Daily Republican., 1881-12-23
WtlmiugtOu's Prosperity.


porous year of its life. We do not
know the exact figures yet, but 1t Is
enough for our purpose to say what is
fact, that over five hundred and forty
building permits have been issued dur
ing the year. These permits have not
all been dwelling houses Of an ordinary
character. Many of them are the fin
est dwellings that can be found in the
city, while the Moif Canning factory,
and the now Lobdell Works, rank
amongst the largest manufacturing ep-
terprises. Tho new depot also is a
monument of architectural beauty and
utility. 70 speak within proper
bounds, over five hundred of the build
ings erected are dwelling houses put up
more durable, more comfortable and
more costly in comparison with those
of other years. The good times enable
workmen to live in better houses and
in a more comfortable style. These
houses are all iuhabited as soon as they
are erected, in numerous instances be-
fore they were much more than halt
finished.
There is scarcely house now either
new or old where tenants are wanted,
and had there been more built the over
flow from crowded boarding houses and
from the country would have filed
them. Five hundred new houses with
an average Of five and one-half persons
to each house, adds two thousand, sew
en- hundred and fifty to the populat ion
of the city. The influx from other cit
les and from the country which has
filed up the boarding houses and ho-
tells adds fifteen hundred more to the
population. 1t will be safe to say that
Wilmington contains population of
four Thousand N )re than it did twelve
months ago, which runs the population
of the city up over forty-fve thousand.
This same ratio Of increase will leave
the city with a population of eighty
Thousand in 1890. We must, however,
make allowance for some draw backs.
Every year may not be alike prosper
GUS, but it will be reasonable for us to
suppose that the population will reach
seventy thousand the present decade.
Not only is our city increasing its
population, but it is spreading out its
arms in every direction and every year
those arms are growing more wiry and
strong One arm now may be said to
reach the Delaware and two years more
of continued activity and progress like
the last year will line the Christiana on
the south side especially with manutac-
tories and dwellings down to the Della
ware, and the river shipping will bear
away the products of Wilmington from
wharves upon the Delaware. The
building of the Moir canning factory,
the largest perhaps in the country, on
the east side of the Christiana, is the ex-
tension of another arm that will not
stop until it reaches the Delaware on
the east side and penetrates up the
river until it takes in Edgemoor. An
other arm has encircled and brought
the Eleventh Ward within the folds of
the city, the pulp works will soon follow.
A little more progress out Maryland
avenue will make Newport three miles
dis ant from Market street, suburb of
Wilmington.
A strong vigorous arm Of improve
meut has been stretching out the Ian
Caster pike, or more properly called
Front street, which is augmented and
still more strengthened by the extension
of the Front and Union street City
Railway line. Beyond the boundary
some of the most beautiful suburban
residences that surround the City nes-
tie amongst the maple groves and be
yond that still, opposite to ths
new Catholic Cemetery is the village OF
Silver Brook containing already some
three hundred population. From Del.
aware avenue another arm stretches
out Pennsylvania averue formerly
known as Kennett pike. This may be
more properly termed the thumb OF the
great Delaware avenue arm while the
latter avenne m ay be called the index
finger.
Gilpin, Shallcross and Lowering ave-
nues are then the other three fingers, the
whole forming hand which is grasp.
ing in GreenLill, Rising Sun, High
lands, Riddles aud Bancrofts. Anoth-
er main arm of our city is the Market
street extension which on the East side
of the Brandywine spreads in all di-
rectiOns forming another hand with the
Augustine paper mills, Eighteenth
street, Elliottavenue, Philadelphia and
Vandever avenue for the thumb and
fingers, reaching in all directions adj
ding population and wealth to the city
With all these evidences of prosper
ity, with railroads penetrating every
part of the city and with vigorous
and pushing people Wilmington in the
next decade, will divide with the State
the half of its p 2puiation.
A GREEN Christmas is one of the