The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-15
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
The City's Beginning, Growth, Gen.
eral Advantages, Wealth and POpu-
latiOn.-New YOrk's Great Build
lngs and Popular Resorts. The
Statesman In New York.
From Our Regular Correspondent J

give the STATESMAN READERS a passing
historical sketch of this great city,
and some idea of its general appear
ance.
New York was settled by the Dutch
in 1912, and was called New Amster-
dam. y few years later, il was an
uexed 10 the British possessions. and
its name changed to New York. From
a little hamlet, with ditch and stock
ado inclosing It Oh the north side
along Wall street. il became in 1910 a
city of 10000. and now it looms up
as one of the first cities of the world,
and has 4 population of l,250,O00. It's
corporate limits are from one to three
and a half miles in width and six
teen ID length. \ few years ago the
city limits were confined TO Manhattan
ISLAND. or all that territory lying be-
low the Harlem river and between
East and North rivers, the two latter
forming a juction AZ the lower end OF
the city and being connected at the
upper end, eight miles from the bat
terry, by the Harlem river. hut the
building of the elevated rapid transit
railroads I'VE now nave four of them
from the battery TO the Harlem river
started the uptown movement" and
the corporate limits were extended
northwaTd eight miles. New York,
with her three beautiful rivers and
bay from two to ten miles wide, reach
ing down TO the sea twenty miles
away, has an harbor capable OF float
ing the fleets OF the world. Perhaps
her harbor and water advantages have
done more towards the amazing
growth of New York than any other
one cause. though the city possesses
other advantages and important
ones. Chief among these are
its healthfulness. its georgraph-
zeal center to the formerly populous
states of the east and south, its proX
unity 70 the delightful Atlantic coast,
the acknowledged enterprise of its
citizens, and its superior manutactur-
ing industries. The old, or lower por-
ton of the city. if we except the beat
tiful view OF the rivers and bay and
adjacent scenery. from the battery,
has no special natural charms to boast
Of, but IL has some of the grandest,
Hottest, costheSt buildings the world
has ever seen. buildings which kiss
the clouds and glisten with marble
and metal finish. Many of these inn
posing structures are ten stories high
above ground, and three below, and
are supplied with two elevators, each
of which will carry dozen people
from sidewalk to garnet in half min
ute. A view from the roofs of these
buildings, which any stranger can
avail himself of, presents beautiful
panorama, especially in Il clear
day, when a full view of New
York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Hoboken,
the bay and rivers, Long Island
sound. Staten Island and the Hudson
Mills can be had. The upper portion
of the city, however, is simply charm
ing The heightened retail and resi-
dence streets. and the mansions OF
the millionaireS are all up town, like
wise the parks and drives and the
finest churches and theatres, as also
the sure-enough first-class hotels.
The city, being long and narrow, the
great tide of trade and activity is up
and down, hence the urgent need and
success OF the elevated railroads. It's
a sight to see
THE SWARMs OF PEOPLE
going up Broadway from to : at
night, after the days work is done.
and the jam on the great ferry boats
to Brooklyn and Jersey City, etc. is
equally great. 1t is estimated that
$1,000 people leave New York every
uight by the ferries and return in the
morning; but much OF this travel.
perhaps, will be attracted TO the
Brooklyn bridge when it is completed,
an event not six months in the future.
The coming summer New Workers
expect to be able to go by rail over
the bridge, through Brooklyn and
across Long Island TO ConeY Island
down on the seashOre, without
changing their seats, and for the small
amount, down and back, of fifty
cents. OF late years many people,
citizens and strangers, have found it
pleaSanter and less expensive not to
leave the city for few weeks sojouTn
at a seaside summer resort, but to go
down in the morning, armed with a
lunch-bIsket and bathing
suit, and back in the evening. Coney
Island, ROckaway beach and Long
Branch are within an hour and halls
ride by water or rail of this city. and
there are other equally popular and
pleasant resorts rs near. Hence, those
who do not care to go more than once
a week can select different
place each time during the season;
and by this policy they get the salts
faction and pleasures of all the ada
cent summer resorts with the heavy
expenses left off. Good board can be
had III this city for $40 to Sl2 week,
while those who march down to the
sea to while few weeks away in
are taxed to the tune of from
SO to So day. Chairs rent high
down on the coast and first class loaf
ing there costs a pile and style" still
more. 1t may be worth your while, |
gentle reader, to bear this in mind,
if You feel symptoms of
weakness III the immediate vicinity
of your pocketbook. Sea breezes, salt
water baths and the luxuries of
resort hotel, invigorate the
system, but oh! my! how they do par
alyze pocketbook already half gone
with consumption. Even pocket
books of apparent health, but of he
reditary constitutional weakness,
can't stand the racket" long.
In New York everything is on
A GIGANTIC SCALE
too big for her to tackle" ]
in the way of big schemes
and stupendous enterprises impossi-
BILE for her to accomplish. Texas
may have more land to the acre than
any other state, but New York city
has more people and money to the
square inch than any other place
on the American map. She supplies
herself with bridges, tunnels, railroads
and all the stupendouS enterprises
that go to make up great city, and
then she looks beyond and in every
direction for new fields of conquest.
her vision to California,
Texas, Mexico and across the seas.
building railroads and telegraph lines,
and developing mines here. there and
everywhere, and after doing all this.
she has change enough left to lay
Atlantic cables and to build steam
ers TO pillow the seas of the world, !
in competition with European coun- |
tries. There are many fine cities on
this continent, but not one of them. |
even proud old Boston and marvellous !
Chicago, can compare with New |
York, either in beauty. population or |
literature or art. There was |
A time when Boston stood at the head |
in literature and art, but that time !
has passed. In great daily news |
papers New York leads the cities of |
the world, and il is predicted that in |
fifty years she viii uSurp and take |
London'S place as the money center |
IF the globe. Indeed. what the future |
Of the American metropolis is cannot |