Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-05-08
GRAND RAPIDS.

-N tAN ANHi-tf ~ - -t'e III - -tt'H ID
lu the fact lhat while Ia 1870 is pop
ulation 0is only l6,500, IN the next
decade il bal increased 70 $4,000,
and il nov about 10000, and With an
extension 1f irs mit- 80 a. 10 include
territory properly belonging 70 it, its
population would exceed the latter
figure.
The growth If the city in wealth,
commercial prosperity, and all that
gOe- % make up a wideawake bust
ness city, and a pleasant home, has
kept pace with its growth IN popula-
tlon, and today Grand Rapids com
pares very fAvorably ia all respects
with any city 0f similar size in the
west, and far surpasses the majority
II them. L., situation j. picturesque
aud healthful, snd j. admirably a iapt-
ed to the bailiing up Of comfortable
and elegant homes, feature for
which she has attained 4 wide celeb
rity
ller schools are second 20 none.
She now has Two high schools, seven
teen wand primary schools, aud one
ungraded school, and employs 1870
teachers The school property Is val
ued at $500, 600, amt the amount an
nual.y expended for educational pur-
poses is more than Sl2O,000. In ad-
dition to her public schools she has
several Other educational institutions
Of Importance, among them the Grand
Rapids Business College, established
over - years ago by Professor {. O..
Swensberg, and now the leading bus
mess college Of the State, besides a
theological seminary, seven private
schools, three catholic schools, and
two converts, 80 that In educational
matters she l. certainly not behind
her neighbors.
She has fifty two churches, with a
total membership of about % 200, and
her church property is valued 10 more
than half a million dollars.
Tier public library contains nearly
10000 volumes, and it : much re
sorted 20 by the public ; C. has six
fine bands Of music, and about a
dozen musical societies. besides lojg
es of al. ,he leading benevolent orders
and frUermties in the country She
has five daily, twenty weekly, aHj
ten monthly newspapers aud journals
IT various classes; fully equipped
fire department, numbering SO men-
bers. and 3 rire-alarm system covering
the entire area Of the city; . large
and carefully drilled police force; a
telephone system viii zoo telephones
ln ist. and Is the principal exchange
ina ircuit including nearly the whole
of Western Michigan; q magnificent
street rail way system with ) miles
of sck; 80 miles Of gas mains, and
an extensive system OF electric lights
for sighting the streets and business
houses, four National Banks, with "A
capital and surplus Of about 81 SOC, 900
and total deposits Of St,5OO,OO0; two
savings Banks with $4,000 capital
each, and deposits Of nearly 100000
more, about $50 incorporated cOmpa
nies with an aggregate capital stock
Of nearly Sl5,0OO,0OO, i've railroads
aFordiug eight avenues of exit from
the city, nearly l40 miles Of opened
streets. 20 miles of sewerage; aud
many other features Of prominence
and importance of which the limits
of this short article viii not admit
mention
tSrand Rapids il largely engaged
IN MANUFACTURES, and has attained
especial prominence from the import
auce ol her manufacturing industries
she has now nearly 600 manufactur
inr establishments of various charac
ters. employing over 1000 hands, and
disp' nsmg ar aggregate product OF
about Sl5.00O,oO0 annually, using 3
capitsl II neariy s1.000.000. and con
<uming over 81 600. .00O worth Of raw
material Her leading industry and
the one that has gwen her q world
wide reputation. X the manufacture
of furniture. nm which she perhsp,
leads che world The product Of hel
factories IN this iine alone amounts q
an aggregate of nearly $4,000 pei
snnum. and they send ont A. fine fur
nifure A. can oe found In the markets
as well As arge quantities Of IN
cheaper grades Her other mauufac
fures are rapidly rising into import