The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-06

! 1st inst, says :. The City Directory for the
current year contains Sc. o.7s4 names, or 4, ,2l2
more than that of the previous year. The
publishers calculate that the population Of
Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the adjacent ter
ritory covered by the work reached 28B, ,00O
IIs Pittsburgh has always ben a
4 growing place, and will continu6 70 grow il
she only gets half a chance.
i We have in our possession, Is perfect as
when 1t came from the hands Of the book
binder, !. The Pittsburgh Directory for
lSi5," containing the names, professions
and residence of the heads of families. and
persons in business in the borough of Pitts
burgh. with an appendix containing va
riety of useful information. printed for
James NJ. Riddle, compiler and publisher" +"
In this directory we find the names, resi-
dences, etc., of 1905 persons in the borough
proper, and of 100 in Birmingham. Law
renceyille, Bayardstown, etc. In his pref
ace the compiler uniquely says: "The diff
culties naturally attendant upon the first
attempt at work of this kind will, TO can
did, rejecting minds. be sufficient apollo
gy for the errors which may appear to
men of different disposition, the Compiler
does not deem it necessary to offer one."
The history of the borough is given as
follows: Pittsburgh, the seat of justice for
Allegheny county, Pa, is situated on
point of land formed by the confluence of
the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, in
latitude 400 So n. long. so 3s' w. about
300 miles w, by n. from Philadelphia, $50
from Washington City, and leo (by land)
from New Orleans. In early times fort
was established here called DuQuense,
which in 1853 was blown up and evacuated
on the approach of General Forbes. Shortly
after fort was built by the British called
Fort Pitt, and about the year 1760 small
town called Pittsburgh was built near the
fort, but the present town Of Pittsburgh was
first laid out in 1765. and afterwards laid
out and surveyed, on its present plan, in
1874.
The ground plot of the town is triangular,
the streets running parallel with each river
which at their junction form an angle Of
about 80 degrees. The population in 1900
was about 2,4OO souls-in 1910 the census
gaye 2,740, and in 1915 calculation, found
II on what is believed to be correct data,
makes an estimate of upwards of9000. This
great increase of population is to De attribu-
ted to the late war with Great Britain, which
converted great portion of the capital of
the seaboard into manufactures, much of
which was concentrated in this place. The
transportation of southern produce, during
the war, through Pittsburgh across the
mountains, also contributed greatly to the
increase of the population here. Three
weekly newspapers are published in the
borough, besides two periodical literary
works-the former have an extensive cir
clrlation-the latter are chiefly confined to
the town and immediate vicinity.
The public buildings lin addition to the
churches hereafter enumersted) are court
house, prothonotaty's, registers, sheriffs
and commissioners offices, a JAIL three in
corporated banks, dramatic theatre, Ma
sonic hall, three market houses lone in the
Diamond and two in Second street an
Academy, etc.
Few places can boast of more useful inn
proyements in manufactures and the me-
chanical arts than Pittsburgh-it has been
justly and emphatically styled The Bir-
mingham of America" A comparative view
of its progress must indeed awaken admira-
ton. Until about the year 1898 its progress
was not rapid. In the year 1915 We behold it
rich and fourishing, daily augmen.iDg in
manufactures an / commerce" The officers
of this rich and hourishing borough were
Burgess, John Darragh; Town Council,
John NJ. Snowden. President; John Rosen-
burg, William Lucas, Thomas Perkins. Nah
lon Rodgers, John w. Johnston, William
Anderson, John Caldwell, James Brown,
John Harmon. Mark Stackhouse, Richard
Robinson, George Cochran; Town Clerk and
Treasurer, Lazarus Stewart; High Consta-
BILE, John b. Gray; Assessor, Richard Rob-
inson; Street Regulators, John Carson, Jas.
Mckenzie, Daniel Hunter: Measurers of
Boards and Scantling, John w. Trimbly,
Thomas Mckee, James Ewing Street and
Road Commissioners, William Arthurs and
Andrew Wilcox Collector of Taxes, John
Aitken; Clerk of the market, VIM. Barret
Weigh Master, Matthew McEown Inspector
of Tobacco and Gauger, Jacob C. Heffer
Weigh Master at the Hay Scales. Thomas
Davis. There is much ancient, curious and
appendix to this little book, particularly to
those who are natives and to the manner
born