The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-15

SOuer, we clluB 10 JHe HOpe LlaI tAo iattcIs aS
the less formidable alternative, has been the
lot of the gallant fellow, who did his duty
like a man at the front Should it be other
wisc he will have fallen at his post-the place
where heroes fall.
| The MetrOpOiis-Its Growth and Its
Present Needs.
The growth of New York city is one Of
those remarkable developments which take us
all by surprise. 1t is not yet a century since
the City Hall square, scarcely more than half
q mile from the Battery, was "out Of town"
old Vauxhall were isolated suburban resorts.
1t is only quarter of a century since Union
square was almost on the extreme Of the city
limits and Fifth avenue, famed then as
the fashionable street of New York, is
now to some extent o business thor
oughfare below Madison Park Above
all these points is the real city of New
York to-day; that part Of it which is below
Twenty-third street being engulfed by
the increasing tide Of traffic that
has constantly been forcing the haunts of
fashion toward the north We all remember
when it was the standing joke of all our city
men-even of the people who were born in
New York and have seen its wondrous
growth-to ridicule the fact that our beautiful
Park was called the Central, the real centre at
that time being miles to the south. Then
there were only four subdivisions Of our great
city recognized by its sons, downtown and up
town, the east side and west side. Yorkville
was then collection of scattered ham,
let's, and Harlem river town miles away,
and only brought nearer to New York
by the horse cars and the old Boston
road, being called the Third avenue. Now q
new city is built on the east of the Park and
another city is springing up on the west Har-
lem, too is in itself city. Beyond the river
above the struggling villages are rapidly COM
ing into the compactness of the large towns
across the North and East rivers. All this is
growth more marvellous than if q magician
had called them oil into existence in q single
night by the virtues of his wand
1t is not, however, as mere wonder that we
refer to what New York was and what great
city it has become. This marvellous growth
brings with it duties that are not so
much enterprise as enterprises. Enterprise
is shown in every downtown shop
and counting room and shipping Office.
Enterprises, in the sense in which
we would speak of them, are great projects
prosecuted for the advantage and convenience
Of the people. The consolidation Of these
multiform cities into one metropolis in name
as we'll as in fact-into one municipality as
we'll as one metropolis-is in this sense an
enterprise. The annexation of lower West
chester is a project of the gravest moment and
the greatest Importance It is the first step
toward making New York the master metropo-
lis of the world 1t was the general belief
that Governor Dix would sign the bill recently
passed by the Legislature, and thereby con-
summate this great scheme, but later news
from Albany seems to throw doubt upon his
action. He should sign it without delay.
The people Of this city and of Westchester are
evidently largely in favor of the measure-so
largely that there is no necessity for delaying
great work on point that is little better
than bubble.
But we must not forget that it's consumma-
ton will be only the beginning of what in the
end will be the most glorious consum-
nation in the history Of cities. The
twin enterprise with annexation is rapid
transit. Upon the necessity of completing
project which has long been recog-
nized as the great want of this great city it is
unnecessary to enlarge at this time. The i'm
portance of the project the relative value of
the different schemes which have been pre-
scented, and the good to be derived by the peo-
pie from rapid communication between the
upper and lower parts Of the city have been
discussed over and over again. Like an
nexation, rapid transit is something to Il
achieved; but both are in themselves so
great that matters Of minor Importance
must wait till they are achieved. What
is downtown street widening in
comparison with the construction of great
highway from the City Hall to the new city
limits? Yet any one of these minor schemes,
even one so simple as the proposed widening
of Ann street, may arrest 80 grand scheme,
the greater being compelled to wait upon the
lesser project. Nothing must be allowed to
interfere with the completion of this great
work, and public attention must be concen-
trated upon it till it is finished. The construc-
ton of grand railway to bear our teeming
population from the ends of the city will be an
achievement worthy Of its greatness but this
grand highway will be more than an achieve
ment-it will be the great artery conveying the
blood to the heart and making it flow through
all the veins of the body, the very life of the
metropolis.
Other improvements, not SO vast 1t is true,