The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-22
THE CITY DIRECTORY.
Appearance OF the Work for 1s74-'75-
Some of It's PecuIia rites.

Appearance OF the Work for 1s74-'75-
Some OF Its PecuIia rites.
The "City Directory for the year 1s74'75 has ap.
peared. This Il the eighty-eighth volume, making
the Directory the Oldest regular publication now n
existence in this country. Every year the volume
has been increasing in size aud the numDer OF
names it contains The Directory for 1s72-'73 con-
tanned 2l1, pa names, an increase OF 10000 over
the previous year. Last year the number OF names
was 22S, 161, an increase OF nearly 17.000 ana the
present work contains 229, sos. This comparatively
small increase is TO be attributed to the panic OF
last September and to the fact that the very large
increase of last year was partly owing to the in
crease of population by the Westchester annexa
tion. 1t viii be seen, however, that in pite OF the
panic the population OF the city has increase
over 1000
AS matter Of course the new Directory like
those which preceded 1t, has numor which is
confined to this species of publication. 1t has its
redundancy OF Smiths and Browns and other
familiar names; but there is no longer any fun in
recounting their number. Yet the Smith family is
suggestive even now, especially illustrating the
modern taste for double names. Jonn Smith, OF
course, holds his old supremacy; but from John A.
to John w. smith, all the letters Of the alphabet
used for middle initials, except +, and q. John
G. Smith, John E. Smith, John G. smith, John II.
JONI L.. GnltN ana JCnn =. Snlltn are CON-
monplace enough and are duplicated very oIten
with no more effect than If some other letter was
used; but when the middle name Is spelled out into
John Cotton smith, John Elliott Smith, John Gait
Smith, John Hennng smith, John Lee Smith and
John sabine Smith, the ordinary patronymlc
fairly bulges out with Importance. The Macs and
the O's also fill their odtirle places. Beginning
with Mr. Ambrose McAdam on page 79s we end
with Deputy Coroner Macwhnne on page $40,
making more than NIFTY pages For the others,
from the U'Gradys TO the o. fooles, much less space
is required. Every nationality under the sun is
represented in the New York Directory. The VOL
only is every nationality represented, but the OLD
and new poets and dramatists hgare IN the book.
There are no Shakespeares, IL Is true out, then,
there are any number OF Sherdans and respeCta-
bic company OF Millions. There are plenty OF
Popes, but only two Drydens There is not q Cole
ridge nor " ordswortn. There Is one 1ennyson,
but no LongellOw, though there are LonRheads
and Longstais and LoIgstrcets. There are plenty
OF Cohlnses, but out OF the lot twenty
Which OF them caused much trouble recently
does not appear George Washington figures
quite extensively IN the book, and, as rule, nc IS
not proud-lndecd, lie IS so humble IN his avoca-
tons that he Is once O barber and i've times a
waiter. the Directory gives no information on tfe
question whether eacn one OF him mad iittie
Ratchet. Among other cnrk)siteS IL Is noHceaDlc
that the name OF William NJ. Tweed has dlsap-
peared. Complaint IS made IN the preface Of want
strange TO say, the majority OF the names refused
are In Fifth avenue or IN blocks adjacent to II.
But the Directory seems as nearly perfect as a
work or the Kind can be made, and It's appearance
Within six weeks after the May mOvngs shows
| much activity on the part Of Its projectors.