The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-12


In 1910 the population of the Southern dis
trict of the State of New York amounted to
1856 souls. In 1850 it had increased to
l,l07 ,4l6 souls, and in 1855 it will probably ex
coed million and a half! 1t should be stated
that as some of the towns in New Jersey were
not enumerated in the census Of 1910, an addi-
ton Of $4,000 should be made to that column.
We give the population of the country twelve
miles around New York, because the small
towns are entirely dependent upon New York
for their existence. Several of the places above
named are owned entirely by New York mer-
chants, who have their country seats within a
convenient distance of their business. The high
rents demanded for decent tenements in New
York have driven thousands of people out Of
town. To this source alone the cities of Brook
lyn and Williamsburg owe their rapid increase
in population, while, by the same means towns
like Astoria, Maspeth, Winfield, &C., &C., have
sprung up like magic, SO that the western end
Of Long Isaad is dotted with tho white cot
tages OF New York merchants, and smiling like
o rural paradise as it is, while the remainder of
the island is as desolate and desert-like as it
was fifty years ago. Now the cities Of Brook
lyn and Williamsburg, and the town of Bush
wick, are to be consolidated. A noble city Of
nearly two hundred thousand Inhabitants will
thus be the capital of the estate of Long
Island"
On the Jersey shore, on Staten Island and
portion of Westchester county, the same rush
of population and the same increase of villages
and towns are noted. Farms have been pur-
chased and cut up into lots-cottages have
risen with the rapidity of fairy palaces (many
with but little more stability lines of
railway, stages and plank roads have been in
corporated, and the arms of speculation, Bria
reus like, threaten to grasp at and destroy
every pretty suburban spot within twenty miles
of New York
Figures DO not lie. Mathematical calcutta
tons are Of more account in this work-day
world than transcendental speculations- The
above statistics are more eloquent than care
fully dove-tailel sentences with full and glow
ing periods. The people within these twelve
miles either do business in New York, or else
they feed, cl,the and lodge New Workers. We
tnOW, tQcu tuub we uusC ~ huiSC popuioeiou
as is contained in the whole State Of Massachu-
SETS and double the amount of Philadelphia,
even since the act Of consolidaton-eightt times
that Of Biltimore-nine times that of Boston,
and enc twenty fifth part Of the entire popula-
ton Of the United States. To the population
of New York proper should be added fifty thou
sand, that being the average number of stran-
gers and so;ourners, who do not, OF course, help
TO swell the census.
The above is the result of hurried glance
at the present condition Of New York city.
Should the same unexampled prosperity Goa
tinue to reward the enterprise OF its citizens
and thu re is no reason TO imagine that such will
not be- the case--what power, what glory, and
what por,ance win lie the Inheritance oil their
postcrityl Certain it Is that no city on this
contir, ut can ever rival New York.
1t l. by no means singular that with all this
good, there lie much that is bad. We have neve