Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-11-29
eur PopuIatIon...onr Future


Ar. Bennett, who has carefully eau
gassed our city for ; new Directory, in
forms as that our popalation at the
present time cannot fall much short of
iansniy-f,e0 lAolasaad Mr.. Bennett 8
judgment ought TO be. and no doubt is,
very reliable in estimating the popslA-
tons Of cities which be has eanvassed
for his different directories. He has
been engaged In the directory business
for many years, and has canvassed very
many Of the principal cities Of iae West.
ern States So eoa6dens is he ia the
correctness Of his estimates Of popala-
aon, that he Is wiling he says, to wager
the oysters for very large crowd that
our population win not vary Eve hun
dsed from The figures be gives US
fsOsnty-tsso fAousaad
We confess that, at first, We were
somewhat surprised at the Iargeuess Of
the estimate, for, in our modesiy, We
had only been placing our strength at
eighteen thousand. Bat, when we be-
gan to reflect that large number Of
Dwellings bed been erected during the
past two years, ard that il was almost
aa impossibiiity to rent any kind Of a
dwelling a, the present time, hoSsver
exorbiiAn. price might be placed upon
It, ard that large bonuses are being
paid, daily, for the most uncomfortable
houses; and upon Jet another fact fur
nished Us by Mr.. Bennett, that be often
found, 10 bis canvass, as many as four
or dve families huddled together in q
single tenement, our surprise 81 his esti-
mate gave var TO surprise that our essi-
mate had been so low.
Ia eonversing with one Of our most
snierprising brick masons, the other day,
as to sae chances for obtaining brick i,
he infeEmed Us that no less than fsssHty-
fire briekyards had been in active opsr-
alton ia the vicinity Of our city during
the past Summer, and Jet they could not
supply the demand for brick He said
hs did not know shat became Of all the
brick, for, With the exception Of ths new
N. E. Chareh and Jewish Synagogue, no
very large buildings had been con
structed. The truth is, the greater por-
tieu Of the bricks have gone into foam
dations for little homes for our indus
lrious and frugal mechanics, and in the
construction Of chimnsys for the same.
Besides, s great many small brick houses
have been built during the past sunmer
Any one, in walking about our city for
half 81 hour, can see that this is true.
This large increase Of population, il
spite OF the difficulties With which shs
has had to contend, speaks well for The
future Of Evansville. No city in the
Tree States has suffered to greater ex-
tent By the war. At various times our
trade has been almost entirely destroyed
| BY military necessity. Situated on tbs
border, we have had to labor with our
guns near at hand, ready to snatch them
up at moments warning For weeks our
stores have been closed during half the
day that our people might improve
themselves in the arts Of var. Nor
have cur mechanics grown sleek aud fai
On large Government contracts On
the contrary, time and again, they have
beheld, without q murmur, their princi-
pal avenues Of trade closed against
them, because the necessities Of Govern
ment seemed to demand it But in
spite Of all these difficulties We have
prospered. We have increased in wealth
and population sec ond TO no city in the
State, il any in the West.
Another thought: II, with our ehiei
avenaes Of trade often closed against us,
and our population often compelled to
lay aside the trosel, plane and yard-stick
for the sword, the bsyonet and gun, v.
have increased 80 rapidly in population
aud wealth, how .xill il be when All tbsss
hindrances 10 trade are removsd1 Who
can estimate the rapid strides that our
city viii make when trade with the South
eru States is re-opensd3 The close oi
the var viii find the resources of tbs