The Portland daily press., 1863-04-20

direct attention to a marked disparity which
has been developed in the progress of two CT
ties, thirty years since of nearly equal popula-
ton, but now with disparity so great that
it,becomes interesting to investigate the caus-
es Of such aresult We refer to Portland and
Providence.
Portland has one of the finest harbors on the
continent, is well situated to enter into COM
mercial competition with any other port, Is the
central point of attraction on a line of coast
stretching from Kittery Point to Quoddy
Head. is the winter terminus of several lines
of European steamers and the winter port Of
the Canadas-with which she is connected by
one of the most important lines of railway on
the globe, has larger West India business
than any other port in n. England, is the center
of trade for large portion of the State, has
lines of railroad connecting her with a fertile
country in many different directions, is favor
ably situated for the out fitting of the hundreds
of fishing vessels enga ged upon the Banks as
well as in the bays upon our coast, and in all
respects is almost unriyalled in her natural
advantages, and in the natural elements of
growth and prosperity placed within the grasp
of her people BY nature Portland is ia
vored spot; with unrivalled natural beauty,
with a salubrious climate and free alike from
stagnant pools and malarious swamps, surround
ed BY productive country which teens
with the wealth Of an industrial and frugal
population, one would look for a progress in
her wealth, population, and other elements of
Hal In,
whole sisterhood OF States.
How is it with Providence? Her far inland
situation almost excludes her from the list of
commercial cities. In $50 her registered and
enrolled permanent tonnage was less than one
fifth that OF Portland, while the amount of new
tonnage built, was to that of Portland as one to
thirty-onel Providence lies between Boston
on one side and New York on the other,
and stranger would suppose that, in every
thing like active enterprise, they would be to
her like 'the upper and the neither millstones."
At one time she was apparently mere sta
ton or reIreshment stand on the great line of
travel between the two cities, but that office
seems to have been taken from her, by the
great Fail River route on one side and the
Norwich, New Haven and shore routes on the
other. With natural advantages against her,
without commerce, left outside of the great
thoroughfares for travel, and with her large
sober, staid, unexcitable Quaker population,
who would have been disappointed If Provi-
dence had become the most decayed, run
down, dlapidated aud wilted city to be found
>s~ za-s.i-.ssi--A-.l...h 1ssr -salse IN fact.
would be such an expectation. Below is the
population Of Portland and Providence as Civ
en- In the census reports OF the last sixty years,
and these simple figures provoke inquiries the
answers to which should stimulate our people
to renewed activity, in direction which has
been too much neglected.
1900 1910 1870 1880 1870 1850 1850
Providence. 1914 l0o11 lI7s7 1882 2al71 l5s 5oes
Portland, se77 7ies s5sl 1901 l52ls 2Osl5 26342
Difference, 1881 2so2 sIss 42al 1858 2Oess 2sa2;
The above figures show that in their very
slow growth Portland and Providence, from
1900 to 1880, kept about neck and neck, the
latter city gaining upon the former in her pop
ulation less than 800, or an average of ten per
annum. But from 80 TO 40 Providence seems
to have gathered up her energies and to have
made marked strides ahead, while from 40 to
81 the gap between the population OF the two
cities was opened with tremendous effect Ii
the inside history of that city should be con-
suited, 1t would be found that, at Just the
point where her rate of progress became ac-
celebrated, was where her people first awoke to
the importance ofiostering branches of indus
try within their own borders, and where pro-
duction began TO show itself in new aud in
teresting forms. From that day TO this that
city has constantly been evolving the products
of her industry in forms that are literally multi
tudnous, until now she is one great workshop,
irregular hive Of industry, and her artizans
and cunning workmen are sending the fruits
Of their ingenuity and skill to all parts of the
country. Providence did not take the ground
that she must do some mighty thing or do
nothing. Because she had no waterpower to
turn the spindles OF Manchester, she did not
sit with folded hands, subsisting on mdew
aud departing greatness. Ii she could not
make screw ship she could make wood
screw; il she had not the appliances to make
anchors and anvils, she could make buttons
and hooks and eyes and she went TO work,
and to-day there is scarcely production of
mechanical skill, from button 10 billiard Ia
bic, IRON spoon TO spade, from pin to
piano, from an awl to an axle, from mouse
trap to musical instrument. that is not manu-
featured in Providence And it is pre-
cisely this condition VI things that has
brought Providence up from what she ,cas
to what she is. And if we had the documents
before US we corid show that her wealth has
fully kept pace with her population. She is
one Of the richest cities in the land of her size.
What Providence is Portland may be. Like
car sproduce like effects. II will be seen by
the figures that from 80 TO 80 our city took
on new activities, aud actually made four per
cent more gain upon her population in that
decade than did the city with which we have
been comparing her, though in the previous
decade, Providence had beaten her by forty
three per cent? But need we say word 10
convince any one that the same causes which
gave new life to Providence had much to do
with this impetus given to the growth of Port
land? 1t was during this very period that the
Portland Sugar House became an "institu-
ton,' that the Portland Company developed
their power for good, and that various other
manufacturing and industrial enterprises
.ntr