The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-07
INDIANAPOLIS

| THE CENTRAL CITY AGAIN
HOW BAY STATE CORRESPONDENT SEES IN
| DIANAPOLIs-THE BIRMINGHAM OF AMER
| ICA.
An indianapolis letter in the Springfield
Republican gives an interesting review of
the city which is worth reproducing: Having
been formerly resident of your city, the
thought has occurred that few statements
concerning Indianapolis, my present loca-
ton. may not be embarrassing to your read
ers. In 1850 this city had population of
$4,000; in 1870, $4,000; in 1873, $4,000, and at
our present rate of increase the enumeration
of 1875 will give us not less than 100000
doubling in five years. No one can look
carefully at a railroad map of the United
States without being struck with the fact
that Indianapolis is the grand center of rail-
road communication between the great west
and the east. Here the whole network of
railways in the west seems to converge-no
less than fourteen different roads center
| ing in one immense union depot. In
the conception of the idea of a double
track belt. railway, encircling the city and
connecting all the railroads centerine here
| for transferring of freights, Indianapolis
ranks the world. With the completion of
this grand enterprise she will have, count
| ing the land either side, from % to 80
miles of territory for manufacturing pur-
poses, every acre of which will be in direct
communication with every railroad entering
the city. Is there another locality in the
known world offering such facilities to
manufacturers as Just this? The contempla-
ton of the numerous industries, with the
busy hum of the various machineries which
must in a few years fill this extent of terri
tory, is truly gratifying. The attention of
foreign capitalists seems now, for the first
time. to be universally attracted to the re-
sources of this state, in the way of furnish
ing material for manufacturing articles. 1t
is becoming known that directly within
reach there exists an inexhaustible amount
of block coal for fuel, with which can be
made pig iron equal to the best charcoal
iron, and we'll adapted for the Bessemer pro-
cess of steel-making. Indiana is only in her
infancy as to the development OF technical
enterprises mining and smelting), but there
producing state and the future seat of
American steel-making; and the coming
Indianapolis will be the
BIRMINGHAM OF THE UNITED STATES.
Sixteen large establishments for the man.
ufacture of iron and steel are already in OPP
Grafton, and several new ones are approach
ing completion. The field is large, however,
so that a hundred more of similar kind
could be easily accommodated. During 1873
noless than 80 large manufactures, includ.
ing pork houses and other interests, were
either completed or enlarged from smaller
ones. The quantity, quality, and variety of
timber in this vicinity also deserves partic-
ular notice. Fer walnut lumber this is the
of last year 81 lumber yards sold LOG, 435, 1859
feet of walnut lumber. Poplar or white
wood, hickory, ash, wild cherry, white and
red oak, maple-everything, in fact, but
pine-is abundant at our very door;
hence, the. opportunity for carriage
makers, cabinet-makers, wagOn-makers,
car works, and almost every industry,
to find a favorable location. Pork packing
is carried on in this city upon an immense
scale. Kingan's establishment alone, being
the largest in the world, killed and packed
during the year ending November 1, 1873,
1894 900 hogs. Besides this. are seven other
pork-packiDg firms nearly as large. The
climate is regarded as particularly favora-
BILE for this branch of business, being neither
so warm as Cincinnati nor so cold Chi
cago. Union stock yards covering 500 acres
of ground are projected and will be ready
for use early next fall. 1t is point worthy
of remark that all cattle passing to the east
from Texas, and the entire wesC'must of ne
cessity pass through Indianapolis. The
ENTERPRISE, ENERGY AND ABILITY
Exhibited by the business men of this place
is something remarkable. Public improve
ments are pushed through with a spirit and
rapidity proportioned to their value. Forty
five miles of improved streets were made
last year, fair proportion of which was of
block pavement. This is the more prais
worthy, since all the streets are from eighty
to one hundred feet in width. Eleven iron
wagon-bridges extend over White river, in
and near the city; also, an iron bridge spans
all the railroads running north, northeast
and southeast; while double tunnel passes
under all the railroads which run northwest,
west and southwest. Seventeen miles of
street railway have been laid down, and the
company expect to put down many more
during the present year. Our public
schools are equal to those of any other
city, east west. Indiana has the largest
school fund of any state in the Union, and
Indianapolis has svailed herself of this
fund in building up school system admira-
BILE in every respect. The temples of learn
ing here, large, numerous and costly, COM
pare favorably with those Ofthe famed city of
Boston itself; while the immense number of
magnificent church ediices speak Volumes in
the meridian city" The amount of build
ing done during 1873 astonished everybody
acquainted with the facts. Many of the
business blocks that have been erected can
not be surpassed in beauty and granduer by
those Of any city or the continent; while
scores of pafatial residences mark the
GRowrNG wEALTH AND REFINEMENT OF OUR
-i.ei ;os o. PEOPLE.
A feature still more pleasing which distin-
7 IL al