The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-08-19
rAcrs ABoUr PH1EADELpHT.a.

tention Is being attracted towards that city
throughout the entire civilized world. Such
being tie case i brief description Of this
beautiful city, and 4 few statistics respecting
/ It may be Of interest to our readers
Philadelphia has q population Of about 800
600 souls. The city covers an area Of 12o
| square miles. 1t Is pre-eminently city of
homes. 1t contains 1874, TAO buildings Of all
kinds-1a4, a0s Of these being dwelling houses,
each occupied by single family. There are
no tenement houses and that style of living
two or more families in one lousc--is entirely
unknown. There are any quantity Of small
houses throughout the city, which the poorer
classes can obtain at very cheap rent--only
one family living in a house,
This city in regard to number of dwelling
houses within its limits compares with some
Of the other American cities as follows 1t
has over GU,o00 more houses than New York
city has over $4,000 more than Brooklyn I;
over 81, 200 more than st. Louis; over $4,000
more than Baltimore over 10000 more than
Chicago; over $4,000 more than Boston over
$4,000 more than Cincinnati. It has 900
miles Of streets open for use, and over 500
miles Of these arc paved. 1t is lighted by
nearly 10000 gas lamps. The earth beneath
conccals and Is penetrated by more than 1874
miles Of sewers, more than 600 miles Of gas
mains, and $40 miles of water pipes The
city possesses more horse car railways than
any other city in this country. Were all
their tracks placed in one continuous line
they would extend over q distance Of 2l2
miles. Over these tracks f,704 horse ears
pass daily. The city contains over 400 public
schools, many Of which are large and magnih-
cent buildings, with 1000 school teachers,
and about $4,000 pupils. 1t has 400 churches,
with accommodations in them for 800, 600 per-
sons. A large number of these are grand
specimens of church architccturo--sucl as tho
white marble church, corner Broad and Arch
streets, the Cathedral on Eighteentll street,
the several churches On Spring Garden street.
aud many others
Philadelphia has long been celebrated for
the clean habits OF her citizens. In this con-
nection we note that the city has over $4,000
bath-rooms distributed among private famil-
les. The pavements throughout the entire
city and also the fronts Of the honscs arc well
washed and scrubbed with water, sand and
soap once or twice every week. In this re-
spcct the old Quaker element still predomi-
nates--although that denomination OF people
is rapidly dying ont--and Pifiladelphians
when they visit other cities for The first time
are always Mortified by what they term s'thci
dirty appearance"
The commerce Of the city is small comparee
with that Of New York, the haibor facilities
and the condition Of the Delaware rivcr being
none the best--although right here 1t may b
remarked that Philadelphia has the only lin,
of steamships sailing under the American flag
between this country and Europe--but as
manufacturing city it stands without a riva
on this continent. 1t contains 1900 manu-
factories having a capital Of $185, 200, 900 en-.
1 ploying l45, 900 hands, the annual product o.
whose labor Is $685., 000 900. The real estate
of the city, as assessed for taxation amounts
to $5l8,0o0, 600, and there were collected dur.
ing the year 1878, $o,O00,o0O for taxes. Tho
total debt Of the city amounts at this time III
round figures to 500, 100000.
The city contains many beautiful parks, OF
"squares," as several Of them are called
there. The largest of these is the celebrated
Fairmount Park, where are situated the fam
GUS Water Works, and in one part of which
the buildings for the Centennial Exhibition
are now being erected. This park is one OF
the largest In the world. 1t covers 1901
acres, and was enjoyed in 1878 by about 8,
100000 peoples The Exhibition buildings
are being built on a portion Of land situated
between the old and new portions of the park.
This spot was formally presented to the
/ United States for this purposes by the munic-
I ipal authorities, two or three years ago.
President Grant receiving 1t ON behalf Of the
country. The buildings are now fully under
way, an immense force Of laborers being en-
ployed on them SO as to have them ready by
the beginning of April, 1876. After tho close
OF the Exhibition, one OF the buildings, called
"sEemorial Hail. is to remain, a fitting mon
umcnt Of this great eyent--thc balance are to
be torn down.
On the 4th OF July the corner stone of the
new city building of Philadelphia was laid by
Masonic ceremony in the presence of vast
concoulse of spectators A brief description
and few Of the details of this remarkable
structure may be Of interest to our readers.
The building is being built at the intersection
Of Broad and Market streets--the two widest
tIoronghfares in the city, III former times
OIL each of the corners of these two streets
stood a small park placed there by Penn when
he laid out the city and called "Penn's
Squares" These having been removed II
gives plenty Of space for the immense build
ing--it standing right in tho centre and boil
Of the streets passing around It. II will be
470 feet from cast to west and 4S64 feet from
north to south, covering an area exclusive O
the court yard Of about 4 aeres. It will
probably be larger than any single building Of
, this continent. 1t will contain $40 rooms an,
will be used solely by the different city dc
partnients. Two wings will be completed b.
1876. The whole building will not be fnishe,
for five or eight years fro,n this time
Philadelphia isJatller deficient in It's hdte
! accommodations and it is to be hoped betwec
this and the Summer Of 1876 they win be in