New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-08-01


now census "a now IN progress, and the
atura desire of all sections, from great eommonWe's
20 petty villages to show large increase OF poPua
non and wealth. In the West this desire VIII DC apu
dainty Cratihed the Middle states reasonably so IN
the Eastern scarcely at ALL The general progress OF the
rountry UP TO 1850 nearly uniform from one census 10
another at the rate OF about IS per cent TOT 'acn 10
voars II NAV show about that rate In the present
enumeration which would give us population OF nearly
.AOO0o But this is probably q htue 100 hgn'
From 1860 TO 1870 the increase has been much less IMAM III
previous decades The drain of the war; the decrease
for a period of immigration and general political dls-
rhance are 70 be taken into account and the people
,nust not he disappointed TO find that in some places
,bor has been essential decrease and nowhere east OF
the Mississippi the full gain that would have been shown
in state Of peace and general prosperity.
II is however this City that have to consider at
nresent The remarkable discrepancy between the cen
sus Of 1865 and what the public generally expected there
bcn decrease OF II per cent for five years, instead OF
an increase % per cent from 1883 to 1850 quite
naturally surprised and dissatisfied the people. Proha
by the truth that the figures for 1850 are much too
large he enumeratOrs being paid two cents per NAME
and putting thousands Of imaginary residents TO swell
their hs while those for 1865 slightly under the
mark owing the general suspicion among the Ignorant
uhe war having scarcely closed that another draft was
90 be made The great reason however for the cessation
Of our growth in the matter Of population is tho the
City proper about fu and not many more can be de-
Gently ammed into it, certainly not with proper regard
for breathng-rOom. But OF the causes why We
may not look enthusiastic New-Yorker do for
a million and quarter Of actual residents, may be
glanced at. We say them that not only the drain for
the great Union armies not only the skulkng OF many
citizens who heartily ashamed Of their cOwardice
not only the radical change in immigration by which the
Influx instead OF settling here in corner groceries and
tenement houses away to the free West-not only
have all these restricted the hitherto rapid growth Of
This great city, hut other potent agents have repeSSed
influx and drawn out thousands who were already
domicilcd. The enormous demands OF business
tor room, and the consequent enormous in
crease Of rents, has dcpopuated entire Wards
Twenty five years ago, the lower Wards Green
wicb st. and the region of the Battery especially,
housed many Of most wealthy people, stephen Allen
lived at Bowling Green; Mayor Woodruff in Beck
man-st. The Third and Fifth were aristOcratic Wards
John L. Stephens lived Barclayst all around Columbia
College palaal residences such Save i'll buildings
aone) as We now find around Madson-square All are
gone moustiOuS storclouscS, immense banking and in
smrance buildings and the elite OF the drygoods whole
trade sit their places. Indeed it is safe TO say
that below Graud-st.-With very few exceptions OF
cid residents who will not be driven out-nobOdy
that anybody pretends to keep house. small
guard Of Kuiekorhockers chung lovingly TO the once
charming locality OF st. Johns Park bat they have been
at last put GIT by Commodore Vanderbilt with his
mammoth and noisy freight depot
Other causes, along tine west side of the city parcu
larry, affecting the moral standing of neighborhOCds
have assisted in driving out the original NEWCOMERS
making for equal population perhaps of people
whose presence may be unavoidable, but who in the
last degree dcmorazing and dangerous. Prostitutes
and gamblers exist everywhere; but when they take
of entire Streets and haunt their infamy in
open day, without OF their check from
authority the respectable citizen has alternatiye-he
must Migrate.
1t appears therefore, that legitimate business and il
legitimate uiquy have been the of driving out
nearly all the responsible and longesdcnt citizens and
families that, scarcely quarter of century ago, dwet
in respectable comfort and luxury in the region stretch
ing from the Battery to the upper boundaries Of the
Eighth Tenth and the east side, to large degree
MP 10 the north line OF the Seventeenth Ward The men,
ton the last Ward reminds that we have given up
large portion OF this section Of the city to stranger
race for the most partCndustrious and honest
people. good friends and warm advocates OF liberty
but estranged from the natives by difference Of Ian
g1iage, manners, and customs OF course mean the
German residents. They prevail over all the eastern
side Of the island from the Fourth Ward far above the
Central Park, and wherever they are thcky clustered
the or ina New-York has packed up his household
gods and gone into the country at least many blocks
away While there l. kindly feeling toward this
class Of mm grants their ways not our ways their
gods are not gods-particularly Gambrnus-and
hmalgamaton of residences is ont of the question.
one more and powerful Of driving our natural
residents into the country must be mentioned 1t is the
Demon Of Rent. Unfortunately too many of Us, like St
Paul at Rome live hired houses II has been the
policy Of the landlords to accumulate rather than sell,
and half the tOlerably respectable houses In the
city are owned by bakers dozen OF great capitalists
Young who would buy and pay on long time get no
chance rich landlord Is anxious to SELL and if he
the applicant great favor he wants cash down,
and no botlpr about bonds and mortgages. Hence
thousands Of men in moderate circumstances are
compelled TO pay extravagant rent or quit
the city, and thousands Of houses now bringing in
rates from to per cent year their real value,
by tenants for all which money the tenants have not
dollar Of accrued value 10 show the landlord has the
earnings-the wOrkngma has had simply shell
ter nothing Furthermore rents have been put
up and up and up until in sefdfense thousands Of
and families who would live within the city if they could,
have been driven 70 the adjoining country, where they
get some respite from the Demon of Rent, at least find
the ogre in a modified shape.
This migration has been accelerated by largely in
creased means Of communication. y quarter OF cen
tury ago ha dozen railroad trains in day from the
North and East and dozen from Jersey indicated live
Is business nearly Of railways bring 10 the
city her ferries nearly three hundred trains Der
day, and take away an equal number Ihen trains rare
y left after sunset now hfty or sixty trains run IRON
sunset until midnight and after. Then ferry boats laid
up early IN the evening; they all night Then
the ferries carried possibly tfty sixty thousand pas
scnGeTs per dav they carry more than two hundred
thousand People have little conception OF the vast eX-
tent Of local navel but the following figures VIII give
them some idea:
TRAVEL IL AND AROUND NEW-YoRK CITY
ny srgAx NAiLEOADs RAILROADS
- hlSa, Passenges N 1903 IN He"-f "% o,s ore
Hu0 On River. 2,G2G,303 Beecker-st 4g6sto
Harlem. .... 1,GG7758 Broadway, 7th-aY. llOI644
NcwHayen........ 2l92940 Central Park elp S3l26ts
Flushing. .......... GGO,0DO Dry Dock... l2y0S2I
Long Island ... $4,000 Eghth-ave l29@j52
EOTty-seCOuu ST..