Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-08-24

A Philadelphian's Astoniahment at the Sight
Man. V,ylr


A Philadelphian's Astoniahment at the Sigh
I Of New-Yorls.
4 correspondent Of the Philadelphia Evening
Journal writes letter from the Fluma HOus
giving description of New York, which, com
ing from Philadelphian, is worth quoting
Approaching the city by way of the Narrows, III
was greatly astonished AZ the number of ships il
the stream, lie says;
! The immense fleet was packed in at its moor
ings SO closely, and extended so far out from th'
wharyes into the stream, as TO present the as
! pect Of dense wilderness of pine trees, whos
! foliage and branches had been stripped oil by th
elements, and their bare, blcRched trunks lef
standing alone in their desolation, like tho skcle
ton of a once green and living forest. This ap
pearGnce of the scene was heightened by the vel
of mist through which il wns deserted, the OBJ
scurity of the view allowing the fancy 10 supply
tho details of n picture of which the outlines
only were seen with distinctness, But | wa'
more impressed by the sight rs nm evidence oi
the marvellous commercial greatness Of New
York. had never seen elsewhere ono-hundreth
or perhaps one thOusandth part of the shipping
which | then beheld concentrated ut one point.
recoected also that what | then saw was but n
fraction of the entire mercantile marine of the
'Empire City''-that thousands of vessels ira
ding or belonging TO the same port, were scatter
cd far and wide upon distant seas and upon the
great occan-many being in foreign harbors
bound for home, others on their return voyage
from the extrcmitics of the earth, and still 9TH
ers speeding away over the deep to various and
remote lands. 1t was truly said by II gentleman
near mc-a fellow townsman-that there was
more shipping anchored ont in the North River
and the Bay, than the entire aggregate of vessels
to be found at any time in the port of Philadel-
phia. never before was made so completely con-
scious of the pre-cmincnt grandeur and power of
New York as a metropolis, and the comparative
of every other American city
What witnessed in ten minutes run down the
bay to Castle Garden, cured me et[ectually of all
petty feelings of jealousy which had ever felt as
a Phladclphian towards New York. had toac-
immcasurable superiority in every
point of view--l had to realize that
God had obviously designed ic for one of the few
great centres of the world trade and intercourse
and that he had endowed it with every natural
advantage and condition ofaptitude for that pur-
pose, and must confess that the people entrust-
ed with the execution of the Almighty's will In
the matter, have achieved it fully by the noblest
enserprise and industry. The population OF 9th
Or cities nearly if not quite rs well cirCumstancod
for commercial and industrial growth, have been
content to rely wholly on the natural capacities
and facilities of the several places, and hence they
have fallen far in the rear of an emporium whose
chief element of progress has consisted IN the me-
tropolitan spirit, the bold and generous enter
prise, and the energetic activity of its citizens,
md which, without that clement in its cOmpeti-
tors, irrespective of all other conditions, need fear
40 rivalry in all time to come. Let US, then,
With this conviction, hang our diminished heads, |
md brag and rail and sneer no more, until we can
exhibit something of that admirable temper, IN
elligence and energy which have made New York |
what she Is, and which only can make any city
,reat and prosperous. | have seen young men
yho fnncying they would rely on their genius to
ttain honorable fame and influence in the world,
AVE neglected to educate their native talents,
nd havo been Ounces and r,nes all their lives
nd any community that depends for advancement
n commerce on the geographical and like sur
oundings and attributes Of the locality in which
hey dwell, without putting forth any exertion
nd applying any means to improve the natural
dvantages and resources Of the situation, will as
urey fail in thor calculations.
Reaching New York early Wednesday morning
asst, | spent the day, hot it was, in travcrsinS
ONE of the principal streets and looking about
le. The great roaring human tide was pouring
S usual, its two contrary currents up and down
Broadway. The spectacle of itself is enough to
tur q pcrson who beholds it after many years OF
oiourn amid the calm village-like quietness, the
and the Methodistical sobriety
f the "Quaker City" All was hurry, hustle,
olse and coniusion' yet through al tnis Gurlaon
nd ENHANCEMENT there reigned q certain kind OF
ude, effectual order--a system of movement
which carried every individual of the mass to his
'estined ann ana tho execution Oh hls pa'.lcui"' i
MISSION. saw the races, inc costumes a,.u AZ
most the manners oil nearly all races anu linnf
'ass before me- yet no one stopped 10 rcl''rH MS
no matter whaS gtoteSquehess oi up
'arel, or stranSeness OF physioShIiny' pt sipSu-
arlty OF experiment. dlstinsus.eu irini llon ',o
io"u' iieIo was oiI"i ti"a s0 y, t,nno
anlsm "hlch marKs ohiy 'iI9so WV VI Vlroo 1I
lcrocosms IN which the %orlu is oPiIoil!hou h;1
epesentatlVe persons ana caSSes' ana n naol'S anu
aollments, gathered toSeener RON all eN,Te
es OF 1t, and comminSlea lamliiarly un'ii Iney {
ease TO regard each other PecuiilriIies' Lon, :
on, Paris and New YORK are such places, anu