than the
increase IN the succeeding ten wears. at
the end Of which the numbers were $500.