Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-09-12
Things we Saw.
Brief Notes Of n Trip from Sea to Sen.

til ANCE At THE GREAT METROPOLIS.
Many people may have better
idea of the great city of New York
than the wli,er has formed from a
residence of a fortnight in the me-
tropolis, still his impressions may
not be altogether unacceptable to the
Informed and Of considerable interest
to those who have not yet made a
pilgrimage towards the rising sun,
and seen with their own eyes the
marvels of modern progress. That
New York is a great city, is conceded
by all; great in everything which in.
wolves the heroic side of Nature. Her
chactelistic-and every city pos
sesses distinct indlvidualily-is de-
cidedly masculine. Here we find
enterprise which possess no limit OF
resource for accomplishment; prof.
ects achieved which would have been
impossible in a community with less
nerve and not possessing the most
staiwart sinews for vigorous and con-
tinued effort.
The location of the city at the
mouth of the Hudson river, in the
southern part OF the great State
which bears its name, a point which
possesses superior commercial ad-
vantaSes, undoubtedly gave it the
start in the race whereby it has dis
tanced all competitors. 1t covers
the whole OF Manhattan Island, and
q portion of the mainland. and is
bounded or the south by New York
bay, on the west by the Hudson or
North River, OH the north by the
city of Yonkers and Winchester
county, and the east by the river
Bronx, that separates it from Win
chester county and the East river,
q narrow salt water strait dividing
it from Long Island. The city is IL
miles long and varies in width from
a few hundred yards to A miles at
the north part. Its area is about Al
square miles, or 2G,5O0 acres, of
which $500 are on the mainland.
Its harbor gives ample anchorage for
large fleets, and opens directly on
the Atlantic. Its position in the
center of the northern part of the
coast makes it the natural entrepot
for the Middle States. The State and
city of New Jersey lie on the oppo-
site side of the Hudson, and along
the East liver, Brooklyn and its
neighboring towns form a continu-
GUS city OH tue eastern side. The
population of the city was in 1880,
l ,2O6. $50, and is now probably one
and half millions, while Brooklyn
will swell the aggregate to fully q
100000.
The settlement of New York dates
back 10 1924, by Dutch traders.
Two years later, Fort Amsterdam
was built, and the entire island was
bought of the Indians for $24, paid
in goods. In 1864 the place was
taken under English control, and
the name was changed from New
Amsterdam to New York. In 1878 1t
was retaken by the Dutch, but their
occupancy was short, and it soon re.
verted to the English. From 1914
it began to grow rapidly, and at the
time of the Revolution it was city
of $4,000 inhabitants. During the
war it took an active part till cap
tured by the British in 1776. 1t was
held by them till 1888, when it was
evacuated by them at the close of
the war. From 1856 to 1890, New
York was the seat of government Of
the United States, President Wash
ington having been inaugurated
in the city hall at the corner
Of Nassau and Wall streets, June
3Oth, 1889. The free school sys.
tenn was inaugrrated in 1905 and
in 1907 Fulton fist navigated the
Hudson by steamboat. Gas was in
duced in 1926, and the Croton water
in 1912. The original charter of the
city was granted by James II of
England in 1856. and another by
George II in 1870. This charter
was of the most liberal character and
made New York practically free
city, and was the law til 1929, when
new charter was made by the peo-
pie.
1t is quite evident from the irreg.
ular character of the streets in the
olden part of the city that its found
ers had no idea of its ultimate des-
tiny. All that portion south OF
Houston street is traversed by mar
row thoroughfares, some of them
not more than 80 feet in width,
while northward new ideas seemed
to prevail and the streets ore wide
and laid out at right angles.
As the business Of the city in
creased. the inadequacy of street &C.
commodations became every year
more apparent, and during the busy
hours traffic was at times greatly i'm
peded by the jam of vehicles and