The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-29

Election.
There are periods in the lives of young per-
sons when greater care in their management
and more liberal expenditure on their educa-
ton and cultivation are required than at any
other time, in order that tie good qualities of
their nature may be properly developed, their
minds improved, and their future rendered
prosperous and happy. The city of New York
has now reached an epoch in its history when
in like manner prudence and generous expan-
sion are especially needed to help it success
fully forward to the brilliant destiny that
awaits it. The young metropolis has passed
safely through the trials of its infancy, as
strong child survives the sufferings and dis
eases of its earliest years. The cholera of
1882, the great fire of 1885, the commercial
revulsions of 1886 and 1887, the extensive con-
fagration of 1845, were its teethings. its
measles, its scarlet fever and its whooping
cough; and having rallied from all these, and
grown vigorous and healthy almost without
any aids to nature we now find it in want of
necessary to develop promising youth into
vigorous prime Neglect, indifference, inert
ness, or unwise parsimony at this time may
cramp its growth and block the wheels of its
progress in such manner as to do incaicula-
BILE damage to its future career
Hundreds of citizens are living to-day who
have seen New York grow up. Indeed half an
ordinary lifetime has been sufficient to show
wonderful changes in the young metropolis of
the New World A city, some Of whose real
estate has risen in value within generation
from $500 an acre to $50, 900 lot, must neces-
sarily have presented many astonishing transit
tons to the eyes Of it's steady residents. The
younger people, who have only known New
York as at present, can readily raise up before
their minds eye the picture of the city half q
century ago, without the mighty agents Of
steam and electricity. and with Canal street a
suburb. But older residents, who almost re-
member that time, have seen the changes con-
stantly going on, and can recall the days when
the commerce of the world first began to filter
slowly into our port; when foreign vessels
were gazed at with curiosity as they reached
their docks when news came to us from our
own States and from Europe weeks and
months old when journey to Albany was
labor of time, fatigue and hazard As
they look now upon our rivers and bays
covered with vessels of all sorts and Of all ma
tionalities; upon our DOCKS forest of masts;
upon our busy, crowded streets; upon the
buildings stretching along beyond the
reach of our business community, and, as they
read every morning in the HERALD, news O: the
preceding day from every quarter of the
globe, they can bear personal testimony to
progress that reminds one of those fairy tales
which tell of cities raised in nighttime by
the magician's power in the heart of wilder
ness Yet few even of our most thoughtful
and far-seeing citizens can imagine how great,
how wealthy and how beautiful o metropolis
New York may become by the aid of honesty,
iberality and enterprise in the next twenty
five years. '-.--.s .. - s.'''&'.
The most fanciful pen can scarcely draw an
exaggerated picture of our future if only we
have energy and enlightenment enough to
secure the prize in store for us. What we now
call New York will be but the heart of the New
York of quarter of century hence Bridges
spanning the East River will unite us in a
single corporation with the handsome suburbs
of Brooklyn and Williamsburg, which will in
their turn stretch miles along the bay and river
and into the interior of the island, to furnish
residences for good portion of our inhabi-
tants. Viaduct and underground railroads,
running along the sides and through the centre
of the island, will lead our teeming population
to Harlem, and over solid, handsome bridges,
or through tunnels beyond the river into
Westchester county, whose picturesque hills
and valleys will be covered with the princely
new boulevards, the Champs Elysees of
America, will offer us the most attractive
streets and the finest drives to be found in any
capital of Europe. The Central Park, whose
management has always been admirable, will
present new beauties to the eye, and will be-
come only the parent of others almost or
quite as elaborate and charming. Along the
North and East rivers will run the grand
broad river streets designed by the
Dock Commission, with massive stone
docks and convenient slips along their
whole length, affording facilities to COM
merce unknown in any other port in the
world, with wharves busy from the Battery to
Harlem River, and with capacious warehouses
to receive and store goods without the incon-
venience and expense which now so sadly
cripple our trade. Our fugitive people, now
driven into Jersey, Connecticut or elsewhere,
to spend the money they make in New York,
will gladly return to the city when railroad
facilities and bridges enable them to live here
within reach of their business occupations
and new residents attracted to us by our
prosperity, and brought to us by the natural
progress of trade and commerce, will swell our
nonnlation by millions This is no exan