New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-08
Providence, X. I.-Long Island Sound.

PROVIDENCE, r. l., Friday, April q, 1852
When Rip Van Wrinkle woke up from
his sleep of twenty years, he was not more sur
prised than on finding myself in the capital of tho
estate of Rhode Island and Providence Planta-
tions," after an absence of twenty-one years. The
blue and yellow uniform of Gen. Washington sus-
pended over the inndoor of his old loungng place,
in lieu of his Majesty George w., of loyal MEM
CRY, could not have puzzled his vision than tho
great number of splendid and many coiored buildings
well graded and paved streets and sidewalks OF unex,
IMPLIED cleanliness etc, ETC., did mine. On enterngns
harbor, filed with square rugged shipping, where whom
but few old Albany sloops lay moored, could not
recognize single structure had seen before save tho
ancient Indian bridge
On advancing into the thickenng mass, two oAr
well remembered buildings met my view The JOwsa
Office and the Franklin House the one In which had
composed great many thousand " ems" Of BREWER
the other where had eaten nnumerable good dinners
Providence has become really large and fine city ard
would astonsh the shade of Roger Williams could he
behold the forest site Of the chosen spot Of hs ee
Twentyone years ago, II my memory fail me not fifteen
thousand inhabitants compfised Its whole humber nov
the bestnormed citizens estimate 1t at forty six thou
sand Immense hills have been dug away, and acres Of
ponds filed up and built upon.
Yet great and rapid these improvements are, they
cannot compare with the advancement in the like space
of time of numbers of Western cities Cincinnati,
when first visited IT, in 1885, contained but hirtyax
thousand people, and numbers nearly one hundred
and fifty thousand. st. Louis, though an old French
trading poet of much celebrity in the West contained
less than thirty thousand twelve years ago, and IL Lac
census gives it eighty.fve thousand. Milwaukee, on
whose site, seventeen years ago. my eyes behed 'us
two log hup, has now population OF about twenty
thousandl An English paper short time since 'sfa
that Liverpool had increased In greater ratio than say
other city Of the world but question strongly whether
she hos equaed any Of the three Western cities nsvS
named above.
1t would be difficult TO describe the peculiar emotions
Inexperienced on again poughing up the phospA@
escent waves of Long Island Sound, after 80 many
years of absence among turbulent rivers agoous s1s
bsyous, In the fsroff West and South to dvef ny
soul Of the memory Of the friends of my youth who v
eompsnied me my last transit It's white cTea
briny bosom. They were two young beings whose q
istences were bound up In each other. brief auds~
pie story their guardians modern Monsgues and
lets, and they doomed to live on and love wrfso"
hope Of the fulhment Of their happiness She oees~
melancholy and wasted away he rushed 70 iptemp,'
snce and became outcsst from society. sheo '.
and then soberness and gloom fell upon him in turn
he forsook the bowl and became repentsnt but ~
less man. Alas they are both laid under the willow
the green tree Of life and still unsoruna'' ~
on to deplore them, and to sorrow over the fssnV
artihcfalsm that dooms to wretchedness what sss'~
bern Nature dssigns TO be happy
Az sat In the pale moonlight on the promenade aee.
OF the Empire State" | could not bu. contrs@p
noble voyager with the old fragile boats that m0',s
over the waters of the Sound In the years whes -
New.England adieu; nor behold without some sarp's
the difference In the characteristics of the men Geo.
to conduct them In their various capacities TWe"S
and thirty years ago harsh hacyil fellow, who IT,
enough to stear through Hurlgate, and not enous'
prevent him from taking the leading place at table -.
having cluster Of waters around him to the eSeia
Of the passengers, (hh guesn) was Of sufficiently s0'
materials to make captain in-oles' unnsnoe'''
shsveling, who scorned pleasant answer 20 the iae
ested queries of those whose lives aud money "@'
haxarded, formed q capital clerk and a iro"v
wight, In shirt sleeve, heading his ASSISTANTS -
table, q nght ve1,able eabjeet for s.esard coz