Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-11-06
The Vastness of London


We are SO accustomed to expatiating ol
the growth of our cities, that most Of US ar,
surprised to hear that the capitals ofEuropt
increase nearly as fast. The growth Of Pa
ris, Vienna, and Berlin, on The continent
and of London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and
Manchester, in England have been espec-
tally rapid. Gut no city in the world has
thrived ike the great British metropolis
In 1901, for example, the population q
London was 958, ,862; now it is two millions
and a half; in other words, at the begin
Of the century it was hardly more than &
third as it is,,large at present. We think Phil
adelphia, large town; but London is five
times as large. In fact, the latter city con
tains nearly as many inhabitants rs the
State Of Pennsylvania, and more than all
the great cities of the United States toge .h-
Nor does there seem, at present, am likli-
hood Of this enormous metropolis decreas-
ing in size. On the contrary, there is every
indication of its continued growth. The
sewerage commissioners, in view of It's
probable necessities in the future, are al
ready projecting drainage for six millions
Inhabitants, aPopulation which London will
yet contain, if the increase goes on for 4
half century, at the present ra,io.
1t is curious to examine the statistics in
detail such a vast metropolis Every year
there are eight thousand children born in
London, according TO the Edinburg Re
view, a competent authority. Yet the ma
jori.y Of the adult population, in spite Of
this, is country born, there having been, at
the last census. out of one million three
hundred and ninetyfve persons, twenty
years old and upwards, only six hundred
and forty-iive thousand born in London.
Every sixteenth person of full age, is na-
tive Of Ireland. There is always perma-
nent stock on hand, SO to speak, of three
hundred and fifty thousand marriageable
but unmarried women. There are six hun
dred thousand scholars, six thousand
schools, twelve hundred places Of worship
and million church people. Fifty thou
sand persons are always resident in poor
houses, prisons, and other institutions,
where they are fed out of public or private
resources. Twenty thousand individuals
are engaged constantly in killing and sell
ing animal food; thirty thousand in making
and vending beverages; and twenty five
thousand in doctoring, preaching, and ma
king lawsuits. To complete the catalogue:
are thirty thousand clerks, two hundred
thousand domestic servants; thirty thou
sand taiors; forty thousand chair makers,
and one hundred thousand needle VIC
men
In Horace Mayhew 5 work, and in others
of a similar character, may be found sta
tiSiics as TO how this enormous population
Is fed. London has the richest as well as
~ l''NiNS' P"oPic III tIic NoTiu among lis
lnhabltants. Thousands II persons get up
every morning, without knowing how they
are to buy a breakfast On the other hand
there are, during the fashionable season.
seventy thousand people in London who
have nothing to do but to amuse them
selves. Several wealthy men, most Of
them noblemen, own whole squares of hou-
ses and stores, and receive incomes above
a million of dollars annually, from this
source There is one acre Of ground, in
the British metropolis, which pays the in
terest, on a long lease, of four millions of
dollars; and several that are worth, csti-
mated in this not excessive way. from two
TO three millions. Ancient Rome has al
ways been thought to have been the rich
EST and most populous city that ever exist
ed. But the best historical students con
ccvie that London already supasses what
that city was, even in its palmiest days;
and even those who rate the population of
old Rome at a higher figure, confess that
London. before the end of the century, will
be ahead.-Le9yer.