Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-01-24
from the Pha4del,,hia Ledger.
THE VASTNESS OF IoNDON

We Americans are so accustomed tn er-
I,a'iatlng on the rapid growth of cur cities.
that most OF us are surprised to hear tina.
the capitals Of Europe increase nearly 90
fast. The growth Of Paris, Vienna and
Berlin, on tho continent, and OF London
Liverpool, Glasgow and Manchester, in Emo.
land. have been especially rapid. But no
city IN the world has thriven like the great
British metropolis. I'm 1901, for example.
the population of London was 95S, sea
now it is two millions and half; in other
words, at the beginning of the century, it
was hardly more than third as large as it
is at present. We think Philadelphia, with
its half million of inhabitants, large town;
but London is five times as large In fact,
the latter city contains nearly as many in
habitants as the State of Pennsylvania, aud
more than all the great cities Of the United
States together. Nor does there seem at
present, any likelihood of this great metro
polls decreasing in size. On the contrary.
there is every indication of its continued
growth. The sewerage commissioners, in
view of its probable necessities in the fu-
ture, are already projecting drainage for
SIX millions of inhabitants, population
which London will yet contain, if the in
crease goes on for half century, at the
present ratio.
Il is curious to examine the statistics in
detail OF such vast metropolis Every year
there are eight thousand children born in
London, according to the Edinburg Review
"a competent authority. Yet the majority
OF the adult population, in spite of this, is
country born, there having been at the last
census, out of one million three hundred
ana ninety-fvc persons, twenty years old
and upwards, only six hundred and forty
i've thousand bora in London. Every six
teenih person of full age is native Of Ire
land. There is always permanent stock
Oh hand, SO to speak, of three hundred AMI
hfly thousand manageable but unmarriet,
women. There are six hundred thousand
scholars, six thousand schools, twelve hun
bred places of worship, and million Of
ehurch-going people. Fifty thousand per-
sons are always residents 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 selling animal food;
thirty thousand i'll making and vending bev-
erages; and twenty-five thousand doctoring.
preaching, and managing Law suits 10
complete the cat;usrue, there are thirty
thousand clerks; two hundred thousand do.
nestle servants thirty thousand tailera
forty thousand chair makers, aud one hun
dred thousand needle womon
In Horace Mayhew's work, and in others
of a similar character, may be found Stats
ties as to how this enormous population is
fed. London has the richest as we'll 81 tho
poorest people in the world among its IN
habtants. Thousands of persons get up
every morning, without knowing how they
are to buy a breakfast On the other hana.
there are, during the fashionable season.
seventy thousand people in London, who
have nothing to do but aMuse themselves.
Several wealthy men, NEST Of them noble
I4ea own whole squares o! houses and re-
eelye INCOMES Of above d million Of collars
annually, from tbis source There is o,,c
acre OF ground liz the British nletrorelis,
which pays the interest, OF long lease, OF
tour millions Of dollars and several that re
worth, estimated in this not excessive wss.
from two to three millions. Ancient Rolne
has always been Thought to have been the
riches; and most populous city that ever ex-
istea. Sat the best historical students con-
eete that London already SURPRISES what
that city was, even in its palmiest days; and
even those who rate the population of old.
Rome at higher figures, confess that Lon
don, before the end Of the century. will be
ahead